EOTRH - EDSO

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Equine Odontoclastic Tooth Resorption and Hypercementosis is a progressive and destructive disease of the incisors and canines of older horses. The etiology (cause) is not understood.

I used to call it "ugly teeth of old horses." With the advent of using radiology in the mouth of the horse, the destruction of the incisive and mandibular bones was seen.

More about this disease is written in the unit about older horse care. In this post are cases I have seen viewed in pictures. Lil Boy also has a video of the horse chewing without incisor teeth.

EOTRH case 1
EOTRH case 2
EOTRH case 3
EOTRH case 4
EOTRH case 5
EOTRH case 6
EOTRH case 7
EOTRH case 8
EOTRH case 9

[wpanchor id="case1"]Case 1 - Lil Boy

20 year old TB with severe EOTRH. All the teeth were loose and were extracted easily with either fingers or cap forceps and IV sedation and analgesia. #403, 201, and 303 were left in, 5 incisors were removed, and the remaining were already gone. A few months later I extracted 201 and 303 because they never became more attached. Only 403 remains and is held firm within the socket.

In 6 months his BCS was 4 but 12 months after the extractions he had gained weight to a BCS of 6. His tongue is not held in unless he pulls it in. Otherwise it just hangs out when he is lazy.

The video shows how a horse without incisors can still graze effectively. Turn up the volume for that.

Lil Boy - ETORH with loose, painful, & necrotic incisors. Excessive tartar due to tongue not moving over the painful teeth.

Lil Boy - EOTRH: Loose incisors extracted with IV sedation and analgesics. Horse went right to eating without difficulties after extraction.

Lil Boy - 6 incisors extracted with little effort form a horse with ETORH

Lil Boy - All but 1 incisor removed 6 months ago. He could not bite food and was painful but immediately started to eat hay after extraction.

Lil Boy - 12 months since the extractions - BCS is a 6. Gums are very healthy. Remaining 403 is solid and non-painful.

Lil Boy - Missing incisors lost to EOTRH prevent this horse's tongue from staying in the mouth

Lil Boy - 12 months since the extractions - BCS is a 6. Gums are very healthy. Remaining 403 is solid and non-painful. Notice the tongue hangs out of the mouth because there are no incisors to keep it in. It is this pressure that forces the incisors of older horses to move out and to "become long in the tooth."

Lil Boy 6 months after extraction - BCS 4

Lil Boy - 12 months since the extractions - BCS is a 6.

Here is a video of Lil Boy grazing with all but 403 removed 6 months earlier. Be sure to turn up the sound to hear him tear off the grass.

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[wpanchor id="case2"]Case 2 - Opie

18 year old warmblood.

Opie - EOTRH - 6 months after first pictures. Not painful but #106 and 107 painful when floating.

Opie EOTRH lateral view showing the end stage lower 6. He is very sensitive to float there but may not be related to EOTRH.

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[wpanchor id="case3"]Case 3 - Romeo

20 year then 24 year TB - The first 4 pics are when he was 20 years old. In 4 years he had lost these teeth. His weight loss may be him moving 1000 miles away plus his age because he is eating everything given to him.

Romeo - The first pictures I took of him. The incisors showed evidence of EOTRH but he was not painful and eating well. All of his incisors are present but he will lose the mandibular incisors over the next few years.

Romeo - This 23 yr old TB G (tattoo = T = 1990) had all his lower incisors and the start of EOTRH in 2010 (see the 1st pictures I have of him). He has no trouble chewing and is fed 8 quarts of grain a day plus hay and pasture. His weight loss since 2010 may be age or being moved to a new home 1000 miles away.

Tattoo = T = 1990 = 23yr. He had all his lower incisors and the start of EOTRH in 2010 (see the 1st pictures I have of him). He has no trouble chewing. He is fed 8 quarts of grain a day plus hay and pasture. His weight loss since 2010 may be age or being moved to a new home 1000 miles away.

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[wpanchor id="case4"Case 4 - ]Nash

18 year Dutch

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[wpanchor id="case5"]Case 5 -Lionheart

29 year old TB. #403 is fractured and was removed at the fracture line. It healed well but then he was moved to a state where I do not work.

$Lionheart - 29 yr old, EOTRH - 402 fractured, good body condition and no difficulties chewing, cheek teeth good condition.$

$Lionheart - 29 yr old, EOTRH - 403 fractured, good body condition and no difficulties chewing, cheek teeth good condition.$

Lionheart - Taken 6 months after extraction - base of 402 exposed but firm in the mouth. All teeth firm with no bad smell of pain when files with the small canine file. Cheek teeth not affected and in great shape in this 27 year old.

Lionheart - Taken 6 months after extraction - base of 402 exposed but firm in the mouth. All teeth are firm with no bad smell of pain when filed with the small canine file. Cheek teeth are not affected and are in great shape in this 27-year-old.

Lionheart - Taken 6 months after extraction - base of 402 exposed but firm in the mouth. All teeth are firm with no bad smell of pain when filed with the small canine file. Cheek teeth are not affected and are in great shape in this 27-year-old.

Lionheart - Taken 6 months after extraction - base of 402 exposed but firm in the mouth. All teeth firm with no bad smell of pain when files with the small canine file. Cheek teeth not affected and in great shape in this 27 year old.

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[wpanchor id="case6"]Case 6 - Bean

25 year old warmblood. The decayed 103 created a chronic ulcer in the gum.

EOTRH of #103 - compare to previous picture. Associated lip ulcer is not painful and does not affect his eating. I filed smooth the edges.

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[wpanchor id="case7"]Case 7 - Phantom

27 year old Thoroughbred. The radiographs were taken first and then I was called on to evaluate the teeth. We left everything alone and he ate without problems and maintained his weight until he died at 29 years.

Phantom - EOTRH Fractured and necrotic 303

Phantom - EOTRH with multiple pieces of necrotic 201

Phantom 27 year old TB lateral radiograph showing hypercementosis of 303 and resorption towards the 304 canine. The maxillary incisors also show the resorption as well as the several pieces of 201.

Phantom 27 year old TB DV radiograph showing hypercementosis at 403 and decomposed 303 (horse's left is on the right)

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[wpanchor id="case8"]Case 8 -Oscar

27 year old

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[wpanchor id="case9"]Case 9 -Buddy

This horse has presumptive EOTRH but also has supernumerary incisors, cap remnants, decay, feed accumulation, and a tooth fracture. He was 25 years old and was in good body condition and eating well.

Buddy - a 25 yr old QH G with decay and feed impaction of #403, 101, & 301's , extra lower incisors, cap remnants behind 301/2/3, gum recession of central lower incisors.

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