Jackson's Getting a Dental - Yikes!

[Britster]

I've been avoiding it, as I hate to put him under, but it needs to be done. Not because his teeth are bad, but he's had this over-bite since he was a pup, and the bottom canine teeth poke into his upper roof of his mouth and I can tell it's been bothering him in the last six months more than it ever had before.

So I have a vet appointment scheduled for Thursday this week to talk to the vet, get bloodwork done, get his yearly exam and stool sample done with (found out I pre-paid for a stool sample and never brought it in, oops!)

I'm going to ask if they can just shave the bottom canine teeth down a bit, as I think that would alleviate any discomfort he's feeling. I checked the roof of his mouth and it's not red or anything, doesn't look infected, or like it's been making any sort of hole yet. So I'd rather get it taken care of now vs. waiting.

And while he's under, might as well get a teeth cleaning. He's 3 years old so it can't hurt and he has a bit of tarter build-up (or is it plaque, I don't know the difference?) on his canine teeth, all four of them. So he'll get a nice good cleaning and then I am going to keep maintaining good dental care and hopefully he won't need one again for a long long time! Oh, I am also going to ask them to cut his nails as short as possible while he's under, since he's such a pain in the butt to do it while he's awake. lol.

Wish us luck - I am nervous but know it will be OK!

[lovespandp]

Jackson will do just fine! I will be thinking good thoughts for you both, I know it is harder on us than the pups LoL. Peanut is pretty sensitive , but his last dental was a breeze! I picked him up after work, I thought he would have been out of it a little, Not at all he was ready to party!!

The best thing about doggy dentals- Fresh kisses!!

[LuvTaycieGirl]

Jackson will do just fine, still it's scary when they have be put under. Good Luck! Hope everything goes smoothly for you both

[Ellie May]

Aww, I'm sure he'll be fine.

If his mouth is bothering him and that area doesn't look irritated, are you sure one of his teeth hasn't cracked/abscessed (which I guess you wouldn't know fully w/o xray).

Shaving teeth down, hmm, that's a new one on me! Looks like they do do it, but some of the pulp is removed. Might end up referring you to a doggie dentist.

[Britster]

Originally Posted by Ellie May

Aww, I'm sure he'll be fine.

If his mouth is bothering him and that area doesn't look irritated, are you sure one of his teeth hasn't cracked/abscessed (which I guess you wouldn't know fully w/o xray).

Shaving teeth down, hmm, that's a new one on me! Looks like they do do it, but some of the pulp is removed. Might end up referring you to a doggie dentist.

I'm pretty positive it's just the fact that his bottom teeth are poking into the top. It doesn't seem extremely painful, just like he can never fully get his mouth in a comfortable spot. All of his teeth look good to me, but of course I'm no professional, LOL, so maybe there is something I'm not seeing. He's eating hard kibble just fine and willingly, etc, so I'm not sure.

Yup, I know, I did some reading about how they shaved teeth down for things like that. I saw a few other things where people had to do it in the same type of over-bite situation. We do have a doggy dentist in the area but I am almost sure they'll recommend some kind of braces or something (I read about this happening too), and well, I can't even afford my own braces so my dog isn't getting them before mine are finished.

I'll let you guys know what the vet says!

[chachi]

I know Jackson will do just fine with his dental and it would be good to get that canine teeth shaved down or whatever they need to do to them. Both of mine are due for a dental also

[yorkietalkjilly]

Tibbe is having his 3rd dental cleaning tomorrow with 7:00am - 7:30 am early check-in and I am a basket of nerves, though I've been through this before with him and with Jilly before him. It still scares me silly! I'll try not to worry if you will, too!

[Princess10]

I'm sure Jackson will do just fine. He's quite the trooper.

Princess is going for bloodwork tomorrow & an extraction next week, so I do understand how you're feeling. But they'll be so much better when it's done.

[Lovetodream88]

Hope everything goes well Brit but I'm sure it will!

[Britster]

OK well, vet referred me to a doggy dentist, lol. She said the only thing she could do would be to remove the bottom canine tooth and she does not want to do that nor recommends it because that canine tooth makes the jaw stronger, or something like that, because the root is so long, etc. But she did notice that it's making a bit of an indent in his upper palate and that's why it's been bothering him. She told me all of his other teeth look fantastic and the only reason she'd recommend getting a dental cleaning while getting the other stuff was because of his four canine teeth. Basically, she said they would probably shave down the tooth and then put a cap on it so that it's not so sharp.

She also did a full exam and his patellas are still good, she checked all four legs really thoroughly. Eyes and ears are perfect. Stool was okay. She will call me with bloodwork results tomorrow.

We talked quite a bit about his "pancreatitis" issue back in late July and from everything I told her and the info she saw on his records I brought in, she did not believe he had pancreatitis at all. She told me she does not pay a whole lot of attention to lipase levels as they can go up and down with multiple issues and if his cPL test came back in totally normal range that in her professional opinion she does not believe he ever had it, thinks it was just GI upset.

I am really glad I decided to stick with this vet. This is who we went to previously for the past year and a half or so, but when he got sick on a Sunday in the summer, I ended up at the only place open, so that was where we dealt with his stomach issues, but I am going to stick with this one here on out. Really really like the vet, she's sooo easy to talk to, so nice to Jackson, answers questions happily, doesn't push any food or any unnecessary vaccines and meds. Wish I would have transferred him over to this place after he was on IV's all night at the other place on a Sunday... oh well, live and learn.

[Lovetodream88]

Originally Posted by Britster

OK well, vet referred me to a doggy dentist, lol. She said the only thing she could do would be to remove the bottom canine tooth and she does not want to do that nor recommends it because that canine tooth makes the jaw stronger, or something like that, because the root is so long, etc. But she did notice that it's making a bit of an indent in his upper palate and that's why it's been bothering him. She told me all of his other teeth look fantastic and the only reason she'd recommend getting a dental cleaning while getting the other stuff was because of his four canine teeth. Basically, she said they would probably shave down the tooth and then put a cap on it so that it's not so sharp.

She also did a full exam and his patellas are still good, she checked all four legs really thoroughly. Eyes and ears are perfect. Stool was okay. She will call me with bloodwork results tomorrow.

We talked quite a bit about his "pancreatitis" issue back in late July and from everything I told her and the info she saw on his records I brought in, she did not believe he had pancreatitis at all. She told me she does not pay a whole lot of attention to lipase levels as they can go up and down with multiple issues and if his cPL test came back in totally normal range that in her professional opinion she does not believe he ever had it, thinks it was just GI upset.

I am really glad I decided to stick with this vet. This is who we went to previously for the past year and a half or so, but when he got sick on a Sunday in the summer, I ended up at the only place open, so that was where we dealt with his stomach issues, but I am going to stick with this one here on out. Really really like the vet, she's sooo easy to talk to, so nice to Jackson, answers questions happily, doesn't push any food or any unnecessary vaccines and meds. Wish I would have transferred him over to this place after he was on IV's all night at the other place on a Sunday... oh well, live and learn.

Glad you found a vet you like sometimes that can be hard to do. Sorry about his teeth but I'm sure the doggy dentist will make him feel better.

[Britster]

I can't tell it's bugging him more today. He pawed at his face last night and he kept doing it again this AM.

Vet called -- bloodwork came back perfect, heartworm/lyme negative. I asked her if she advised maybe having pain meds for him, since he seems to be in pain? She said she will write an RX to see if it helps anything, and I can give them when/if I feel he's in pain, but don't have to every day.

[Britster]

Oh, and I have an appt. scheduled the 14th with the doggy dentist.

[Ellie May]

Good to hear that that can get him in fairly quickly. Hopefully it's just the bite issue. Sometimes they can only tell if there is a problem with a tooth by xray. So they'll want to do that (probably) to make sure that is the source of the pain and make sure he isn't doing anything silly like abscessing out of the visual field that your vet has in his mouth. They can get issues between their nose and top teeth too. Not a bad idea to try the pain med and see if it gives him any relief.

[Lovetodream88]

Hope hes not in to much pain and I hope that nothing bad is going on in his mouth. Also great that is blood work came back good!