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Under bite

11557 Views 18 Replies 13 Participants Last post by  LeoRose
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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What? Sounds like a crackpot to me...I think I'd be getting a second opinion.

I own boxers, which have a undershot jaw - and they don't need surgery. ;) Do you have pictures? Is it causing him problems?
I totally agree^^^.
if you can read medical jargon there is a great site that is a library of veterinary articles called www.ivis.org it's free to sign up
search key words like "overshot jaw" (sounds weird but overshot is the correct term for an under bite it means the lower JAW over shot the skull)
"corrective dentistry" things like that.
Nope, that's not correct.

An overshot jaw is one where the upper jaw extends beyond the lower jaw.

And undershot jaw is where the lower jaw extends past the upper jaw. This underbite is very common in brachycephalic breeds like the boxer, pug and bulldog...to name a few.

Example from the boxer standard:
http://www.americanboxerclub.org/standard.html

Bite and Jaw Structure: The Boxer bite is undershot, the lower jaw protruding beyond the upper and curving slightly upward. The incisor teeth of the lower jaw are in a straight line, with the canines preferably up front in the same line to give the jaw the greatest possible width. The upper line of the incisors is slightly convex with the corner upper incisors fitting snugly in back of the lower canine teeth on each side. Neither the teeth nor the tongue should ever show when the mouth is closed.
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