Pup Has Retained A First Tooth

[BarbedWire]

I have a new pup (ten months old - I have only had her for six weeks) and she still has a first front tooth sitting in front of her permanent one. She is also incredibly destructive, chewing everything up which includes my doona, dog beds, socks, shoes, my glasses, books, the arm of my desk chair, etc. I am wondering if she had the first tooth removed would it help with the chewing? I thought that perhaps it is nature's way of helping her to lose it.

Perhaps the tooth should be removed anyway. Advice please.

[Kavik]

Nitro had a couple of retained baby teeth when his adult teeth came in. Up to the vet and had the retained teeth removed, easy :)

[Salukifan]

Yes, the tooth should be removed.

No, I doubt it will change the chewing. That is better directed onto items she is allowed to chew and the mental stimulation she gets stepped up.

[BarbedWire]

Thank you for the replies. Will she need a GA to have her tooth removed?

HW I try to give her lots of toys but I have a problem that my other dog destroys just about every toy I bring into the house in a few minutes. She learnt this from another dog that I used to have. The only toys that survive here are black kongs. It's also hard to give the pup chewy food or stuffed kongs because the other dogs would want them too. I know you have a multi dog household. How do you cope? I am trying to spend quality time with her and she is sitting on my knee now as I type but I don't want to neglect my other dogs (especially my 13yo old boy) so they need time too. It's also hard to train when you have more than one dog. All advice welcome. The pup is going to training (CDC) and is doing well.

[Kavik]

Yes she will need a general anaesthetic to remove the tooth :)

[The Spotted Devil]

I have two adults and one pup in active training - everyone is trained 1:1 for the most part whilst the other 2 are crated. Sometimes I'll concentrate on having a simple session with one of them whilst the others are being rewarded for lying quietly in their beds. My dogs are split up and rotated quite a bit - outside, inside, crate, pen, separately, together - food is always delivered separately. No bones together unless they are really stripped bare marrow bones with not much value. Pup gets veggie pig ears for chewing and the adults are simply not allowed to pinch them from her no matter how much she parades them. I put her outside with frozen chicken frames or Maryland (skin/fat removed) and that keeps her going for ages. Cardboard boxes are great for shredding!

[BarbedWire]

Thank you Kavik and TSD, that is so helpful and yes TSD she does parade any toys I give her and I am trying to convince my middle dog that the pup's toys are not for sharing. Putting her outside with her own bone is a good idea especially now that the weather is picking up.

[Sheridan]

My baby Roo I thought had finished teething. Caught him crunching something and made him spit it out and it was a tooth.

[BarbedWire]

My dog is booked in for surgery. The vet said that she has a crowded mouth and has suggested cleaning her teeth regularly. Any advice on brushing a dog's teeth please.

[luvsdogs]

For my little dog I prefer the finger 'brush' easier to manage than a handled tooth brush. You also have to watch they have soft bristles, I bought one from the vet & found it too hard. The first doggy toothpaste I bought a few years ago was good but has been discontinued & the alternatives are so thin. I have yet to try the paste type.

Does she have a normal bite for her breed? My little guy has an overshot lower jaw which causes problems with trying to keep his teeth clean. No amount of raw meaty bones have kept them clean. Daily brushing was recommended to me as well as dental chews & products that you add to their food & water.

[BarbedWire]

Thanks luvdogs. She has had her tooth out and teeth cleaned with no dramas. She is eleven months old and does have an undershot jaw (part pug). The vet did recommend brushing her teeth because it looks as if she may have problems in the future. The trouble with that is that she really dislikes having her mouth touched. I do give her bones and dental chews. I thought I might try the product that you add to their water but my understanding is that it only softens the tartar and makes it easier to remove so I would still have to brush.

[Willem]

...our dog stopped nibbling on door frames etc. when we started to give her bones (2-3 times a week - she is 10 1/2 months old now). She likes to chew on them and the chewing cleans also her teeth. Feeding bones is controversial - here another thread about this: My link, but for us the benefits outweighs the potential negative side effects.