Supervisors: Nicola Menzies-Gow; Marine Barnabé

Department: Comparative Biomedical Sciences/Clinical Science and Services

Project Details:

Equine Odontoclastic Tooth Resorption and Hypercementosis (EOTRH) is a painful, progressive condition that affects older equids. There is currently no treatment other than removing affected teeth. Prevalence in the UK is unknown, but using numbers reported in Germany, we estimate that over 430,000 horses may be affected. EOTRH is anecdotally reported in donkeys, although there are no studies in this species.  

EOTRH causes severe dental pain and is likely to negatively impact an animal’s quality of life (QoL) in several ways, including restricting the ability to graze. Additionally, the removal of multiple affected teeth is an invasive procedure that can be considered daunting by owners. However, the impact of EOTRH on the welfare of affected animals has not been systematically investigated. Furthermore, attitudes to EOTRH and the barriers to diagnosis and treatment faced by owners/carers remain unknown.

This study will investigate the impact of EOTRH on equids and their carers, and assess whether tooth removal, and which specific removal practices, improve QoL. We will also estimate disease prevalence using a non-invasive test that can be done by owners. These insights will provide a basis for future research into EOTRH and raise awareness of the condition

Project aims:

(a) Adapt an existing QoL assessment tool for horses and donkeys with EOTRH.

(b) Prospectively assess the impact of tooth extraction on QoL and identify specific removal practices associated with good post-extraction QoL. Investigate owners’ awareness of and attitudes towards EOTRH using textual analysis of online community forums. Estimate the percentage of horses/donkeys aged ≥10 years that fail the “carrot test”, a non-invasive test that indicates incisor pain, as a proxy for moderate/severe (symptomatic) disease

References:

Rehrl, S., Schröder, W., Müller, C., Staszyk, C. and Lischer, C. (2018) Radiological prevalence of equine odontoclastic tooth resorption and hypercementosis. Equine Vet J 50, 481–487.

Staszyk, C., Bienert, A., Kreutzer, R., Wohlsein, P. and Simhofer, H. (2008) Equine odontoclastic tooth resorption and hypercementosis. Veterinary Journal 178, 372–379.

Bouquet, A., Nicol, C., Knowles, E., Schofield, I. and Menzies-Gow, N. (2025) Development of a health-related quality-of-life- (HRQoL) assessment tool for equines with Pituitary Pars Intermedia Dysfunction (PPID). Equine Vet J.

Requirements:

Essential

Must meet our standard MRes entry requirement

You do not need to be a vet Requires a driving license/own transport

An interest in the health and welfare of equids

Comfortable working with horses and donkeys  

Desirable

Previous experience with qualitative research methods (e.g., conducting interviews, questionnaire design, and thematic analysis) would be desirable but not essential.

This can be taken full-time (ideally), although part-time may be considered, commencing in October 2025, based at RVC's Hawkshead campus.

Funding:

The MRes student may need to meet the project costs (up to £2000), course fees and their living expenses. A funding application has been submitted to the Animal Welfare Foundation and if successful will cover the project costs and “Home” tuition fees (outcome expected end of June). The student will however be expected to cover their living expenses. International applicants are welcome to apply but must be able to fund the difference between "Home" and "Overseas" tuition fees.

Please note that EU/EEA and Swiss national students may no longer be eligible for the “Home” rate of tuition fees, dependent on personal circumstances (including immigration status and residence history in the UK) and UK government rules which are currently being developed. For up-to-date information on fees for EU/EEA and Swiss national students following Brexit please see our fees and funding page.

Deadline: 31 July 2025 For more information on the application process and English Language requirements see How to Apply.

Interviews will take place remotely (Teams, Zoom etc) within 4 weeks of the closing date.

We welcome informal enquiries - these should be directed to Marine Barnabé: mbarnabe@rvc.ac.uk