Quote:
Originally Posted by melanie daley  Whe Roxi was spayed in March, she had to have 16 teeth pulled!! She was a little "shark/yorkie"!! lol Very common.... |
Mine also had between 10-15 pulled. They lost count because some were so tiny! The nurse at her vet nicknamed her Sharky. I thought she was going to be in sooo much pain, but the next day she was already (delicately) mouthing her chewy stick.
She was far more concerned with her tummy and the spay surgery then her mouth. This is extremely common in toy breeds. I had a male maltese growing up and he had the same thing and they pulled his baby teeth during his neuter. Some people think its genetic, some people think its random. Truth is, its not a big deal as long as they are pulled and most responsible breeders do try and breed this out of their lines.
For those interested - they are technically called retained 'deciduous' teeth. As others have said, the biggest problem is that food and gunk gets caught between the rows and causes tooth decay. Studies have shown that the plaque on teeth is the same plaque material that clogs arteries (all the more reason to brush your pup's teeth daily.) Additionally, baby teeth still in place can cause adult teeth to shift while they are growing in, ruining the dogs bite or worse, causing gum irritation.
Please consult with your vet regarding teeth prior to the dog's spay or neuter - he or she may suggest that you wait until the puppy is a little older to allow baby teeth to fall out or allow more adult teeth to come in to see which teeth will be retained. Its not ideal to have to use anesthesia more then once.
On a personal note, I was more freaked about my girls teeth being pulled then the actual spay and teeth pulling was not a big deal for her at all in terms of recovery. I feed raw, so I just made sure it was really soft and mushy for a few days after and within three days she was full force gnawing again on her bully sticks. Good Luck!