Miscellaneous oral cavity disorders

Cleft palate – very difficult to repair; feed by nasogastric tube until repair attempted. Purely soft palate lesions have a better prognosis than hard + soft palate lesions

Osteoarthropathy of temporohyoid joint  occurs secondary to otitis media/interna. It can lead to skull fracture. Treatment involves removing part of the ceratohyoid bone to minimize pull on the area due to tongue motion.

Osteomyelitis – rare; poor prognosis

Brachygnathia – can put on “braces” but most likely inherited. Horses can do very well with untreated brachygnathia.

Retropharyngeal foreign body – can cause dysphagia. Localize with radiographs and ultrasound.

Lacerations – Most areas are high motion with heavy bacterial contamination but with good blood supply. Debride and lavage, appose deep tissues to close dead space, and place tension relieving sutures in skin.