Damariscotta’s Steven Akeley, recently opened Akeley Equine Dentistry, a business servicing the equine world throughout Maine.
Akeley completed his equine dentistry training at the American School of Equine Dentistry in March of 2007, and has been practicing such services for the past 18 months. He only recently made the move to pursue the work fulltime.
“At first, it was hard to determine what kind of demand there would be,” he said. “But, the more dental work I’ve found, the more there is. It seems there’s been a need for it all along.”
The heavy workload Akeley discovered eventually led to his departure from Shaw’s Supermarkets, where he’d been a department manager for over 20 years. Akeley has worked with horses in one fashion or another nearly his entire life, and knew almost immediately it was the right move.
“The horse community has been very positive, and very supportive,” he said. “I’ve had a lot of people call and tell me how glad they are to find an equine dentist, and a lot of vets have been happy to pass on the work. It’s been a real benefit to everyone involved.”
Akeley admits that although the use of equine dentists hasn’t always been commonplace, the call for the service has been growing in popularity and reputation. He said that he has visited many farms that were initially hesitant to obtain his services, and did so only when urged by their veterinarians. Akeley has attended to numerous horses that were unaccustomed to having their teeth cared for, including some that were being examined for the first time in their lives. One horse in particular chewed food with its ears laid back and its head tilted, due to discomfort from elongated, and pointed teeth. Akeley said the animal’s owner was overjoyed upon seeing immediate results from dental work, and wished she’d sought treatment for its condition sooner.
“It’s not unusual for people to be cautious about what I do,” he said. “People haven’t always used equine dentists. But a lot of folks, once they’ve seen what a difference it can make to the way a horse chews, digests, or even takes a bit, it completely changes their minds.”
Naturally, Akeley Equine Dentistry makes house calls, and Akeley said he’s traveled all over the state since going public with his service.
“It seems like I’ve been just about everywhere,” he said, with a grin. “Northern Maine, southern Maine, New Hampshire, farms that have never used a dentist before, farms that are looking to try someone new or were sent my way. But the most rewarding part of my profession is to walk away from a barn knowing that I just made a horse more comfortable.”
Akeley Equine Dentistry is currently taking appointments, and is open for business seven days a week. Those interested in finding out more about its services may contact Steven Akeley at 563-8543, on his cell phone at 687-9888, or via email at akeleydental@yahoo.com.
