The horse has not been eating since dental treatment - Causes, possible consequences, therapeutic options, and forensics

There are many possible causes for this problem. The same applies to the possible consequences. These vary from harmless—the problem resolves itself—to a worst-case scenario with a subsequent hospital stay and five-figure costs for the necessary follow-up treatment. The therapeutic spectrum is equally variable.
The causes and consequences can be divided into different categories

1. Iatrogenic trauma
2. Absolute and relative ‘intensive’ changes to the natural tooth shape with a 2° loss of function = over-floating, and its effects.
3. Unfortunate chain of circumstances – no specific cause can be verified

Group 1 largely consists of manual errors, some of which are individual and some of which are caused by a certain systemic error resulting from the instrumental equipment. There is no age-specific occurrence here. 1.5. is a problem that, according to osteopaths' reports, occurs much more frequently than is commonly assumed. There are no valid figures on this topic to date. However, it seems obvious to note here that the less I have to open the horses mouth while working, the lower the risk of problems with the temporomandibular joint structures. There are a number of ways to counteract this.
Therapeutically, the range extends from spontaneous healing or short-term temporary use of NSAIDs to costly follow-up treatments with computed tomography and complex surgical intervention.
Group 2 primarily consists of 2° functional disorders resulting from absolute and/or relative overfloating. Young horses are only affected by this problem in exceptional cases. This makes it all the more difficult to predict the effects of the method, because ageing horses (>15 years) increasingly lose their reserve capacity. Another problem is local subclinical and clinically significant pre-existing damage in ageing horses. This group of patients can react promptly and violently to further functional limitations. The interesting thing about this group is that they demonstrating the possible effects of our treatment and at the same time they can inspire us to think about fundamental issues. The therapy for these cases is very individual and simple NSAID administration is rarely successful. Here, too, very cost-intensive follow-up treatments may be necessary.
In summary, we should be aware that a significant proportion of ‘routine dental treatment’, is performed on clinically healthy horses. Here, more than anywhere else, the rule primum non nocere applies.
However, complications that arise can also help us to rethink and improve our working methods in the long term. However, this only happens if we deal with them appropriately. Last but not least, the algorithm of ‘evidence collection’ is also important, as it is not only of interest to science but also relevant to possible forensics.