A Sore Point

Should wolf teeth be extracted before they become troublesome? Andrea Oakes investigates

- Andrea Oakes

LIKE chestnuts, ergots and splint bones, wolf teeth have become functionless in the course of evolution. Yet these pointed or peg-shaped curiosities can be surprisingly problematic.

“Wolf teeth push through the gums when the horse is between five and 12 months old,” says Nadine Page MRCVS, of Page and Gunstone Equine Vets in Cheshire. “Unlike other teeth, they do not continue growing and stay relatively small throughout the horse’s life. They usually emerge only from the top gums, although some horses grow them top and bottom.”

The location of wolf teeth in the interdental space — the gummy gap between the biting incisors and the molars (cheek teeth) — means that they are sometimes confused with the deeper-rooted “canines” or “tushes” that can emerge in the same area. Canines appear further towards the incisors, however, and are rarely seen in mares. But both sexes can grow wolf teeth — and it’s their situation just in front of the premolars (the first cheek teeth) that can cause discomfort.