Another Teeth Question

[veggienut]

My Yorkie's has double teeth & I've been told by my Vet to numerous of people and tonight at Petsmart that I should get them pulled. I can't go thru the agony of him going thru surgery after I lost a cat before him due to getting neutered. The anesthesia (sp) affected him that he quit breathing and was left blind, couldn't meow, etc. It was awful and I was a mess for quite a while which took months for me to get over...and eventually got a Yorkie. Do some dogs teeth fall out in time~? The employee at Petsmart told me that the adult teeth won't grow in properly, while the Vet told me that they can get decay and etc between the teeth that are doubled. Have any of you all here been in my situation with the double teeth~? Have you opt against the surgery too~? I'd like him to lead a dog's life and if anything would happen to him, I wouldn't forgive myself for doing it. I'm just wondering what everyone here situation has been & how they have dealt with it.

[dcon1958]

i am going through this right now. I was adviced by my vet since I am going to have him neutered that she would pull these puppy teeth at the same time. That way it's only one surgery and one anesthesia. But I am nervous.

[PrincessDiana]

Originally Posted by veggienut

My Yorkie's has double teeth & I've been told by my Vet to numerous of people and tonight at Petsmart that I should get them pulled. I can't go thru the agony of him going thru surgery after I lost a cat before him due to getting neutered. The anesthesia (sp) affected him that he quit breathing and was left blind, couldn't meow, etc. It was awful and I was a mess for quite a while which took months for me to get over...and eventually got a Yorkie. Do some dogs teeth fall out in time~? The employee at Petsmart told me that the adult teeth won't grow in properly, while the Vet told me that they can get decay and etc between the teeth that are doubled. Have any of you all here been in my situation with the double teeth~? Have you opt against the surgery too~? I'd like him to lead a dog's life and if anything would happen to him, I wouldn't forgive myself for doing it. I'm just wondering what everyone here situation has been & how they have dealt with it.

The retained double teeth is quite common and most of us have them pulled during their neuter/spay. The Petsmart employee and your vet are both correct. Not having them removed and lead to serious health complications in the long run. Bad teeth have negative side effects on the function of the heart and other vital organs.

I know you are apprehensive about having your dog fixed and I would be too after what happened. However, I hope that you will consider it. There are so many positive benefits - he will be an overall better pet. He will be less aggressive, you will reduce his chances of getting testicular cancer by a LOT, and he will be less likely to run away due to smelling a female in heat, something that can lead to him being hit by a car. The surgery is an overall safe procedure and many, many more animals survive than die. You can even reduce the likelihood of another reaction to the anesthesia by having the pre-op blood panel done. This will give you a good idea whether or not it's safe for your dog to undergo the surgery.

Good luck with your decision!

[veggienut]

Originally Posted by PrincessDiana

The retained double teeth is quite common and most of us have them pulled during their neuter/spay. The Petsmart employee and your vet are both correct. Not having them removed and lead to serious health complications in the long run. Bad teeth have negative side effects on the function of the heart and other vital organs.

I know you are apprehensive about having your dog fixed and I would be too after what happened. However, I hope that you will consider it. There are so many positive benefits - he will be an overall better pet. He will be less aggressive, you will reduce his chances of getting testicular cancer by a LOT, and he will be less likely to run away due to smelling a female in heat, something that can lead to him being hit by a car. The surgery is an overall safe procedure and many, many more animals survive than die. You can even reduce the likelihood of another reaction to the anesthesia by having the pre-op blood panel done. This will give you a good idea whether or not it's safe for your dog to undergo the surgery.

Good luck with your decision!

Maxwell is a good dog in so many ways. I have accidently left the gate wide open and he didn't notice it and didn't escape. If I leave the gate open while I am taking the garbage can to the road, he watches from the fence and know he is suppose to be inside the gate. When folks come over I let him outside the gate to visit them and he strolls back inside the gate afterwards. We have a leash law in KY so everyone in the neighborhood has their dog on a leash when they walk. Now when his buddies decide to escape, they come over to visit which he loves.

Not everyone does good with anestheic (sp) even us humans when we have to go thru surgery. You never know what will happen. I was in the nursing field for many of years in a hospital and saw too much what happened. Not everyone has bad experiences, but there was a lot.

[Ellie May]

I think before spay/neuter, everyone should look at the risks and benefits.
To some people, the benefits of neutering don't seem to outweigh the risks.
I think it is a really personal decision.

As for the teeth, I know surgery is scary, but if he does retain them and bacteria builds up, organ dysfunction can happen. Periodontal disease can be very dangerous. Dentals/teeth problems/periodontal disease is just something that comes with some Yorkies. If they don't fall out by 12-14 months, I would strongly consider having them pulled.

I didn't want Ellie to go under either but she got stage 3-4 periodontal disease at age 5 and her front teeth started falling out. There wasn't really a choice because letting it go could've meant dealling with organ issues later that we may not have to deal with now. Dental problems can also be very painful.

I do understand though.
It is very, very scary and I don't consider anesthesia (whether that is for spay/neuter/tooth cleaning, etc.) routine and I try not to tell people that their dog will be fine because we just don't know. In most cases though, everything does work out fine.

[Nobuyuki]

Yuki has double teeth too right now. He is 5 months. At 6 months he will be fixed. I have been playing rough/pulling toys in his mouth trying to loosen his teeth. We got a double out yesterday...Looks funny...but definitely will have them pulled when he is fixed, if not all out...

My QUESTION IS....the double teeth seem to be in the front of his mouth...but what about the molars? Is there usually problems doubling in this area?

Melissa

[ladyjane]

Please do not let your fear of anesthesia prevent you from providing proper veterinary care for your pet.
There are risks in life with anything. The odds of a pup dying from anesthesia from a dental are very low. I asked my vet about this one day. She has never lost one during a dental...and she has been in practice for many years.
Now...when they get older, certainly there are more risks; but, I have a yorkie that is at least 15. She has had some renal issues for the past two years and we keep her alive by proper nutrition and dentals each year! The vet simply gives her fluids to prevent her from having issues during the anesthesia.
Not taking care of a yorkie's teeth is not good! They lose them at an early age...and if they have infections in their mouths it does lead to further issues like kidney problems.
I am a retired registered nurse and while there are risks to people and animals due to anesthesia, the risks of not doing some procedures are worse!

[veggienut]

My Maxwell has double teeth in the front on the sides of the lower jaw. There might be a couple more sets, but he won't let me look in his mouth, and I forgot what the Vet told me. He also does let me brush his teeth, but has a fit when I brush the lower back and especially the front lower teeth. He has no problem with chewing on toys or anything really. If there was an issue where he had to have surgery, that would be okay with me then. But otherwise, I wouldn't do anything that isn't necessary. Haven't you heard "if it isn't broke, don't fix it"?

[ladyjane]

Originally Posted by veggienut

My Maxwell has double teeth in the front on the sides of the lower jaw. There might be a couple more sets, but he won't let me look in his mouth, and I forgot what the Vet told me. He also does let me brush his teeth, but has a fit when I brush the lower back and especially the front lower teeth. He has no problem with chewing on toys or anything really. If there was an issue where he had to have surgery, that would be okay with me then. But otherwise, I wouldn't do anything that isn't necessary. Haven't you heard "if it isn't broke, don't fix it"

Who said anything about doing something unnecessary? Your original post said that you wanted advice and that is what you are getting! Your vet and others have advised you to pull the teeth. I am telling you and others have as well that the odds of an issue with anesthesia are rare. I also know that to leave those teeth in his mouth are going to cause problems for him in the future!

You suggested that you would not be able to live with yourself if something happened during the procedure. I hope you are prepared to live with yourself when he develops problems later because you did not want to get this dental done.

My yorkies get dentals yearly as needed...it is all part of proper vet care imho. Yorkies are well known for having dental issues because of the size of their mouths. Brushing them helps, but does not totally prevent tartar and the need for dentals!

I have no idea what happened to your kitty and I a sorry it happened, but I don't think that is good reason to avoid doing what has been suggested. Perhaps you need to sit down with your vet and talk about the risks. They are not as high as you suggest! Now..if you think your vet was the issue with your kitty...then maybe you need to consider a different vet!

I had a Maxwell and he had two herniated discs and had to go to Texas A&M for surgery. He was a high risk pup...older and had a history of collapsed trachea; but I had a choice of leaving him unable to walk, or take a chance with fixing him. He did have some issues after the surgery when they tried to extubate him, but he survived AND was able to walk again! They knew ahead of time that he might have problems and they were prepared! I see where someone suggested you get blood work done prior to anesthesia...that is something I always do! That way you can see if they he has anything that might cause problems during anesthesia.

I hope you will weigh all of this carefully. I would also suggest that you google for information about yorkie dental care. There is a ton of information out there!

Good luck!

[baby bellas mom]

i know how you feel veggie nut!! i am the same way!! i have not spayed bella yet and she also has the double teeth problem!! if someone could guarantee me that she would come out ok i would of already had it done, but no one can so it will be up to me when and if i want to. its up to you its your baby and your decision! if something did happen to your baby then you would be the one with the loss.
i hope you can come to rest with whatever decision you make.

[ladyjane]

What is this? Tell me what I want to hear....or what I need to hear?
In spite of risks of losing teeth, developing cancer..and on and on and on...and those risks are proven to be MUCH higher, some chose to ignore?

[baby bellas mom]

actually some people are more sensitive to what may come. how would you feel if you lost one of you babys? would it not affect you because you think well i was just doing what was right!

[ladyjane]

Originally Posted by baby bellas mom

actually some people are more sensitive to what may come. how would you feel if you lost one of you babys? would it not affect you because you think well i was just doing what was right!

Huh?
All I am saying is that the health risks of not taking proper care of a yorkie can be devastating....and I can tell you that yorkies do not live good lives when not cared for properly. They also have shorter lives.
The stats are out there...and there is far more risk involved there than the smaller risk of death due to anesthesia!

[veggienut]

Originally Posted by baby bellas mom

i know how you feel veggie nut!! i am the same way!! i have not spayed bella yet and she also has the double teeth problem!! if someone could guarantee me that she would come out ok i would of already had it done, but no one can so it will be up to me when and if i want to. its up to you its your baby and your decision! if something did happen to your baby then you would be the one with the loss.
i hope you can come to rest with whatever decision you make.

I agree with you Baby Bellas. Our dogs can't speak and tell us their needs, so we have to make those decisions.


I know Lady Jane, I did ask for advise but only for information. Sorry for the communication error. What is "imho"~? I see that posted on a lot of forums and don't know. What happened to my kitty was awful. He was over a year when I decided to get him neutered and declawed. The anesthesic (sp) affected him to quit breathing during surgery. When they did resusitate him, he was left blind, couldn't meow and so much more. They tried to keep him alive with fluids for a day, but without hope. I had no choice but to put him to sleep. I also met someone over the summer, and their dog had to have routine surgery (I don't know what) and he didn't make it and they had to put him to sleep also. I appreciate the info but am not ready to take the chance. Also, I am going to a different Vet with Maxwell.

[megansmomma]

I am very confused at your post regarding your puppy's teeth. I checked back through many of your previous posts to see if I could get a better feel for your pup.
What I have learned is that you brougth him home when he was about 8 wks old, he is about 5 months old now. Please forgive me if I have misread your previous posts but it seems that you are concerned for his health, have taken him to the vet after he chased and killed a rabbit in your yard, want to feed a high quality food to assure that he has proper nutrition, are concerned with his teeth. Most puzzling is that you are a NURSE. I too work in the medical field and take the advice of my human doctors very seriously. Why would you then doubt what your vet has told me regarding your pups oral health? For this reason alone I would think you would understand how teeth can affect the health of pets and people. Prior to purchasing your yorkie did you do research on possible issues like double teeth, dental health in yorkies, spay and neuter for your pets health? Two of three of mine retained at least one tooth that were removed when they were neutered. A responsible pet owner takes every precaution to ensure that their pets health is maintained and preventative vet care is given. I personally live by the motto it is better to be proactive than reactive. If you visit the vet for advice on your pets health, why do you doubt his advice when it comes to something as important as double teeth in your pup?