Dropping Feed and Difficulty Chewing (Quidding) in Horses

Quidding can range in severity from dropping small amounts of pelleted feed or grain during eating, to dropping large balls of wadded hay or forage material from the mouth. Typically, quidding of forage material indicates more severe difficulty chewing.

Typically quidding is associated with dental pain. The horse can get the food into its mouth, but chewing it properly is difficult.

Sometimes quidding is the result of behavioral circumstances.

Potential behavioral causes include

• Eating too quickly
• Eating while anxious
• Being easily distracted

In some cases, quidding results from problems in the joints of the jaw, or because of swelling or abnormalities to the face or neck due to injury.

In rare cases, neurological conditions prevent the horse from effectively picking up food and chewing it.

Horses that are quidding are at risk of losing weight and body condition. Prompt veterinary attention is required. Quidding is common in horses, particularly in older horses as dental issues and other health problems increase with age.

Horses that are quidding benefit from prompt veterinary attention to determine the underlying cause and plan treatment. Diagnostic tools include:

• Physical examination, including watching the horse eat
• Oral examination
• Neurological examination
• Skull X-rays
• Ultrasound of the head, jaw, and neck Typically, horses must be sedated during the diagnostic process.

Treatment depends on the diagnosis and may include:

• Dental work, including removal of foreign objects or damaged teeth
• Pain relief medications
• Antibiotics, in the case of infection
• Anti-inflammatories, in the case of inflammation
• Removal of masses within the mouth

In some cases, horses are messy eaters and quid despite having no underlying issues. Thorough veterinary examination is needed to rule out other causes before dropping food is chalked up to messiness.