Study Examines Tooth Decay in Western Australia
“We found tooth decay affected nearly 60% of horses surveyed and one of the most significant risk factors was the hay source fed to the horse,” Jackson said. | Photo: iStock
Horses fed oaten hay (a type of cereal hay common in Australia) are almost three times more likely to develop tooth decay, results from a new study conducted at The University of Western Australia suggest.

Kirsten Jackson, BSc, BVMS(Hons), MANZCVSC (Eq Dent), CMAVA, an equine dental veterinarian who is also studying a Masters of Philosophy by Research at UWA, said tooth decay in horses, termed equine peripheral caries, is very common in Western Australia (WA) and causes a great deal of pain.

In her recent study, Jackson surveyed owners and veterinarians of 500 horses in WA and looked into risk factors for the condition to try to find out why it is so common.

“We found tooth decay affected nearly 60% of horses surveyed and one of the most significant risk factors was the hay source fed to the horse,” Jackson said. “The horses fed on meadow hay were less than half as likely to have peripheral caries. We believe that the high water-soluble carbohydrate (“sugar”) levels in the cereal hays are likely to be a factor

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