Symptoms of Bad Teeth.
In some old horses whose molar teeth are diseased or irregular, perfect mastication of hay becomes impossible. After the animal has chewed for a time, the teeth and tongue tend to form a ball (bolus) of hay which is forced out of the mouth instead of being swallowed. This is termed “quidding,” and when it is seen it may be taken as an indication of the need of a veterinary dentist with his instruments. In other cases the partly masticated food is gathered in a pouch between the molar teeth and cheek, and this can be plainly seen and felt by the careful examiner. This pouch is sometimes called the “granary,” and from the outside its presence is indicated by an elongated tumor which has a doughy feel when pressed with the finger.
When a diseased molar is present in the mouth, or when a “granary” exists, there is a foul odor, which should lead to the discovery of the condition. To distract attention from this odor it is said that horse dealers always take the precaution to cleanse the mouth of the horse with vinegar.
A chronic discharge from one nostril (nasal gleet), accompanied by a fetid odor, should warn the buyer to make a critical examination of the teeth, for if one is diseased and is the cause of the discharge, it will have to be removed by trephining, and that means expense and possibly loss of the services of the horse for some time.