Dentist

Honey had her visit from the Dentist yesterday.  My Dentist doesn't like the horses to be sedated, but we decided it would be kinder for Honey and less stressful for her this time if she was sedated.  I gave her a sedative gel.  I have used various sedative pastes in the past, with little success.  Not on my own horses, but at various yards I have worked at.  I'm not a fan of sedating horses, or using calmers unless obviously there is good reason.  I used Domosedan gel this time and it was very effective.  It is easy to administer with the syringe under the tongue and took about 40 minutes to really kick in.  It lasted for approximately 2 hours.  One thing though is that they come out of it very quickly, so really you have a 2 hour window to get the necessary done.  It would be advantageous though if you had a horse that was very difficult to clip for example.  In this case, it saved Honey from having to deal with the vet again and have another injection.  The Dentist let me feel inside her mouth.  Her teeth were severely sharp, if I had pressed down they would have torn the skin on my fingers.  The inside of her cheeks are badly cut, but that should heal fairly quickly now that the sharp edges have been taken off.  He was happy that he had managed to rasp them back to a comfortable state and will see her again in 6 months time when he is back at the yard for his routine visit for the rest of the horses.  After the sedation had worn off and she was allowed her hay, I could already see and hear the difference in her chewing.  Buttons stood looking over the door the whole time the Dentist was working on Honey.  The Dentist affectionately calls him a little gremlin and was laughing at his beard.  Susan and Zoe think his middle name should be Tumnus after Mr Tumnus from the Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe who has a gingery beard.  Buttons Tumnus Brownlie. 

At the moment I think Honey sees people as a means to an end.  She doesn't actively want the company of people, and I don't blame her, but she realises that she needs them to the extent that they are providing her with food and comfort.  She now has 6 weeks before any more appointments to just be a wee horse again.  At night I pick both their feet, give Buttons a scratch and a brush and just gently give Honey a rub using my hands.  She tenses and freezes when you touch her, but she's getting better day by day.  I found an itchy spot on her the other day and she enjoyed the scratch.