Vet input please... X-rays & dog tooth extractions
Discussion
Having seen the thread on dog teeth scaling in which PHer Thevet suggested posting some photos of a dog's gums and teeth, I thought I'd take the chance and ask if it's possible to comment on a print-out of x-rays of my dog's teeth.
The backdrop is me asking for a vet checkup on my dog's teeth as a precaution given her age. The outcome is being told that 6 teeth need to be extracted. The cost of this isn't the issue, it's whether or not it's necessary, not least given the length of time under a general anaesthetic, particularly after the existing period of time for the x-rays. In addition it would be good to know if the vet is perhaps a tad too keen to take my dog's teeth out. Apologies for the cynicism, I absolutely want her to be pain free now and in the future, however I have experienced not-good advice in the past with my other dog and changed to the current vet as a result.
The dog is a female Maltese, she's 9 years old and she is / has been so far in good general health throughout her life with me. All her teeth look clean as far as can be seen by simply looking in her mouth (white with nothing visible on them that looks as though it needs removing by scraping off). I use enzymatic toothpaste with a finger thimble thing. She has none of the symptoms as listed on vet / animal welfare websites which could suggest she is a dog experiencing pain in her mouth, gums are a good colour and not bleeding, she's as active and as happy as usual, eating her dry food heartily, no unusually bad breath, no drooling, no rubbing, she's playing actively, sleeping well, toileting normally, nothing untoward to report.
I appreciate that print-outs of x-rays re-photographed for uploading to a forum thread is far from ideal, but consider it worth a try to see if what's visible online in these images says anything obvious to a vet, that way I might possibly get a second opinion. There's another image, but this one will do as it is said to contain the teeth needing extraction. Any input will be gratefully received, including that nothing can be said from the information I've provided. Thanks in advance as well as apologies if this is a waste of time.
The backdrop is me asking for a vet checkup on my dog's teeth as a precaution given her age. The outcome is being told that 6 teeth need to be extracted. The cost of this isn't the issue, it's whether or not it's necessary, not least given the length of time under a general anaesthetic, particularly after the existing period of time for the x-rays. In addition it would be good to know if the vet is perhaps a tad too keen to take my dog's teeth out. Apologies for the cynicism, I absolutely want her to be pain free now and in the future, however I have experienced not-good advice in the past with my other dog and changed to the current vet as a result.
The dog is a female Maltese, she's 9 years old and she is / has been so far in good general health throughout her life with me. All her teeth look clean as far as can be seen by simply looking in her mouth (white with nothing visible on them that looks as though it needs removing by scraping off). I use enzymatic toothpaste with a finger thimble thing. She has none of the symptoms as listed on vet / animal welfare websites which could suggest she is a dog experiencing pain in her mouth, gums are a good colour and not bleeding, she's as active and as happy as usual, eating her dry food heartily, no unusually bad breath, no drooling, no rubbing, she's playing actively, sleeping well, toileting normally, nothing untoward to report.
I appreciate that print-outs of x-rays re-photographed for uploading to a forum thread is far from ideal, but consider it worth a try to see if what's visible online in these images says anything obvious to a vet, that way I might possibly get a second opinion. There's another image, but this one will do as it is said to contain the teeth needing extraction. Any input will be gratefully received, including that nothing can be said from the information I've provided. Thanks in advance as well as apologies if this is a waste of time.
Hi,
I’m not going to be specific on what teeth as I would not want to diagnose with printouts on a forum. But I would say there are a few teeth there I would extract.
A 9 year old Maltese is high on the list for dental disease in general.
Overall, trust your vet on this one. Your dog will feel much better for it afterwards.
I’m not going to be specific on what teeth as I would not want to diagnose with printouts on a forum. But I would say there are a few teeth there I would extract.
A 9 year old Maltese is high on the list for dental disease in general.
Overall, trust your vet on this one. Your dog will feel much better for it afterwards.
Mr Tom said:
Hi,
I’m not going to be specific on what teeth as I would not want to diagnose with printouts on a forum. But I would say there are a few teeth there I would extract.
A 9 year old Maltese is high on the list for dental disease in general.
Overall, trust your vet on this one. Your dog will feel much better for it afterwards.
Thanks, in which case I'm glad I had her checked out. I asked how the Maltese had developed dental problems when my other dog, a Cavachon of approx the same age which had similar dry food of the same make, and the same care, had none. Probably to suit my layman level, the reply was 'greyhounds and small fluffy white dogs = bad teeth'. Hopefully the procedure will go smoothly, if she's any more lively afterwards I may need to Maltese-proof the house. She (Jinxy) and my other dog (Bentley) are well-behaved and trusted with freedom to roam around their home. I’m not going to be specific on what teeth as I would not want to diagnose with printouts on a forum. But I would say there are a few teeth there I would extract.
A 9 year old Maltese is high on the list for dental disease in general.
Overall, trust your vet on this one. Your dog will feel much better for it afterwards.
Thanks again Mr Tom including on behalf of the patient.
Glad to hear it went well mate 
I didn't see this thread in time to reply initially, but anecdotally we had similar with our Pug..
We've always cleaned his teeth daily with a brush and enzymatic toothpaste but the main issue was - and with his breed type in general - too many teeth for his mouth, so they get very cramped at the back and can go bad, even the front ones that were easiest to clean.
He's 10 now, but it was around 8 that we noticed his 'dog breath' was getting noticeably bad, so after a vet inspection, initially just to look into having a proper cleaning done, it was recommended to extract quite a few teeth to prevent the risk of gum disease and future discomfort / issues.
We were reluctant due to the use of anesthesia at his age, but ultimately decided the potential issues down the line were best mitigated. Fortunately everything went fine and the improvement was huge. He still has a few main teeth for chewing food but the cramped ones at the back are gone (as is the odor - completely) and his front 'fangs' that used to stick out are gone too.
This now means that his tongue hangs out most of the time, but we find it quite funny and he seems just as chipper, if not more so..
I didn't see this thread in time to reply initially, but anecdotally we had similar with our Pug..
We've always cleaned his teeth daily with a brush and enzymatic toothpaste but the main issue was - and with his breed type in general - too many teeth for his mouth, so they get very cramped at the back and can go bad, even the front ones that were easiest to clean.
He's 10 now, but it was around 8 that we noticed his 'dog breath' was getting noticeably bad, so after a vet inspection, initially just to look into having a proper cleaning done, it was recommended to extract quite a few teeth to prevent the risk of gum disease and future discomfort / issues.
We were reluctant due to the use of anesthesia at his age, but ultimately decided the potential issues down the line were best mitigated. Fortunately everything went fine and the improvement was huge. He still has a few main teeth for chewing food but the cramped ones at the back are gone (as is the odor - completely) and his front 'fangs' that used to stick out are gone too.
This now means that his tongue hangs out most of the time, but we find it quite funny and he seems just as chipper, if not more so..
turbobloke said:
Update...Jinxy is now recovering well from the anaesthetic after having her teeth removed this morning/early afternoon. Currently she's keeping the kennel nurses entertained. All being well, she'll be back home with a mouthful of dissolving stitches by 5pm. Thanks again Mr Tom.
No problem, glad she is on the mend Gassing Station | All Creatures Great & Small | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff