Clinical dental finding in Iranian horses

Background: A horse's well-being is directly related to the management of its dental health. A good knowledge of the epidemiology and aetiology of dental disorders could help the owners and clinicians to prevent not only dental problems but also severe gastrointestinal diseases.

Objectives: In this study we report the prevalence of dental disorders in horses in Iran.

Methods: We examined 317 horses randomly in eight provinces in Iran and 21 diseases were characterized in the examined horses. The observed diseases were compared among different breeds, genders and ages of the examined horses.

Results: The factor of age among the other three factors was more important in the incidence of diseases because most of the diseases found were significantly different among age groups. Between different breeds examined, only cheek teeth cemental caries in Kurdish and Arabian horses was significantly different (p = .022). Enamel point with an occurrence of 34.4% was the most common disease. Broken cheek teeth were more prevalent in male horses in comparison with female horses (p = .035).

Conclusion: Our study showed a moderate prevalence of dental disorders in Iranian horse clubs, which could be reduced with better management.

Keywords: age; dental diseases; horse; management; prevalence.