The lower incisors occlude with the hard palate to allow the horse some ability to graze, which causes visible and palpable laceration and lichenification of the hard palate.
Diagnosis of brachynathism can be made through observation and palpation of the clinical signs and symptoms. Treatment depends on the severity of the defect and the impact the defect has on the animal’s ability to eat. Mild cases may require no treatment other than regular dental care; moderate cases may require frequent ______________ care to remove abnormal wear patterns from the incisors; while severe cases may require special diets that are more easily ingested, special feeding apparatuses, as well as frequent dental care to prevent the formation of sharp tooth edges which may lacerate the soft tissue of the oral cavity. ________________ can be applied to the upper teeth to slow growth.
Prognathia
Prognathia is a congenital conformational abnormality. It has a number of colloquial names including “sow mouth”, “monkey mouth” or “under bite”. It is an inheritable genetic trait and is seen to run in families. Prognathia is caused by an abnormally short ________________ , while the incisive bone and the mandible are of normal length. The disproportionally short maxilla causes poor or no occlusion to occur between the upper and lower incisors, which may inhibit grazing, eating from a feed bucket, or nursing. Prognathia is not common in horses but is seen at higher incidences in _______________ foals, inbred Arabian horses, and in miniature breeds. Prognathia is hereditary and affected individuals should not be used for breeding. Prognathia is seen as incongruity of the mandible and the maxilla length, causing the mandible to appear longer when viewed form the side. This positions the lower incisors in front of the upper incisors, which may lead to laceration and lichenification of the________________ . Horses affected by prognathia may have difficulty grazing, may leave feed in the bottom of their buckets, may quid, and may have difficulty gaining weight. Severely affected foals may not be able to nurse or may require bottle feeding. Over time the malocclusion of the incisors may cause degenerative changes and dysfunction in the temporomandibular joint. Some horses affected by prognathia are reluctant to be bridled and may be resistant to bit pressure. Diagnosis of prognathia can be made through the clinical presentation, though visual examination of the dental alignment and palpation may be required to identify mild cases. Treatment of prognathia depends on the severity of the deformity and is similar to that of brachynathism, regular dental care.
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