A pony found tethered, underweight and in need of help was found to have a more unusual issue – two “teeth” growing at the base of his ear.
World Horse Welfare took in two-year-old King last October after a welfare report was made about a tethered pony in Bradford.
Field officer Sarah Tucker, who found the Welsh pony, said: “I found out that the emergency services had been called out to King multiple times. He’d needed rescuing after sliding down an embankment into a ditch, as well as getting loose and running on to a main road. With his owner nowhere to be found, it was clear King needed to be taken to safety.”
King was taken to the charity’s Penny Farm, where the team found a lump at the bottom of one ear.
“When we started to investigate the lump, we found out it wasn’t an abscess,” said centre manager Adam Cummins. “Instead, it was a rare developmental defect called a dentigerous cyst, also known as an ‘ear tooth’.
“These are uncommon, but King’s case was on another level – he had two teeth in his, which is even more unusual.”
Kai Cahun of Oakhill Vets said it was clear the issue was causing problems; King had persistent discharge and was headshaking and showing other signs of irritation.
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“When a short course of antimicrobials gave only limited improvement, I was suspicious that something more unusual was going on,” he said.
“Given the location and lack of response to treatment, a dentigerous cyst was high on the list.”
This was found to be the case and King underwent surgery.
“I administered a general anaesthetic so King could have his ‘ear teeth’ removed safely,” Mr Cahun said. “Our diplomat surgeon, Guy Hinnigan, worked for several hours to remove them, while navigating the many vital structures in the area and avoiding any damage to the nerves responsible for facial movement and ear function.
The ear teeth after removal
(Image credit: Oakhill Vets)
“In most cases, the abnormally developed tooth is relatively small compared to typical horse teeth. However, in King's case he had not one but two almost completely normal-sized teeth that had grown inside his skull. We have seen several cases of dentigerous cysts through the years, but none with two very large teeth involved. King’s case was certainly one of the most bizarre we’ve experienced!”
A charity spokesperson said that free of the teeth, King recovered well and has “blossomed” in the expert care of the Penny Farm team.
World Horse Welfare director of UK Malcolm Morley said: “If left untreated, dentigerous cysts can cause lifelong pain and result in challenging complications and abscesses. So, what appeared like an unassuming lump could have had some very nasty consequences for King had he not come into our care.”
King is now three and ready for rehoming.
“He’s been transformed into a happy, healthy young pony,” a World Horse Welfare spokesperson said. “Now aged three, King is ready for rehoming as a youngster with the potential to be brought into work when he’s old enough and has a bright future ahead of him.”
Eleanor is an experienced journalist who spent over eight years working for local and national newspapers before joining H&H as news editor in March 2016. Passionate about equine welfare and exposing the truth, Eleanor has reported on all aspects of the industry, from Brexit to anti-bullying campaigns, and from dressage rules to mules. Her sport of choice is showjumping, in which she competes her own horses, and she also enjoys reporting at local jumping shows through to international championships.
