Pony found tethered and underweight with rare ‘ear teeth’ nursed back to health at Blackpool rescue centre

A young pony found tethered, underweight and in need of urgent help has been nursed back to health at a rescue centre near Blackpool after vets made the extraordinary discovery of two rare ‘ear teeth’ inside his skull.

King, a Welsh pony who was two years old when he came into the care of World Horse Welfare, was taken to the charity’s Penny Farm Rescue and Rehoming Centre near Blackpool following a welfare report concerning a tethered pony in Bradford in October last year.

During his rehabilitation at Penny Farm, staff noticed a lump near the base of King’s ear appeared to be bothering him. Further investigations revealed an unusual condition far rarer than the team had initially expected.

Centre Manager Adam Cummins explained: “When we started to investigate the lump near the base of his ear, we found out that it wasn’t an abscess at all. Instead, it was a rare developmental defect called a dentigerous cyst, also known as an ‘ear tooth’. These are already uncommon but King’s case was on another level, as he had two ‘ear teeth’ which is even more unusual.”

Kai Cahun from Oakhill Vets, based in Goosnargh, examined King after the Penny Farm team became concerned about the lump. “We could tell it was really bothering him, with persistent discharge, frequent headshaking and signs of irritation observed by his groom,” said Kai.

“When a short course of antimicrobials gave only limited improvement, I was suspicious that something more unusual was going on. Given the location and lack of response to treatment, a dentigerous cyst was high on the list.”

King was taken to the Oakhill Vets clinic for further investigation, where the suspected dentigerous cyst was confirmed and surgery was carried out.

“I administered a general anaesthetic so King could have his ‘ear teeth’ removed safely,” said Kai. “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.

“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!”

Following the operation, King healed well. Back at Penny Farm near Blackpool, he continued his rehabilitation in the expert hands of the centre’s team and has now completed the process. World Horse Welfare’s Director of UK, vet Malcolm Morley, said the unusual lump could have led to serious problems if it had not been treated.

“If left untreated, dentigerous cysts can cause life-long pain and result in challenging complications and abscesses,” said Malcolm. “So, what appeared like an unassuming lump could have had some very nasty consequences for King had he not come into our care.”

King’s story began with a welfare report received by World Horse Welfare. Field Officer Sarah Tucker found the pony near Bradford and discovered that emergency services had already been called out to deal with a number of incidents involving him.

“I found out that the emergency services had been called out to King multiple times,” said Sarah. “He’d needed rescuing after sliding down an embankment into a ditch, as well as getting loose and running onto a main road. With his owner nowhere to be found, it was clear King needed to be taken to safety.”

King was signed over into World Horse Welfare’s care and transported to Penny Farm, where the young pony has been transformed into a happy and healthy youngster.

Now aged three, King has completed his rehabilitation and is ready to find a new home. He has the potential to be brought into work when he is old enough and, following his recovery at the Blackpool-area rescue centre, has a bright future ahead of him.