My old mule can't keep food in mouth and is losing weight. Why?

Question

My mule is starting to have trouble keeping his food in his mouth. He been dropping his grain and hay. He's also starting to losing weight. I'm not sure exactly how old he is, he's a rescue but we've had him for at least 22 years.

Jennifer Summerfield, DVM CPDT-KA · Accepted Answer

Poor guy! Dental problems are common in mules, especially as they get older, and can often cause problems chewing and dropping food when trying to eat. Weight loss is also common with this problem, since he can't get much nutrition from his food if he can't grind and chew it properly. If he hasn't had a dental float recently, this is the first thing that should probably be checked. Other possible causes of this problem could include a neurologic disease of some kind that is affecting the muscles of the mouth and tongue, or exposure to something toxic in his field or pasture. I would recommend having an equine vet come out to take a look at your mule as soon as you are able to. He/she can sedate him to check his teeth and perform a dental float if needed, and may also recommend blood work or other testing to help determine the problem if the teeth seem fine.

My old mule can't keep food in mouth and is losing weight. Why?

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