mouth problem

Question
QUESTION: hello i was just at my barn around 4:30 and noticed my mare a tb , 15 years old is like biting her gums/ warning me she is going to bite when i try to touch her face. i rode her bareback then and she was still doing it. i dont know what it could be. she isent lame, sweating, or a temp, so i dont know what it could be, could you please help me.
Should i call a vet, what can i give to her(any meds) and what symptoms should i look for.
thanks alex

ANSWER: this may not just be a mouth problem so the mare needs a good complete physical exam in addition to an oral exam. This could also be behavior related, associated with hormonal fluctuations, due to pain elsewhere in the horse, a neurological condition affecting the brain and the behavior, she could also be behaviorally affected by being kept in a stall, changes in environment, feed other conditions. i dont know anything about these things for this mare so maybe some of these are riduculous to suggest, but since i dont know about them, I mention them too. If she appears to resent being handled, she may be in pain or uncomfortable, maybe in the mouth or elsewhere. This requires a good physical exam. I cant tell you to give any medications. We dont know whats causing this. Since we dont know whats causing it, there is no diagnosis and therefore no ability to prescribe any medications or tell you what to look for since symproms are caused by a specific abnormal condition, and we have no idea what that is. These things you are seeing may well BE the symptoms of a condition that needs to be diagnosed by a good physical exam, including an oral exam. I know ive probably not helped much, but there is no way I can assess this without seeing the mare and being able to examine her. That should be done by an equine vet if you continue to see these problems. Often if there is a mouth problem, horses will tend not to eat very well and maybe even salivate alot due to pain or something else bothering the mouth. Id maybe suggest getting her outside for a while and seeing if you see the same signs outside, if she eats well outside, grazes, drinks water etc before you get too terribly concerned about this. If you see anything that suggests the same behavior, definatley get her examined by a good equine vet. good luck.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: ok thanks i called my vet last night and they said that it could me a tooth ache or abses or somthing of that sort.
im just going to keep an eye on her she isent doing it today but she still seems to me hurting a little.
but like i said i will keep a good eye on her for a couple of days.
thanks again

Answer
that sounds like a good inital plan. i think the response you got was a bit specific for not having seen the horse though. I dont think this can be accurately diagnosed over the phone or over a web site. If the problem continues, it must be evaluated through more than just a description. The horse would need a good examination to be done rather than just assuming something in order to get an accurate diagnosis and thereby facilitate an appropriate, targeted treatment.