Page 53 - The Veterinary Care of the Horse

position; the usual site is in the upper jaw, just in front of the second premolar teeth (Figure

2.9). However, they may develop in the interdental space, 2–3 cm ( in) in front of the
VetBooks.ir second premolar. Less commonly they occur in the lower jaw. Wolf teeth erupt when the
horse is between 6–18 months of age. Sometimes they do not come through the gum but can

be felt as bumps underneath it. These are known as ‘blind’ wolf teeth.

Figure 2.9 The usual site and position of wolf teeth

In some cases, wolf teeth cause no problems, but they can cause bitting issues and
discomfort in ridden or driven horses. They should be removed if there is any suspicion they

are causing a problem. Removal is necessary if a bit seat is to be performed. The length of
the roots and difficulty of extraction is variable but this is a routine procedure that can be

done under sedation in the standing horse. Following extraction, the horse should not be
ridden for up to two weeks (or occasionally longer) while the gum heals and any bruising
subsides.

CANINE TEETH