104 HORSE, SWINE AND POULTRY DISEASES 



mastication, shown by holding their head to one side while chew- 

 ing, the teeth should be carefully examined. Horses whose teeth 

 have unduly sharp edges are likely to drive badly; they pull to 

 one side, do not bear on the bit, or bear on too hard and big, toss 

 the head, and start suddenly when a tender spot is touched. If, 

 as is mostly the case, all the symptoms are referable to sharp cor- 

 ners or projections of the teeth, these must be removed by the rasp. 

 If decayed teeth are found, or other serious difficulty detected, or 

 if the cause of the annoying symptoms is not discovered, an expert 

 should be called. 



Toothache. This is rare in the horse and is mostly witnessed 

 where there is decay of a tooth or inflammation about its root. 

 Toothache is to be discovered in the horse by the pain expressed by 

 him while feeding or drinking cold water. I have seen horses 

 affected with toothache that would suddenly stop chewing, throw the 

 head to one side, and slightly open the mouth. They behave as though 

 some sharp body has punctured the mouth. If upon examination 

 there is no foreign body found, we must then carefully examine each 

 tooth. If this can not be done with the hand in the mouth, we 

 can, in most instances, discover the aching tooth by pressing each 

 tooth from without. By tapping the teeth in succession with a hard 

 object, such as a small hammer, the one that is tender may be 

 located. The horse will flinch when the sore tooth is pressed or 

 tapped upon. In most cases there is nothing to be done but extract 

 the decayed tooth, and this, of course, is only to be attempted by 

 the veterinarian. 



There is a deformity, known as parrot-mouth, that interferes 

 with mastication, and, indirectly, with digestion. The upper incis- 

 ors project in front of and beyond the lower ones. The teeth of 

 both jaws become unusually long, as they are not worn down by 

 friction. Such horses experience much difficulty in grazing. Little 

 can be done except to occasionally examine the teeth, and if those 

 of the lower jaw become so long that they bruise the bars of the 

 upper jaw, they must be shortened by the rasp or saw. Horses with 

 this deformity should never be left entirely at pasture. 



DISEASES OP THE MOUTH. 



Lampas. Lampas is the name given to a swelling of the 

 mucous membrane covering the hard palate and projecting in a 

 more or less prominent ridge immediately behind the upper incis- 

 ors. The hard palate is composed of spongy tissue that fills with 

 blood when the horse is feeding, and this causes the ridges to be- 

 come prominent, and they then help to keep food from dropping 

 from the mouth. This swelling is entirely natural and occurs in 

 every healthy horse. Where there is some irritation in the mouth 

 during teething the prominence of the hard palate may persist, 

 due to the increased blood supply. In such cases the cause of the 

 irritation should be sought for and removed. By way of direct 

 treatment, slight scarification is the most that will be required. 

 Burning the lampas is barbarous and injurious, and it should never 

 be tolerated. 



