Teething

[J and I]

Cam is losing his caps, and seems to be having a hard time with his hay. He gets free choice hay and is also on 3 lbs of sweet feed with 16 oz of MacIntosh on top and a cob of dried corn. He eats all of his grain no problem but is leaving some of his hay. Should I put him on soaked cubes as well or just leave him. He is not too thin and doesn't seem to be losing weight, I just want to make sure he is getting everything he needs. I gave him this month off, so the most work he gets is walking to his paddock and back.

Also is there anything I can give him to relieve the discomfort? I was thinking something like that stuff you put on canker soars. He has a small soar (slightly smaller than a dime) on his upper lip from where the top of the cap rubbed

[Big Tee©]

He'll live. They lose teeth in pairs, so he will soon lose the other one, then in a bit the corresponding bottom teeth. This will go on until he is five. Keep an eye on the caps, but generally after the first couple go, it doesnt bother them a lot. Some caps you do have to pull yourself, as you already did.

you can use ora-jel of something if it makes you feel better, but not necessary. Maybe more helpful is giving him a teething 'stick'............a poplar branch or something seems to help many, and yes, a cob of corn helps too, if they will eat it.

if he is leaving hay, he isnt hungry, and if he is not losing weight, don't worry. You pulled him out of work, so he wont need the same amount of feed.

[J and I]

Thanks Teec.

I worry so much about him I am kinda looking forward to his other tooth coming out, then he can sing "all I want for Christmas is my two front teeth!!" LoL He loves his corn and eats all of the kernels off before half-heartedly eating the cob.

[TeachU2Ride]

Sometimes caps get stuck and need to be removed. If he stays uncomfortable, it would be good to have the vet take a look. A retained cap can trap food and cause an abcess, as well as affect how the teeth around it grow in.