Today 35-yr-old Nelly went to Cedar County Veterinary Services for a dental. After her choke last week, she really didn't perk up and want to eat, and we noticed a foul smell from her mouth. While worried about aspiration pneumonia, we really felt it was something in her mouth - maybe a loose tooth or infection.
We often say that you never stop learning and should always reconsider, and sometimes it just takes a change to help that. Over the years we had somehow internalized that once the horses reach a certain age - around 30 - that dentals really weren't worth it as they had little to no teeth to float. Like many things, we hadn't realized how many of those internalized beliefs we had, and appreciate the opportunity to challenge them. Yes, sedation on a 35 year old is tricky (check out the impromptu sling they put together as the sedation hit and she got wobbly), and yes, Nelly has many missing teeth and barely any left so floating may seem silly ... but just take a peek into her mouth and see those sharp points on the few teeth she has. She reminds us that it is important to keep them checked even if they only have 2 teeth left in their entire mouth, and we hope to have DocsBenandErin out again soon to check our other 30+ super seniors. They may be old, but they are worth the $135 dental check! Today's visit was $190.38 for float, tooth extraction, antibiotics and pain meds - and Nelly's comfort is absolutely worth every penny!
