Spike had similar problems when his adult teeth started coming in - we had to extract ten of his baby teeth while he had his neuter because they weren't falling out and they were causing his adult ones to come in crooked. When he went for his check up about a year later, his vet said that there are still some teeth that don't line up perfectly, and although doggie braces are an option, it shouldn't cause any majors problems.
Small breeds apparently often have problems with this because canine teeth don't shrink in relation to dog size. What I mean by that is that you may have an eight pound dog and an eighty pound dog, but the teeth of the small dog might not be 10 percent the size of the large dog. Typically in larger breeds there is more space between the teeth and therefore more 'room for error', so to speak.
If your pup is still young and his adult teeth have not come in yet, extracting the baby teeth now should help a great deal. But a note of caution - my vet referred us to a canine dental specialist, too, and like you, he quoted us a huge price. I got a second opinion from another vet, and saved about $600. Remember that tooth extraction is a very common procedure, especially in small breeds, so don't feel you have to rely on a dental specialist to do it. |