EVDS South Grafton

25/11/2025

Great opportunity to update your knowledge on what issues occur inside horses mouths. 🙏

🦷 No Pain? Check Again Dental Webinar

Up to 70% of horses may be suffering in silence with undiagnosed dental issues and they may not be showing any signs of pain.

Join us for a live session with equine dental experts Dr Chris Pearce and Dr Nicole du Toit from the Equine Dental Clinic as we explore:
🔍 How to spot signs of dental discomfort
🔍 Common myths and facts around equine dentistry
🔍 Who can treat your horse and what a check-up should involve

Whether you're a horse owner or equestrian professional, this is a chance to get clued up on all things teeth.

📅 Book your free place now. If you think there’s no pain, it doesn’t always mean there’s no problem 👉 https://bit.ly/4ifEu79

📷 Equine Dental Clinic Ltd

24/11/2025

This handsome little c**t is now 2 stone lighter and a gelding at that! Dr. Shanya & Nurse Imogen went out to this clients farm to perform the surgery. The gelding sat up from his general anaesthetic and was happy just to have a peaceful snooze in the shade. 🐴🌞

21/11/2025

🦷🐴🩺 𝑪𝒂𝒍𝒄𝒖𝒍𝒖𝒔 & 𝑪𝒂𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒔 🩺🐴🦷

Dr. Shanya shows this patient's canine before & after scaling. We remove as much calculus as possible to prevent unnecessary inflammation of the gum beneath.

It's hard to see where the calculus ends and the tooth begins in the first photograph but there was a tooth hiding beneath!

21/11/2025

Product of the Week

Aluminium Incisor X-Ray Plates for use during intra-oral incisor and canine dental xrays, sold as a pair (top & bottom).

*Will fit almost all McPherson style speculums or speculums with interchangeable incisor plates.

Less than half the price of the only alternative on the market, and with how common EOTRH is, these are an essential part of any serious equine dental veterinarian’s tool kit.

It simply is not worth your DR plate being damaged to use it for incisor xrays without plates like these.

https://www.evds.vet/aluminium-mouth-plates-individual?utm_campaign=3f1df42c-f164-488f-bb5e-dae5c60d2a2f&utm_source=so&utm_medium=mail&cid=a74807cb-2368-45ba-b044-64167922e3fb

19/11/2025

A very relevant article for everyone who loves horses and would “do anything “ for them 🥴

The equine industry’s nonstop demands make staff especially vulnerable to burnout. Practical steps can help you and your team work smarter and healthier.

17/11/2025

Exactly what we’ve been preaching since 2002. 👍

Great to see the correct information getting out there. 🙏

Hand Files vs. Power Tools for Equine Dentistry — What Research Says

This is one of those topics that divides horse people, but the science behind it is actually pretty straightforward. Both methods can be safe and effective — it all comes down to training and technique, not the tool itself.

Below is a summary of what veterinary research, dental associations, and equine hospitals say, with sources you can cite.

✅ Power Dentistry (Motorized Tools)

What the research says:

1. Power tools allow more precision and less fatigue.

According to the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP), motorized dental equipment gives veterinarians greater control, improved visibility, and a smoother finish — especially when correcting major issues.
Source: AAEP Dental Care Guidelines, 2019
https://aaep.org/sites/default/files/Guidelines/DentalGuidelines.pdf

2. The risk of soft-tissue injury is lower with proper training.

Equine Veterinary Education (EVE) published studies showing that power tools do not burn or damage teeth or soft tissue when used correctly, and the risk of cutting the tongue/cheeks is actually higher with sharp hand rasps.
Source: Easley et al., EVE, 2005; 2008.

3. Heat damage is not an issue when used properly.

Studies show that tooth temperature remains in the safe range as long as the operator uses short passes and proper water cooling.
Source: Dixon & Dacre, Equine Dental Pathology, 2005 (Wiley-Blackwell).

4. More accurate correction of sharp points, hooks, and wave mouth.

Colorado State University’s Equine Dentistry Program states that motorized tools allow more even balancing and better molar arcades.
Source: CSU Veterinary Teaching Hospital – Equine Dentistry.

✅ Hand Floating (Manual Files/Rasps)

What the research says:

1. Lower learning curve for minor work.

Hand tools can be effective for routine smoothing of sharp points and mild dental maintenance.
Source: Ramey, Equine Dentistry: A Practical Guide, 2004.

2. Higher risk of soft-tissue cuts in the wrong hands.

The AAEP warns that unguarded rasps can easily cut cheeks, gums, or the tongue if the horse moves suddenly.
Source: AAEP Dental Care Guidelines, 2019.

3. Limited ability to correct significant dental problems.

Manual tools cannot correct severe hooks, tall ramps, wave mouth, shear mouth, or caudal hooks with the same precision.
Source: Dixon & Dacre, Equine Dental Pathology, 2005.

4. Fatigue reduces accuracy.

Research shows that hand rasping leads to operator fatigue, which increases the chance of uneven reduction and accidental abrasion of soft tissue.
Source: Equine Veterinary Journal (EVJ), 1999; 2003.

So which is better?

According to the AAEP and veterinary dental specialists:

“The safety and effectiveness of equine dental procedures depend more on the training, skill, and experience of the practitioner than on the type of instrument used.”
— AAEP Dental Guidelines (2019)

Both methods work — but power tools give better accuracy, are safer for soft tissue, and reduce operator fatigue when used by a trained veterinarian.

17/11/2025

Great reliable info as usual from Jenquine. 🙏

How to read your feed label like a nutritionist 🥼🌱

1️⃣ Ingredients are listed from most to least.
2️⃣ Crude protein ≠ amino acid quality.
3️⃣ Added vitamins/minerals should be listed individually and should provide recommended daily amounts.
4️⃣If it’s not on the label… your horse’s not getting it.

It’s important to understand your horses daily intake 🐎
Read your feed label 🧐

17/11/2025

🐴🩺 𝑼𝒅𝒅𝒆𝒓 𝑪𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒏𝒔 🩺🐴
Many of our clients know at the end of every dental geldings get a complimentary sheath clean. We now offer udder cleans for the mares after a dental so they don't feel left out. Last week Nurse Imogen & Dr Shanya found a mare who thoroughly enjoyed the scratch as we cleaned any debris from between her udders. We find some mares are often quite itchy in this area and cannot scratch it themselves!

17/11/2025

The NSW Government is undertaking a review of its cattle tick program and is inviting public input. If you have concerns about the current approach to cattle-tick management in NSW, this is your chance to voice them and advocate for improvements.
This is particularly relevant to those of you transporting horses across the NSW/QLD border.
PROVIDE FEEDBACK HERE!

The NSW Independent Biosecurity Commissioner (the Commissioner) is seeking feedback on the NSW Cattle Tick Program.

14/11/2025

🦷🩺🐴 𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐢 𝐏𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐞𝐞𝐤 🐴🩺🦷
Look at this gorgeous pint-sized patient of the week & Dr. Shanya giving it the very best treatment even if that meant getting down to this pony's level.

06/11/2025

These tungsten carbide burrs are sized and shaped to allow a full diastema gap widening procedure to prevent good trapping. The burrs included are:
• Tapered
• Conical
• Slimline
• Periodontal
They are also essential in treating impactions of incisors and molar teeth.

https://www.evds.vet/diastema-burrs-set-of-4

03/11/2025

Yesterday, we ran on time all day, so found a spare 30 mins at end of day. So i thought, “this day’s going really well, so let’s give Misty her first drive in the cart outside of the round yard. So i ordered our nurse and fill in receptionist , Holly to be our crash test dummy (would be an interesting work cover claim! 🤪). So after that test went so well, i declared it safe for me to get in the gig. Only issue i see right now is either Misty needs to grow , or i need to shrink before we hit the show circuit! 💪🏆