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Under bite

11553 Views 18 Replies 13 Participants Last post by  LeoRose, 
M
Hello

I have a four month old pug mix puppy, Levi. During our first vet appointment, our vet told us that Levi has an under bite and suggested we make an appointment with her partner who is studying dog dentistry. We just had that appointment with that vet last week and she told us the under bite looked severe. She's just a puppy and this vet is trying to 'sell' us on the idea of possible up coming surgeries to pull baby teeth. Both my boyfriend and I were uncomfortable with the way she was "selling" us the idea of future surgeries. Both because she was guilting us and because we don't like the idea of putting our dog under the knife twice while she's still so young (she has her spaying coming up in a couple months and we don't want to have to put her under anesthetic more than is necessary)

The vet took some pictures and is showing them to the 'dog dentist' that she is studying under and is going to give us the verdict on what they think she needs done to fix the under bite. I've been trying to do some research for the past four days on under bites, so I can understand more about the situation before the next appointment comes up, but can't seem to find any good resources. Does anyone know of any good websites, articles, or books that touch on under bite issues?

Also, any experiences that people have had with their dog's under bite would be greatly appreciated! This is my first time having a small dog and this vet has told me that small breeds have dental issues out the wazoo...

Thanks!
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M
That's how my boyfriend and I feel — like it's a little unnecessary. Our actual vet told us she has a chipped tooth, but said it was very minor and not a problem, however, the other vet, said that a chipped tooth just means more chipped teeth down the road. Levi doesn't seem bothered by it, she eats her food just fine and chews her toys plenty. The only thing I notice is every so often when she's relaxing on my lap I'll hear her grind her teeth for a second or two. Other than that, I haven't noticed any sign of pain.

I'll try and take some pictures this evening and post them.
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She just told us that they may need to remove the teeth that 'are in the way' and further surgeries may involve taking out teeth that may become chipped, get infected. She then gave us these outcomes of cysts forming and adult teeth decaying before they grow in — probably worst case scenarios, but she made it seem like it was more likely to happen than it probably does.

Once I go for the consultation on whether or not they think she needs surgery, I plan on digging for more answers. In the meantime, I'm trying to arm myself with all the information about under bites, so I know the right questions to ask and so I have some information behind me in case she is "selling" me a surgery that isn't necessary.
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Sorry for reviving this thread! I just wanted to give an update and say thanks for the posts! They helped!

My vet called and said she thinks that Levi will need 3 surgeries (including her spay). She had left a message on my machine saying that they will try to pull some teeth during her spay, but probably won't be able to finish, so Levi will need a second surgery to get more baby teeth pulled, then will need another surgery after her adult teeth come in to correct the underbite again. Needless to say, I'm very unimpressed with this vet for two reasons. First, I don't think that putting my puppy under anesthetic for preventative dental reasons twice after her spay is a good idea. And second that she assumes there will need to be a surgery for her adult teeth before they've even come in...

When my puppy goes for her spay surgery, she's not having teeth pulled and I'm going to get a second opinion about her underbite in the meantime.

Thanks for the tips!
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