Wounds of the lips and cheeks occur frequently in large animals, including cattle and horses. The most common cause is external trauma, which can be associated with indiscriminate grazing, prehension, or suckling on foreign objects. Especially in horses, trauma can be secondary to the use of inappropriate bits or restraint devices (see ).
A traumatic full-thickness laceration of the upper lip of a horse.
Courtesy of Dr. Thomas Lane.
Lip lacerations can be accompanied by mandibular or incisive bone fractures, with or without dental fractures and tooth avulsions. Lip lacerations occur when a horse grasps objects with its mouth and then pulls back when startled.
Lip lacerations without bone or teeth involvement can be sutured with a tension-relieving suture pattern, usually with a good outcome. Healing is rapid because of the good blood supply to the head.
Lip lacerations that are left to heal by second intention can result in an orocutaneous fistula, which might require wound revision with resection and primary wound closure. Rarely, skin grafts or mucosal flaps are required to manage orocutaneous fistulas.
For More Information
Auer JA, Stick JA, Kümmerle JM, Prange T, eds. Equine Surgery. 5th ed. Saunders; 2019.
Also see pet owner content regarding disorders of the mouth in horses.
