Traveling horse dentist treats equine tooth problems

BUENA VISTA, Minn. (AP)--Groggy from sedation, Billy leaned his chin on a cushioned support as Dr. Richard Bowman ground away the rough edges of his molars.

Bowman, a veterinary dentist based in Rhame, N.D., travels the Midwest in his specially outfitted horse trailer cleaning and repairing equine teeth.

"There aren't very many traveling tooth fairies around," said Bowman. "Veterinarians who limit their practice to dentistry are probably 20 in the United States."

Billy and his team partner, Rose, were among a number of horses lined up in the waiting area outside Bowman's dentistry trailer recently at Buena Vista Ranch. Each of the elderly horses had tooth problems, periodontal disease and required removal of a molar.

Linda Keers, owner of Billy and Rose with her husband, John, joked as she tucked Billy's huge grinder in a plastic bag with Rose's tooth, that she had a pair to make into earrings. The Keers own Flying Eagle Ranch in rural Blackduck where they provide outings and horse activities for children from the Red Lake Nation.

"The kids will love these," Linda said, sealing the bag of teeth. "I'll say, 'This is what'll happen to you if you don't go to the dentist."'

The Keers also operate the Eagle's Nest, a youth mission in Redby. Linda said Billy and Rose and their other horses are priceless because children can handle them.

"They're bomb-proof, and that's what's good for the kids," said John.

Before he began working on Billy, Bowman gave him a shot of sedative. When the horse's head began to sag sleepily, the dentist fitted the animal with a device to keep his mouth open.

"I sedate all of them; it's so much safer for them and us to have them calm," he said as he worked. "It's a scientific guess on how much you dose them. Some of them take a lot less and some take a lot more. The drafties don't take a lot."

Billy and Rose are old Suffolk draft horses. Linda said the rule of thumb is four human years equal one horse year, so at 25-plus years old, Billy and Rose are pushing the horse equivalent of the century mark.

Most large animal vets can float horses' teeth using a hand file to smooth off the rough edges so the animals can chew their food better. As an equine dentist, Bowman adds power tools and can fill teeth and perform other repairs. He said horses should have their teeth tended to from the time they are 2 years old.

He cited two commonly held fallacies: a fat horse has good teeth, and only old horses need their teeth floated.

"Usually, you can manage horses with terrible teeth with diet," he said. He recommended senior feed for Billy and Rose.

Bowman earned his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Kansas State University and learned horse dentistry at various clinics and workshops. He is a member of the American Veterinary Dental Society and American Equine Practitioners Association. He has also taught dentistry at various veterinary colleges. He has practiced equine dentistry for 30 years but made the specialty his sole practice about four years ago, he said. He said he treats about 1,000 horses a year, and the demand for his services increased by 30 percent this year.

For basic tooth care, not counting extractions or fillings, Bowman said he charges an average of $130 to $150 per horse.

"The expansion in the business is unbelievable," he said, and encouraged any aspiring vet who is interested to check out equine dentistry. "It's a business that could use many more practitioners."

Finishing work on Billy, Bowman gave him a shot of phenylbutazone, commonly known as "bute," a painkiller to ease any jaw soreness after the extraction.

"All my patients get a little complimentary bute at the end of their treatment--a little lollypop," he said.

None\0-

Date: 1/29/08