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equine veterinary dentistry with Equi-Still -- Elizabeth Thompson DVM MANZCVS's Equi-Still Portable horse equine stocks Equi Still Stocks Equistill Stocks Equi-Still Portable Equine Horse Stocks

Emergency! COVID-19 New Zealand and your Vets!

Hello all you wonderful horse, pet, and production animal owners out there!

Emergency Basis Only, or

#Don’tBreakYourVet !

Most of your veterinarians are still allowed to practice and will remain available to you and your beloved animals ON AN EMERGENCY BASIS ONLY.
We are willing to risk our own health (though we should all be wearing mask, gloves, etc.) for the health of your lovelies. It is, as you are no doubt aware, not without risk to us.
As the incubation period is so long and the symptoms so variable, what you think was a little “cold” could actually be a case of COVID-19. I don’t want it and have no desire to infect my family. I have a heart condition and it would not be in my best interest to catch the dratted virus.
Equine veterinary dentistry with Equi-Still -- Elizabeth Thompson DVM MANZCVS's Equi-Still Portable horse equine stocks Equi Still Stocks Equistill Stocks Equi-Still Portable Equine Horse Stocks
NO, not doing routine dentistry right now!
Please comply with your vets if they request you to wear a mask yourself and keep your distance if at all possible. If they want you to leave the animal with their staff while it is treated, or ask you to let them handle your horse themselves, please do so. We’re all under enough stress anyway, ALL people here. Maybe help get your horse into the stocks and let them work on the horses on their own. Please help them to help you and your animals.
I know all of my beyond-lovely clients will be happy do this for me.
HOWEVER….. 

What’s an Emergency?

Clearly it’s not been made obvious to some. Some of the phone calls I’ve received have…. been… interesting. Mostly from new clients… such as:
requests for:
… routine dentistry, (as the owner will be off work for the next few weeks), or
…doing a pre-purchase examination, (never truly an ER)
… routine vaccinations… especially overdue ones…
…any other sort of routine vet procedures you could have scheduled several months ago that you want done now that you have time at home from work…
M. bovis
Clearly this didn’t happen overnight, but it sure looks like it needs help NOW.

Lockdown = QUARANTINE…

THIS LOCKDOWN IS MEANT TO BE A QUARANTINE, NOT A HOLIDAY! Enjoy it at home with your family, but don’t needlessly infect others!
They are the things you’d call us for on Saturday, Sunday, or a holiday, despite the emergency call fee, etc.
Things that could limit the lives of your horse or that if not treated now, will create pain and suffering for your beasties.
 

However… 

LET THIS NOT PREVENT YOU from calling us if you THINK it might be an emergency. Or if you’re not sure. Even a little. Personally, I am HAPPY to field phone calls and look at a photo you take with your phone.
 
If it’s a colic, laceration, lameness, respiratory difficulty, the old horse who’s suddenly come to the end of his tether, or anything else causing you and them any distress, etc., for god’s sake, PLEASE be sure to ring.
This might be a good guide….
 
If i get sick (or dead) from treating your non-emergency cases, I won’t be around to treat your beloved horse or other animal life-threatening emergencies.
 
The phone is your friend. 🙂 When it works. There’s always Facebook. xx
xx
L
Interdental spaces

Dental Radiology Simplified Dental Tip #2: Interdental Spaces

Have you ever done this while attempting to shoot interdental spaces?

You really want to radiograph that interdental space between the 210 and 211…

But NUTS, you didn’t get the rostro-caudal angle right.

Luckily, you have digital radiography (If you ARE so lucky) … but how many views do you want to take, truly? How much exposure do you really want?

Lizzi’s Discovery Simplifies Radiography of Interdental Spaces

While studying for her Membership in the Australia New Zealand College of Veterinary Scientists(ANCVS) in Equine Dentistry, inventor of the Equi-Still Portable Equine Stocks, equine veterinarian Elizabeth (Lizzi) Thompson figured out a simple way of getting the angle of the interdental space for a particular tooth right. The first time. And how to show it in a lecture for the ANZCVS!

When it clicked, it was so simple, she wondered why she’d never thought of it before!

She gathered some toothpicks and a handy equine skull and set about slipping (well, slipping probably isn’t exactly the word.. they are rather tightly packed, or should be, anyway) a toothpick into each of the interdental spaces of the maxilla and mandible and pushing them in as far as possible to approximate the plane of each space.

The Maxilla

Starting with the maxilla, after placing the little sticks, it becomes rather clear how much the angulation of the interdental space changes as one moves from mesial to distal, or rostral to caudal, if you use that terminology. SO, you’ll need to take your shots parallel to the toothpick to clearly visualise the alveolar crest and periodontal space of the interdental space which concerns you. Yes, that means you will likely need to take more than one view to see different interdental spaces within the mandibular arcades.

Interdental spaces1   Interdental spaces 2   Interdental spaces 3     Interdental spaces 4   Interdental spaces 5

The Mandible

Radiographing the interdental spaces of the mandible is a completely kettle of fish. In some cases, the angulation between the interdental spaces can be straight or even a wee bit concave, rather than convex, as seen with the maxilla from the buccal side.

SO, if you want to radiograph the interdental space of the 208/209 for the maxilla, and then the same for the mandible, understand you might be taking two very different radiographs! However, unlike with the maxilla, you might get more than one interdental space well-visualized on one shot!

Interdental spaces 6    Interdental spaces 8   Interdental spaces 9   

 

Toothpicks!

The concept is simple, but it’s made a big difference to Lizzi’s radiography. The response from the veterinarians she’s taught has been excellent.

Try it, you’ll like it!

Please, if you would, comment below to let Lizzi know how it worked for you and see invites you to share the link to this page with anyone you think would benefit!

 

Equi Still Stocks…

help minimize downtime in your practice by keeping you, your vets, and your techs safe.

Having your gear right there beside your stocks at every farm, every time, will also save you and your practice time, money and sanity! With our power setup, any practice vehicle with a basic running lights plug can be a mobile surgical vehicle. No need for special wiring in every truck!

Your clients know you have their best interests at heart when they see the safety features offered by our stocks. Safety for them, their valued equids, and your vets. A combination that can’t be beat.

Please feel free to contact us to discuss your needs.

Thanks for coming by!

We’re looking forward to hearing from you soon.

Kindest regards,

Lizzi Thompson

EA (Lizzi) Thompson, DVM, MANZCVS (Equine Dentistry), GradDipTeach

Dental Radiographs in Equi-Still Stocks

Dental Radiographs Simplified Dental Tip #1

Dental Radiographs…

Have you ever done this?

You’ve just set up for that perfect dental film.

You need to capture that interdental space to see how far the periodontal disease has progressed.

The plate, (held by owner–in gown, with holder), is finally perfectly positioned.

You’re finally ready. One click, and your sedated patient shifts his feet. His head moves. Arggghhhh…

Big breath.

Start over…

Repeat…

It’s just too hard to take films on a moving target.

Sound too familiar?

Here’s help!

Since using my Equi-Still Portable Equine Stocks, the quality of my dental radiographs has improved sight out of mind.

A horse (or other equid: read horse, pony, donkey) is so much more stable in these solid stocks than standing free. Sedated equids lean against the solid wooden side or the padded front (or rear, depending upon positioning!) and can find the stability and relaxation that is lacking with unsupported sedation. This enhanced stability minimizes the frequency of startle responses commonly seen when patients move and find they cannot balance under sedation.

 

SO HOW DO I GET THAT IMAGE?

I like to place a folding table with a thick sponge pad on its surface in front of my sedated patient in the stocks. It’s important to have butorphanol on board for that nice head droop. This combination provides me with a stable head in a nice position for easily taking dental and other skull-oriented radiographs.

Dental Radiographs in Equi-Still Stocks
Taking radiographs on portable folding table with sponge pad.

 

What’s that you say? The zebra at the Auckland Zoo? Sorry, I haven’t been able to get the zebra off the ground and into the stocks yet… general anaesthesia at this point, but hoping we can try sometime!

Itika at the Auckland Zoo having some special work done!
Itika the Zebra at the Auckland Zoo having some special work done!

Come on by here for more images of Itika and Lizzi!

Equi-Still: Safety and Versatility: #Don’tBreakYourVet!

AAEP

AAEP Dental Care “Ask the Vet” Columnist This Month is Yours Truly!

AAEP Columnist this month!

Just wanted you to know, I’m the dental care expert for AAEP this month. I’ll be answering horse owners’ questions on their website! What’s that, you say?  AAEP?  It’s the American Association of Equine Practitioners!

 

AAEP’s inviting you to…aaep

come on by and take a peek! Maybe your own questions will be answered there!

Other questions might be answered on this website here.

Did you know, there are plenty of images from Itika’s dentistry at the Auckland Zoo? They’re here. On the Blue Mist Equine Veterinary Centre portion of the website.

Check out the sites!

 

Take care out there!

Dr. Lizzi

It’s here, if the link stops working:  https://aaep.org/ask-the-vet/dental-care-your-horse

 

 

The horse likes equine dentistry in Elizabeth Thompson DVM MANZCVS's Equi-Still Portable horse equine stocks Equi Still Stocks Equistill Stocks

Equine Veterinary Dentistry in New Zealand Today

Equine Veterinary Dentistry

SAFETYSo where are we now in equine veterinary dentistry in New Zealand?

Although New Zealand lags behind the northern hemisphere in terms of equine veterinary dental advances, with the efforts of a group of equine veterinarians with post-graduate education and certification in equine dentistry, we’re catching up… and bringing along many more veterinarians this year! 

The education has always been available in the northern hemisphere, but now is readily available here and in Australia, to those veterinarians interested in improving their knowledge of current therapy in equine dentistry.  Although in the past, some veterinarians have not been keen to perform equine dentistry, that seems to be changing fast.

Veterinarians already have extensive knowledge of oral and dental anatomy, physiology, pathology, diagnostics, treatment and pharmaceuticals.  Veterinarians look at whole horse, not just the teeth, and are able to observe clinical signs within the oral cavity (mouth) or head which may indicate conditions requiring veterinary care in other parts of the body or organ systems, (eg: Cushing’s Disease).

Veterinarians can also offer tetanus prophylaxis, a very important part of dental, as well as of general veterinary, care as well.  With their in-depth training, your equine veterinarian with current postgraduate training in equine dentistry is well placed to examine, diagnose, sedate and treat the dental conditions of your horse better than others in the field.

Some still believe sedation is unnecessary for good dentistry. I believe that sedation is necessary for a good examination. Sure, one can float a horse’s teeth without it, but exactly what are they treating? Do you want me to place a mirror into your horse’s mouth without sedation? 🙂 I used to think I did a pretty good job of dentistry without a full mouth speculum, a mirror, a good intraoral light and sedation.

The more I learned, however, the more I realised what I must’ve been missing. If you don’t look for oral disease, you won’t find any.  It is all very well to feel what is going on in a horse’s mouth, but to get the full picture, one needs to see every tooth, probe them, and truly examine them. Use of a full mouth speculum, sedation, intra-oral light, and mirror on a fully-rinsed mouth allows your veterinarian to really evaluate your horse’s mouth for any pathology.

Stocks, (portable or stationary) allow the horse to be contained and offer stability to the sedated horse and provide a great method of stabilising the patient’s head. A horse standing quietly under short term sedation (ie, horse awake and fully ready to walk out of the stocks, for a routine dentistry, in less than half an hour), allows the best possible examination of your horse’s mouth, and also makes it as safe as possible for your horse, the handler and the veterinarian. This, to me, is the ultimate in horse, client, and veterinarian care. 

Why I don’t call myself a ‘horse dentist’?

Throughout this site, you may note that I call myself an equine veterinarian with a particular interest in equine dentistry, rather than an “equine dentist”.

According to the Dental Council of New Zealand, The term ‘dentist’ is a registered title under the HPCA Act 2003.  In order to legally use this title you would need to be a registered dentist, not someone who has taken a short course in “horse dentistry”, but a dentist:  trained, examined and registered as a human dentist.

According to the DCNZ, one may use a title indicating an interest in dentistry (eg. a vet with a particular interest in pet or equine dentistry). SO, no matter how much training I receive, no matter how much “dentistry” I do, unless I go to a human school of dentistry, it would be unethical to term myself a “dentist” of any type! Sounds fair to me!

I had extensive equine dental training (mostly on unsedated patients) whilst a student at the University of California at Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine (USA). “Modern equine dentistry” as some know it today, began in the USA, UK, and Europe around that time. Since then I’ve studied equine dentistry extensively and achieved my Membership in the Australia New Zealand College of Veterinary Scientists, (MANZCVS). See my CV for details

Key Take-Home Message:

Your horse’s suboptimal performance or discomfort may be partly or totally due to mouth pain. If one doesn’t look closely, one won’t see oral problems!

Thorough veterinary oral examination plus appropriate treatment equals happy horse and happy owner….

©2011 Blue Mist Holdings, Ltd