The Two Sides of the Scale

That day, for certain reasons, he returned to the stables after the morning inspection had ended.

It was the last week of September, just past noon.

While still on the path outside the stables, he heard low neighing coming from the corridor.

To deal with what seemed to be a slight increase in weight, and as part of the seasonal grazing adjustments, the senior group had finally been returned to an earlier turnout schedule starting this week.

Compared to when she had returned to the farm a year older last year, Dober, now thirty-four years old, still ran freely through the pasture.

However—

Even Dober, as energetic as a foal and in excellent health, had issues she could not avoid at her age.

Recently, she had become increasingly concerned about her bit.

Though it was not a particularly noticeable change, he had at least noticed it as someone with a veterinary background.

After examining her mouth, he found that one of the teeth that came into contact with the bit had decayed badly.

Although her intake of high-sugar foods such as carrots had been controlled from the start, the day had still come with the passage of time.

Severe tooth decay could lead to persistent pain, pulp exposure and infection, osteomyelitis of the jaw, difficulty chewing, malnutrition, and even infections affecting the entire body.

Although her weight had not dropped noticeably yet, she was already having some difficulty eating.

The original conservative treatment would no longer work.

Before deciding on tooth extraction surgery, they conducted as thorough an examination of Dober's blood and body as possible.

An elderly horse's organ function could decline, directly affecting the choice of anesthetic plan and its risks.

Furthermore, whether she could withstand the stress of surgery and the postoperative recovery period was also an