Effect of Dental Correction on Fecal Fiber Length in Horses

The aim of the study was to determine if dental correction changes fecal fiber length (FFL) in horses that had never been subjected to dental treatments. Thirty adult horses with mild to moderate dental abnormalities were selected. Dental disorders noted included sharp enamel points, focal overgrowths, shear mouth, step mouth, wave mouth, accentuated transverse ridges, and diastema. The horses were confined to individual stalls and fed Tifton hay (Cynodon spp.) 1.5% bwt/d, divided equally between two feedings. Fecal samples were taken for FFL analysis before (Day 0) and after (Day 15) dental correction. Mean FFL, determined by laboratory analysis, was recorded for each horse and time. The results were submitted to analysis of variance using the SAS statistical program, and means were compared by T-test (P < .05). Dental treatment resulted in significant (P < .05) reductions in FFL, with mean ± standard deviation of 3.27 ± 2.27 mm before dental correction and 2.15 ± 1.29 mm after correction. The results suggest that dental treatment improved the mastication efficiency and that FFL can be used to assess the dental health of equines.