# Underbite in Toy Poodle Puppy



## Lexie90 (May 10, 2020)

Hey guys! My new puppy should be arriving in four days and she had one last vet checkup by her breeder's vet before leaving. The breeder informed me that she appears to have a slight underbite and that the vet did not seem to be concerned at all and even marked her bite as normal. The breeder also mentioned that it is possible for it to even out as she keeps growing, but of course cannot guarantee it will resolve. She is about 8 weeks old now is the smallest in her litter, charting at about 1 lb 8 oz-12 oz. I was also purchasing her with full rights.

I'm getting a bit nervous now and I've never been down this road as far as I remember (my last puppy was 13 ish years ago). What are your guys thoughts on this? Attached an image the breeder provided for me.

Thank you!


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## Newport (Jul 16, 2014)

What a cutie! You must be very excited for her arrival. Puppies add so much to our lives, and in times such as these we can all benefit from loving and being loved by a poodle.

Regarding her teeth, well, on one hand they are just teeth. There are bigger problems in young puppies than teeth. If this were my puppy I would be expecting to have to pay extra vet bills related to teeth. She may have retained baby teeth that have to be removed (this is actually quite common in poodles). She may benefit from seeing a veterinary dentist. She could develop holes in her palate from misaligned teeth jabbing her in the roof. Basically you need to be prepared to provide her with the dental care she needs so she won't be in pain, or worse develop infections if a problem is ignored. Pet insurance often won't cover dental, but you could check around. If you are going to get pet insurance anyway, it's always a good idea to get it right away. I mention it because you are pretty much guaranteed to have some dental bills to pay, so if something else crops up too you might have already spent the "little extra" you were saving for vet bills.

I'm speaking from experience. My poodle puppy did not have an underbite, but she did have retained teeth that were poking her palate and had to be removed. I had extra vet bills that were not covered by my pet insurance. Today her teeth are quite lovely. I consider this care I provided for her to be part of pet ownership responsibility. I also have a poodle mix with an underbite who's teeth have become more and more of a challenge as he has aged (12 yrs old now). He is an awesome dog without knee or hip issues, no tear staining, but his dental health has been an ongoing challenge. No regrets, though. I love him, and we belong together.

I hope this has helped provide some perspective.


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