# Retained Baby Tooth



## EmilyK (Mar 26, 2011)

Sorry if this has been answered and I just didn't find it. The one post I found about Chagall didn't have a resolution in it that I saw and there was mention that retained teeth are more common in smaller breeds. 

Does anyone have experience with a retained baby tooth in a standard poodle? Our 5-month-old spoo has a retained baby canine tooth. The adult tooth is completely in but the baby tooth is right next to it and barely has a wiggle. My husband called the vet and they said to bring him in and they might pull it or might not. We're hesitant to do this just to hear that they want to wait because it costs us $50 just to walk in the door! I'd like to know they actually need to do something about it before we pay for the consult.

Any thoughts? I'm not sure how long it's been like that - long enough for an adult tooth to grow in I suppose so probably for at least a week.


----------



## PaddleAddict (Feb 9, 2010)

My mini had a retained baby tooth. If it was not causing any problems, the vet said it could be left alone and then pulled during his neuter. However, it was causing some decay to the permanent tooth next to it, so we decided to neuter him a few months early and pull the tooth at the same time. I wanted to wait until he was 1 year old for his neuter, but we did it at 9 months so he didn't have to go under twice (once for the tooth pull, then again for the neuter a few months later). 

He is a mini so had completed a lot of his growth by 9 months. If he was a standard, which mature more slowly, I might have made a different decision.

Is the baby tooth causing any problems?


----------



## 3dogs (Nov 3, 2010)

Keep your money & don't bother with a vet until older. Give your Spoo hard chew toys & it will most likely come out. My Mini lost most of her teeth around 6 months of age & the adult canine teeth were in before the puppy teeth were out. I did check her teeth daily & then one day I opened her mouth & the baby canine was twisted right up into the roof of her mouth. With a little gumption I pulled the little sucker out. My 1st tooth ever I have found with any of my dogs. The next day she had 2 loose teeth the canine & the little premolar behind the canine. Again those both came out with a little wiggle. The next day the other pre molar came out. So, I actually have 4 of her baby teeth.

On another note I adopted a small mixed breed dog at 10 months of age & he still had both canine baby teeth. I gave him hard chew toys & within the week they both came loose.

I wouldn't fret over a pup so young. Just keep track & check often.


----------



## Chagall's mom (Jan 9, 2010)

Just to let you know, my vet checked Chagall's retained incisor twice ($20 per visit), first at 8 months, then at 9 months, and with me pestering him, pulled it at 10 months ($240). 

I was concerned, maybe overly so, about his bite being compromised. Of course I was also concerned about putting him under anesthesia (Propofol), which the vet wanted to avoid doing unnecessarily as well. When he showed (actually _gave_) me the tooth post-op, he pointed out how thin the root had become and said, "See, it was about ready to fall out on its own." I told Chagall I could have bought him a nice watch with that loot! lol! 

Are you planning on neutering your poodle any time soon? If so, maybe the vet can pull it then, if it's still there. Unless it's causing him a problem somehow, Chagall's wasn't. ((I guess_ I_ was the problem!, I'm guessing you have some time to safely wait that tooth out. Others will known more. As you may know, there are many varied opinions on the right time/age to neuter or spay, but that's a whole other thread--of which there are many! Good luck, I hope the Tooth Fairy takes care of the matter all on her own!

ETA, I tried giving Chagall bones to loosen the tooth, marrow bones in particular, with no luck. Your guy is so young still, give him bones/chews (of your choosing) and see what happens!


----------



## EmilyK (Mar 26, 2011)

We already had him neutered on the vet's recommendation so getting it pulled then isn't an option. He regularly chews hard chew toys so I'll just wait and will assume he'll work it out on his own that way. My husband is obsessed and checks it every day so we'll know once it comes out. Both teeth look healthy at this point so it doesn't sound like we have too much to worry about in the short term. 

Thanks for the advice! I love it when the advice is - don't spend extra money on it! How often toes that happen?


----------



## Chagall's mom (Jan 9, 2010)

EmilyK said:


> My husband is obsessed and checks it every day so we'll know once it comes out. Both teeth look healthy at this point so it doesn't sound like we have too much to worry about in the short term.
> 
> Thanks for the advice! I love it when the advice is - don't spend extra money on it! How often does that happen?


Your husband and I must be distance cousins or something. I was_ exactly_ the same way! Enjoy spending the money you saved on dinner out (or shoes?). I'm sure your pood will be fine!! (Isn't it nice when you get to learn from someone else's--_that would be me!_--costly mistake?!). lol!


----------



## fracturedcircle (Aug 19, 2010)

yes, Llama (toy) had three retained baby teeth. they were pulled when she turned one year.


----------



## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

Poppy (toy) had retained upper canines. My vet checked them, and was happy to wait, and a breeder of toys I know said she always waited until at least a year. I then got anxious, and made an appointment for her to have them pulled at 6 months - at which one came out overnight, so I cancelled. At 9 months I decided the time had come for the other one - which also came out just before the date booked! If there is any wiggle at all they are probably on their way out, so I too would recommend waiting if they are not displacing the adult teeth.


----------



## Michelle (Nov 16, 2009)

Atticus retained ALOT of teeth...even molars. But he is a little dog, not a spoo like yours. 










I could smell them rotting in his mouth so I had to either pick them out myself or bring him into the vet. I had his canines pulled but managed to get all the little ones and molars out. If you start to notice the tooth turning color or smelling its time to bring him in to get it pulled. The root had already decayed in Atticus' mouth causing a slight infection. I noticed his breath was TERRIBLE one day and took a peek...


----------



## EmilyK (Mar 26, 2011)

Michelle said:


> Atticus retained ALOT of teeth...even molars. But he is a little dog, not a spoo like yours.


Poor thing!!  

Luckily both the teeth currently look healthy so I think we'll be fine waiting and DH says that the baby tooth is a little wiggly. I see there is some blood on his rawhide tonight so I'll have to have him check again. He's been losing teeth left and right though so that's a fairly normal occurrence.

Hmmm... I do like the idea of using the money I saved for new shoes! I'm sure that's not really what my husband had in mind when he thought of saving the vet money, though! Ha!


----------



## 4Paws (Dec 11, 2010)

I just now saw this, but one of Polo's "retained" baby teeth must have fallen out this morning. Funny, he probably doesn't have anymore, he has very clean breath! I can't see any others so I guess he's good to go! Didn't realize small dogs held onto their baby teeth like that.


----------



## silverpup (Dec 2, 2010)

Hi i have a mini who is 8 months old. All of her baby teeth fell out and the new came in but one tooth did not fall out and the big tooth was behind it. I think it took like a month or little longer for that baby tooth to fall out and Tini helped get it out -she kept knawing on my end table The vet said if it didn't fall out she would have to give her anesia and pull it. She said wait a month and see and it fell out. i thought it wouldnt come out cause it wasn't loose but it did! I guess thats not always the case.


----------

