Failure of Deciduous Caps to Shed in Horses

From the first to fourth years of life, the permanent teeth begin to grow in, but in order for them to grow in normally, the deciduous teeth, called caps, must shed. A failure of the caps to shed can result in the permanent teeth growing in at an abnormal angle, uneven surfaces of the teeth opposite to the unshed cap, or failure of the permanent tooth to grow in at all. 

If your horse is showing any symptoms of dental problems, such as difficulty eating, unexplained behavioral problems or head tossing, have the horse examined by your veterinarian.

Symptoms and Types

• Difficulty eating/chewing
• Slow eating
• Favoring one side of the mouth when eating
• Loss of appetite
• Excessive salivation
• Quidding (dropping food from mouth due to inability to chew)

Diagnosis

Upon inspection of your horse’s mouth, your veterinarian should be able to tell whether or not there is a dental cap issue. Retained deciduous teeth will typically cause recognizable misalignment of the tooth line. Soreness and inflammation may also be apparent upon examination.