# Standard Poodle Puppy Dental Vet wants to remove adult teeth at 6 months old



## Georgia10 (Jun 16, 2020)

Dental Vet wants to remove adult upper incisors to correct bite on my 6 month old standard poodle puppy. How likely is it his bite will correct itself before 9 months old?


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## Dechi (Aug 22, 2015)

I don’t know but I would definitely ask for a second opinion.


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

This recommendation seems extreme, so I'm guessing the issue they're trying to correct is also extreme? I can't imagine they'd jump straight to surgery if there was a high chance of improvement.

Can you give us more details? Is your puppy in pain? Can he eat normally? Were ball therapy or braces given as options?


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

It sounds as if this vet wants to remove the incisors to make room for canines to be in proper position. I can't imagine orthodonics on dogs, but while this is very second opinion worthy it may not really be so radical.


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## Raindrops (Mar 24, 2019)

Have you checked with your breeder to see their opinion? A good breeder should keep track of any dental issues in their lines and know if they've seen similar before and how it turned out.


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## Georgia10 (Jun 16, 2020)

I have checked with the breeder and have not heard back yet. I am planning on getting a second opinion. Our reg vet referred us to the dental vet after Fauci's first vet visit. Our breeder did not tell us that his baby lower canine's were poking into his soft upper pallet. She recommended we do nothing since his baby teen would fall out eventually. We didn't want him to be in pain, so we had his lower canine baby teeth removed hoping the adult teen would come in ok. We took him back to the dental vet when we noticed his lower canines didn't look like they were fitting in well with his bite. They had us send pictures and scheduled us the next morning. They had me sign an anesthesia permission form before we even arrived. They really didn't give us any options. They said the upper incisors should come out to make room for the lower canine teeth. I pushed back and asked if it would do any harm to wait a month or so since his mouth is still forming (he is only 6 months old). They agreed that would be ok, but didn't recommend ball therapy. She did ask me if I was going to show him and I said no. I realize it's a thing to give a dog braces so they show well. He is eating well and not in pain. I want to do what is best for him.


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## FloofyPoodle (May 12, 2020)

Georgia10 said:


> They had me sign an anesthesia permission form before we even arrived. They really didn't give us any options.


Run. This is not a good vet. They should at least do a checkup on the dog before putting him under.


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## Georgia10 (Jun 16, 2020)

They did a check up and then came out to talk to us about what they recommended.


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## Rose n Poos (Sep 22, 2017)

It's good that you're looking for a second opinion. I must say it's odd that they had you sign a permission form before surgery was scheduled. 

If it comes to surgery, here's some things to familiarize yourself with about anesthesia. 

I haven't yet pulled together a reference resource for when anesthesia is needed for a procedure so I'm linking some short articles from mostly medical sources which list best practices for going under anesthesia. Complications are rare but when a vet/surgeon follows these guidelines, if something should arise, it will be noticed and necessary actions can be taken immediately. 

I read an article from a vet last year (which I apparently didn't save) that stated probably the biggest difference between lower human rates of serious complications vs higher rates in dogs is the second person monitoring and the ability to immediately administer additional drugs thru the already placed IV. 









Minimizing the Risks of Anesthesia in Dogs | Preventive Vet


Here are some questions you can ask your veterinary team to minimize anesthetic risk and maximize comfort for your dog during all the steps of anesthesia.




www.preventivevet.com












Anesthesia for Dogs | VCA Animal Hospital


Anesthesia is accomplished by administering drugs that depress nerve function. It is important that you fully understand what will happen to your pet, and that you acknowledge that you understand the risks. Anesthetic monitoring in a veterinary hospital is similar to that found in any human...




vcahospitals.com












Anesthesia and Your Dog


As is the case for us, our four-legged friends may require anesthesia as part of a surgery or procedure.




www.pethealthnetwork.com












What You Should Know About Anesthesia Before You Schedule Your Dog's Veterinary Procedure - Whole Dog Journal


Whole Dog Journal‘s mission is to provide dog guardians with in-depth information on dog food, training, behavior, health, and more.




www.whole-dog-journal.com





The short and incomplete checklist is:

Bloodwork several days before to check for certain possible complicating factors. Bloodwork the day of will probably be less comprehensive. 
No food, possibly water too, xhours before surgery
Type of anesthetic agent (fast acting, fast resolving)
IV cath placed in the event ER meds or fluids need to be administered
Credentialed anesthetist or surgical tech whose purpose is to monitor dog thru entire proceeding, including recovery, for temp, heart rate, resp rate, O2 level


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## Eclipse (Apr 26, 2010)

Georgia10 said:


> I have checked with the breeder and have not heard back yet. I am planning on getting a second opinion. Our reg vet referred us to the dental vet after Fauci's first vet visit. Our breeder did not tell us that his baby lower canine's were poking into his soft upper pallet. She recommended we do nothing since his baby teen would fall out eventually. We didn't want him to be in pain, so we had his lower canine baby teeth removed hoping the adult teen would come in ok. We took him back to the dental vet when we noticed his lower canines didn't look like they were fitting in well with his bite. They had us send pictures and scheduled us the next morning. They had me sign an anesthesia permission form before we even arrived. They really didn't give us any options. They said the upper incisors should come out to make room for the lower canine teeth. I pushed back and asked if it would do any harm to wait a month or so since his mouth is still forming (he is only 6 months old). They agreed that would be ok, but didn't recommend ball therapy. She did ask me if I was going to show him and I said no. I realize it's a thing to give a dog braces so they show well. He is eating well and not in pain. I want to do what is best for him.


Search the forum for base narrow canines, which is what you are dealing with. There have been a number of threads on it and people have relayed their experiences. I dealt with it with one of my dogs. Of course, I'm not a vet and have not seen pictures of your dog's mouth/teeth, but adult teeth pulled is not to be taken lightly and I'm surprised that is the only treatment option they offered....Also, don't know who the breeder is, but they seem to be a bit irresponsible, for not telling you in the first place, for telling you to do nothing as it would resolve on its own when the adult teeth come in - not always the case, and for not getting back to you promptly. I had the baby canines pulled as well when they poked into the roof of her mouth as they grew after I brought her home. My breeder advised of the base narrow canines before I picked my puppy up - several of the pups in the litter had it, it is not uncommon in Standards....She also followed up continually to see how things were progressing. 

I would, at the very least, seek the opinion of another vet dentist before doing anything as drastic and permanent as pulling teeth. I saw a board-certified vet dentist at my local specialty practice and was advised to do ball therapy as well as pushing outward on the teeth in several minute sessions 3 or 4 times daily. Also, the lower jaw grows more slowly and at 6 months still has growing to do. Often the lower teeth do move into position as the bottom jaw catches up with the top. Again, I'm not a vet, but dealt with this with my dog and have had several friends who also had the same issue. All resolved with the ball therapy and pushing methods and none of the dogs had teeth pulled. I do know one had some kind of orthodontic appliance for some months.....


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## kontiki (Apr 6, 2013)

Wow, sure hope you ask for a second opinion as others have said. I have wondered if some vets and human doctors/surgeons got less pay during covid and are trying to make up for it. Hope I am wrong.


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## Dianaleez (Dec 14, 2019)

re: surgical permission

I had a human dentist do the same thing - try to have the forms signed before I'd even met the dental surgeon. I refused and learned that it was for the convenience of the office staff.

btw, I've read that vets are doing quite well during the pandemic; it's assumed because people are home with their pets and more likely to notice issues. Dentists are not since many of us are avoiding routine procedures.


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## Georgia10 (Jun 16, 2020)

Eclipse said:


> Search the forum for base narrow canines, which is what you are dealing with. There have been a number of threads on it and people have relayed their experiences. I dealt with it with one of my dogs. Of course, I'm not a vet and have not seen pictures of your dog's mouth/teeth, but adult teeth pulled is not to be taken lightly and I'm surprised that is the only treatment option they offered....Also, don't know who the breeder is, but they seem to be a bit irresponsible, for not telling you in the first place, for telling you to do nothing as it would resolve on its own when the adult teeth come in - not always the case, and for not getting back to you promptly. I had the baby canines pulled as well when they poked into the roof of her mouth as they grew after I brought her home. My breeder advised of the base narrow canines before I picked my puppy up - several of the pups in the litter had it, it is not uncommon in Standards....She also followed up continually to see how things were progressing.
> 
> I would, at the very least, seek the opinion of another vet dentist before doing anything as drastic and permanent as pulling teeth. I saw a board-certified vet dentist at my local specialty practice and was advised to do ball therapy as well as pushing outward on the teeth in several minute sessions 3 or 4 times daily. Also, the lower jaw grows more slowly and at 6 months still has growing to do. Often the lower teeth do move into position as the bottom jaw catches up with the top. Again, I'm not a vet, but dealt with this with my dog and have had several friends who also had the same issue. All resolved with the ball therapy and pushing methods and none of the dogs had teeth pulled. I do know one had some kind of orthodontic appliance for some months.....


Thank you. This is very helpful. I have started pushing on his lower canines and have been using ball therapy. We brought him to our main vet and she agreed with the dental vet because the lower canine was hitting the upper incisor.


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