FAQ

MVDS has a mixed practice focus. Our small animal department provides dentistry and oral health care for canines and felines in our Elkhorn clinic.

Our large animal department provides dentistry and oral health care for equine – donkeys & horses – from mini’s to drafts (with an occasional zoo animal species thrown in!).

Equine work is done both on the farm (routine care) and in the clinic (routine or surgical). At the current time we do not work with llamas/alpacas (camelidae), or sheep/goats/cows (bovines).

Dental prophylaxis under anesthesia removes plaque and calculus that causes pain, infection, and tooth loss. The process requires full mouth imaging, an oral exam by a veterinary dentist, and treatment planning to restore oral health. Restoring oral health also prevents bacteria from affecting the heart, liver, and kidneys.

Bad breath, calculus build up, gum inflammation, dropping food, only eating on one side of the mouth, pawing at mouth or face, drooling, facial swelling, behavior changes.

All small animal patients are treated in our Elkhorn facility.

Equine patients can be treated on the farm for routine dental care or oral workups (including radiographs). Surgical procedures are scheduled in our clinic or at one of our partner clinic sites.

A farm call fee, or an extended farm call fee (for beyond our routine call area) will be applied to work done on the farm.

See our upcoming events page for the schedule of events.

Yes! We perform routine equine dentistry in the clinic as well as advanced dentistry and oral surgery. There are no “haul-in or clinic fees” associated with bringing your horse to the clinic for routine dental work.

Our clinic facility in Elkhorn, Wisconsin has a large driveway to turn around and ample room to park your trailer for the day.

Please note: we have a limited amount of space for overnight parking. If your horse will be spending the night, call 844-956-6837 to confirm we can accommodate a trailer left overnight.

• Access to power and water
• A safe spot for your horse to spend time waking up after the appointment where food can be withheld
• An area to park our truck and trailer close to the barn

Floating is a layman’s term that was derived long ago from the masonry profession for smoothing a surface. This was then transposed to horses’ teeth to describe the procedure of removing the sharp enamel points that are developed during chewing. In European countries, the term “rasping” is used.

The profession of equine dental veterinarians is now using the term occlusal adjustment and odontoplasty to describe the process of removing sharp enamel points and correcting malocclusions in your horse’s mouth. For the sake of simplicity, we will use the term “floating” for the following questions and on our website.

Horses have teeth that continue to erupt into the mouth throughout their lives. As horses chew their food, they gradually grind away the chewing surface of their teeth. This process results in the formation of sharp enamel points, which need to be floated or reduced as part of routine dental maintenance.

Some horses may have other dental imbalances that are addressed during the dental float to optimize their chewing function and oral health. The most important part of your horse’s dental float is the detailed five component oral exam that we perform to identify any areas of concern that may require additional treatments or monitoring.

Your horse should be examined and have a routine dental float at least once a year. Depending on your horse’s age, breed, history, and performance use, we may recommend that they be examined every 6 months.

We will establish a care schedule and discuss this with you after we have developed a treatment plan for your horse.

Natural selection plays a role in wild horse populations. Wild horses with excellent teeth will generally live longer and produce more offspring.

Wild horses still form sharp points like our domesticated horses; however, their diet and grazing habits allow them to wear their teeth differently than our domesticated horses.

We sedate all our patients because without sedation, we cannot perform a complete oral exam with a dental speculum and mirror. We can perform a brief unsedated oral exam, but this will not give us the full picture of your horse’s oral health.

All horses require some sedation to ensure their safety and comfort during the floating procedure. We tailor our sedation protocols to each horse based on their unique temperament and health status.

With the development of safer and more precise instrumentation, we feel that we can do a more thorough and efficient job with power dental instruments. Our power dental instruments have water irrigation and suction, which prevents any thermal damage and allows superior visibility and precision.

The dental instrumentation that we utilize is designed to smooth the surface of the tooth without causing trauma to the soft tissues of the mouth. For these reasons, we have moved from hand floating to power instrumentation for a safer and more efficient procedure for your horse.

The “bit seat” was a layman’s term that was used to describe a procedure that provided “so called” soft tissue comfort in the mouth when a bit was in use. This has spurred much discussion in the performance horse population and has led to many horses having teeth damaged by removal of too much of the tooth surface.

We promote the development of a treatment plan for your horse’s oral care that provides soft tissue comfort not only for the area that is in contact with the bit, but for the entire mouth. Studies have demonstrated that the “bit seat” alone did not improve a horse’s performance. Our approach is to first examine the horse’s mouth and provide only what is needed for your horse.

Yes! We can work on every equid from the tiniest dwarf mini to the largest draft horse! We also love the “long ears” – donkeys and mules!

Our doctors are well versed in the unique challenges of miniature horse/donkey dentition. These little guys often have dental challenges (crowding, missing teeth, malocclusions) due to the small size of their oral cavity. We have the equipment and knowledge to safely and effectively float and treat these small patients.

In our clinic, we have raised stocks with a ramp that allows our doctors to perform procedures while maintaining their comfort and accommodating the safety and comfort of the patient.

Yes! There was a recent study published by Brad Tanner at Rood and Riddle that examined the safety of dental procedures in pregnant mares.

He has a very robust mare population in his practice and has performed sedated dental procedures ranging from routine floats to surgical procedures on mares from the week of breeding to the date of foaling! He found that there was no statistical risk to the pregnancy to perform sedated dentistry.

We still recommend approaching each patient individually, taking the mare’s general health status and pregnancy history into consideration. In some cases, we may recommend support through hormonal supplements and/or antimicrobials depending on the procedure that is performed.

If your mare is pregnant, please let our staff know when scheduling your appointment so that our doctor can advise you on any protocols they would like to put in place prior to the appointment.

Multiple horses treated at one facility will have a shared farm call rate since the doctors do not have to travel to another location and unload equipment.

An additional boarding fee is charged for early drop off. Early drop off must be arranged in advance and depends on availability.

We have a limited amount of space for overnight parking. Check when making your appointment if there is room for a trailer to be left overnight.

We recommend at least once a year for most pets. Sometimes every 6 months for breeds or individuals that are more prone to dental disease.

A thorough oral exam, pre-anesthetic bloodwork, full mouth imaging (dental radiographs and Cone Beam CT), scaling (above & below the gumline), polishing, general anesthetic monitoring, treatment of any oral condition, excellent patient care and client education.

Bloodwork evaluates the liver and kidneys, which are responsible for processing and eliminating anesthetic drugs. Pets can appear healthy but may have underlying conditions like infection, anemia, or early organ disease that could affect anesthesia or recovery.

Results allow the veterinary team to choose the safest medications and adjust the anesthetic plan for your pet’s specific needs. Having “normal” values on records helps us track your pet’s health over time and notice changes earlier in the future.

In most cases annual appointments are recommended, in some cases the doctors will recommend rechecks every 3, 6 or 9 months depending on the patient’s disease and treatment plan.

A consultation is required before any procedure to evaluate your pet’s health, review diagnostics, and create a tailored treatment and anesthesia plan. This ensures safety, clear communication, and the highest standard of care. Often, our team can accommodate a consultation and procedure within the same day.