# Fractured Tooth!! :(



## BrownieM (Aug 30, 2010)

Both my spoos have a slab fracture on their molar. My boy's isn't bad. My girl Mil has a new one (I just noticed it today when I was looking at her teeth) and it is a very red circle.  What should I do?


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## DaneMama (Jun 27, 2008)

Ack! When it's red and exposed like that it needs to come out....really sucks. 

What are the biggest bones you give them? Any other chews?


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## BrownieM (Aug 30, 2010)

I fed ground Whole prey raw with no bones for a few months. Recently have fed chicken legs and turkey necks. This fracture has got to be fairly new because I inspect my dogs like I am a monkey, lol. I don't feed anything harder than a turkey neck!!

She chews on an antler, bully sticks, and a Nylabone. The hardest of them being the antler...

She also plays extremely rough with Tiger, with teeth, but doubt that'd chip a molar...


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## catahoulamom (Sep 23, 2010)

Oh no, poor Millie. I'd suspect the antler over anything else. Some dogs are fine with them but I have seen them cause problems before.


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## DaneMama (Jun 27, 2008)

Yep the antler is probably the culprit. But bailey has broken teeth on my other dogs teeth while playing...it does happen. But the way her tooth is broken makes me think it was from chewing on something.


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## BrownieM (Aug 30, 2010)

Are there ways to save it I wonder?


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## DaneMama (Jun 27, 2008)

There sure are. They're expensive though, several thousand $. You'd have to go to a dental specialist. And even if you try to save it there's always the chance that it'll fail, which means extraction anyways. I also don't know how strong the repairs would be on it...meaning what you could give or not give based on what it could handle. 

If you're willing to spend an exam or office call to a specialist to find out I'd say it's worth a shot.


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## BrownieM (Aug 30, 2010)

Went to vet. Sure enough, pulp is exposed and the tooth must be extracted or she must go to the dentist and have a root canal. The root canal is twice as much as the tooth extraction, but I can budget for it if it is worth it. (It's under $1,500)

Has anyone ever opted to save a tooth vs. extract it? She's so young and it's molar #4.


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## DaneMama (Jun 27, 2008)

BrownieM said:


> Went to vet. Sure enough, pulp is exposed and the tooth must be extracted or she must go to the dentist and have a root canal. The root canal is twice as much as the tooth extraction, but I can budget for it if it is worth it. (It's under $1,500)
> 
> Has anyone ever opted to save a tooth vs. extract it? She's so young and it's molar #4.


Honestly don't have any experience with saving a tooth because most people can't afford it. Its actually PRE-molar #4 :thumb:


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## BrownieM (Aug 30, 2010)

DaneMama said:


> Honestly don't have any experience with saving a tooth because most people can't afford it. Its actually PRE-molar #4 :thumb:



Huh. I was just quoting what the estimate says and it said molar #4!


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## DaneMama (Jun 27, 2008)

Or...










It may just depend on who's looking at the teeth. I've always known that tooth to be the upper fourth premolar. Molars are more flat than premolars.......


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## BrownieM (Aug 30, 2010)

DaneMama said:


> Or...
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Oh no, I never doubted you! But thanks for all the diagrams, he he. I just meant, lazy vets only typed molar!


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## Ania's Mommy (Feb 8, 2009)

When Ania had her slab fracture, I remember the vet telling us that if we went the root canal route, we'd eventually be back in for a re-do or an extraction. THey just don't hold up very well with the kind of chewing dogs do (especially raw fed dogs). I was basically told that we'd be throwing our money away if we tried to save the tooth.

Now, maybe that was because of the TYPE of fracture Ania had. If it were a different type/position, maybe the crown would hold up better. I don't know. But I tend to THINK that if pulp is exposed, extraction is the way to go. They really are voracious chewers.


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## DaneMama (Jun 27, 2008)

BrownieM said:


> Oh no, I never doubted you! But thanks for all the diagrams, he he. I just meant, lazy vets only typed molar!


Oh, I went looking for myself, not that I thought you doubted me! I just wanted to make sure I wasn't misleading anyone. You never know :wink:


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## BrownieM (Aug 30, 2010)

Yeah, you're probably right. I don't mind paying the extra if it will be the right choice, but it sounds like the extraction really is the better choice *and* is less expensive. Ugh. I just hate that she has to go through surgery. Well, Tuesday is my vet's surgery day, so that's the day. I just have to let them know in the morning and pick up her antibiotics.


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## Tobi (Mar 18, 2011)

gosh that sucks, That is why i took his antler away from him, only bully sticks, and stuffed animals to chew on now... I hope everything comes out okay! :smile:


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## meggels (May 30, 2010)

Oh no, I'm sorry  


This really makes me reconsider the antler...dogs love em, but man, they have always concerned me a little cause they are SO solid...


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## BrownieM (Aug 30, 2010)

You know, honestly, I'm not certain that it was the antler. I recently remembered that about 2 weeks ago, she was chewing on her Nylabone. I noticed a somewhat unusual amount of blood on the bone, but assumed it was due to her gums not having enough chewing stimulation (I hadn't given any RMB's in several weeks - had been feeding all ground whole prey), sort of like when we don't floss for a while. 

Looking back, I bet that's when it happened. :/ Still, I'm going to take away both antler and Nylabone because I'd really like to keep her other carnassial intact!


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## Tobi (Mar 18, 2011)

BrownieM said:


> You know, honestly, I'm not certain that it was the antler. I recently remembered that about 2 weeks ago, she was chewing on her Nylabone. I noticed a somewhat unusual amount of blood on the bone, but assumed it was due to her gums not having enough chewing stimulation (I hadn't given any RMB's in several weeks - had been feeding all ground whole prey), sort of like when we don't floss for a while.
> 
> Looking back, I bet that's when it happened. :/ Still, I'm going to take away both antler and Nylabone because I'd really like to keep her other carnassial intact!


Tobi leaves blood all over his nylabone too.. I've looked at his gums when he had blood all over it and they are actually cut... the burrs are really sharp on it once they've really started chewing on them, i don't know why they want to cause themselves pain like that :lol: I've never heard anything about a nylabone breaking teeth though, Tobi's is the Xl one and he can't actually bite it, he just scrapes his teeth across it and gets little bits off of it.


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## malluver1005 (Nov 15, 2009)

BrownieM, Aspen had a slab fracture on his fourth lower pre-molar, or carnassial. I opted to save it rather than extracting that ginormous tooth of his. He was an excellent candidate for a root canal. His was not red like yours and pulp was just barely exposed. $1500 later, he was a happy boy. I suspect deer antlers or beef ribs were the culprit. He doesn't get those anymore.


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## BrownieM (Aug 30, 2010)

Tobi said:


> Tobi leaves blood all over his nylabone too.. I've looked at his gums when he had blood all over it and they are actually cut... the burrs are really sharp on it once they've really started chewing on them, i don't know why they want to cause themselves pain like that :lol: I've never heard anything about a nylabone breaking teeth though, Tobi's is the Xl one and he can't actually bite it, he just scrapes his teeth across it and gets little bits off of it.



I've heard of broken teeth from both Nylabones and from Antlers, so was probably one or the other for us.


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## meggels (May 30, 2010)

BrownieM said:


> I've heard of broken teeth from both Nylabones and from Antlers, so was probably one or the other for us.


wow, really??? Murph has nylabones all over the house he loves them, I can't imagine breaking a tooth on them. 

Im nervous about the antlers now lol. They love bully sticks too but Murphy can plow through a 12 inch so fast its not even funny. I hate buying them to last so short lol


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## Losech (Jul 10, 2012)

Both of my bigger dogs broke teeth in the beginning of this year. One of them was busted really bad.
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8jeECOZGoss/TwEXR0KjEeI/AAAAAAAAAPY/xhV6F9tc-Ac/s1600/JuneauBreak.PNG
The pulp was exposed in 3 places and only about 1/4 of the tooth above the gumline was left. We had it extracted, there was no saving this tooth.

Here's the other one. Not as bad.
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VEna_RabqDw/TuKT9sWMvhI/AAAAAAAAAKM/hoEz4EOYGDM/s1600/BrokenTooth.PNG
This one we haven't done anything with yet. It hasn't broken any further, and I still don't know what did it (or the other one). It will be extracted if it breaks again.

If a tooth broke on my Shiba, I'd suck up the cost and get the crown, unless there was no way whatsoever to fix or replace the tooth. The other two aren't actually mine so decisions like that are not mine to make, but I want my Shiba to continue to be able to ear his raw foods easily. Juneau has to modify the way she eats now since that carnassial is no longer there on the left side.


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## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

malia's vet said she had a cavity, believe it or not, that went to her brain......

we pulled that molar..same one you are showing.

it has had no effect on her eating...and the perk is i can slide pills and capsules through the hole. 

good luck.


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## Dude and Bucks Mamma (May 14, 2011)

I had a dream the other night that Buck's canine's had all been severely chipped and worn down and the upper left canine was COMPLETELY missing!

I had been researching xolo teeth and the connection to the hairless gene and I think that's what caused it but Buck was REALLY confused when I woke up in a panic and yanked him over to me so I could pry his mouth open and check his teeth! I was SO relieved when I found the four perfect canines all happily whole and unchipped in his mouth!

Personally, with that tooth I would just go the extraction route. Maybe, if it wasn't so exposed, I might try to save it. Honestly, if a dog can learn to cope after a leg amputation, one missing tooth isn't going to be a big deal. Maybe if the dog was feral but she has someone to care for her and make sure she isn't going to go hungry.


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## mel2mdl (Sep 7, 2008)

Just wanted to say good luck. 

Also, you may never know for sure why it broke. The only dog I know personally that broke a tooth like this only eats kibble! She also has only soft chew toys. She had to have it pulled, but her mom didn't have much money to try to save it.


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## naturalfeddogs (Jan 6, 2011)

Dude and Bucks Mamma said:


> I had a dream the other night that Buck's canine's had all been severely chipped and worn down and the upper left canine was COMPLETELY missing!
> 
> I had been researching xolo teeth and the connection to the hairless gene and I think that's what caused it but Buck was REALLY confused when I woke up in a panic and yanked him over to me so I could pry his mouth open and check his teeth! I was SO relieved when I found the four perfect canines all happily whole and unchipped in his mouth!
> 
> Personally, with that tooth I would just go the extraction route. Maybe, if it wasn't so exposed, I might try to save it. Honestly, if a dog can learn to cope after a leg amputation, one missing tooth isn't going to be a big deal. Maybe if the dog was feral but she has someone to care for her and make sure she isn't going to go hungry.


LOL! I had to laugh when I read that. I bet Buck WAS confused. I can just picture it "mom, what the hell"?


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## BrownieM (Aug 30, 2010)

Went to the specialist today. Decided to save the tooth!  She will be a ghetto poodle with an alloy carnassial! Ha ha. But the good news is it will hold up forever and her mouth function will be in no way altered. It will be a less painful procedure, too. Dang, she's got me wrapped around her little paw!


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## DaneMama (Jun 27, 2008)

BrownieM said:


> Went to the specialist today. Decided to save the tooth!  She will be a ghetto poodle with an alloy carnassial! Ha ha. But the good news is it will hold up forever and her mouth function will be in no way altered. It will be a less painful procedure, too. Dang, she's got me wrapped around her little paw!


You do know you'll have to post up pictures right? :thumb:


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## Ania's Mommy (Feb 8, 2009)

Awwww yeeaahh. A Spoo with a grill. PLEASE post pics! :brushteeth: :wink:

I'm glad you are able to save the tooth. I really think that it's best IF it is a viable possibility. And it sounds like your vet thinks it is. Ania's teeth that surround where she had her extraction are pretty plaque-y because she doesn't use that side much to do the heavy chewing. :-(


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## Dude and Bucks Mamma (May 14, 2011)

I second the pictures!


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## BrownieM (Aug 30, 2010)

Don't worry folks, I am not neglecting you by not posting photos of my Spoo with a Grill!  She had her root canal procedure two weeks ago and we had to wait for the custom fitted crown to arrive. Tomorrow she goes in to have the crown put on her tooth! Photos I WILL post! :biggrin:


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## Caty M (Aug 13, 2010)

If you don't mind me asking.. how much does a root canal/crown procedure cost for a dog? LOL. I had one myself a few years ago ;-)


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## BrownieM (Aug 30, 2010)

Procedure was finished today!


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## Losech (Jul 10, 2012)

Now that is one fancy tooth! I'd show that to everybody. I already do that with my two tooth anomalies, so if I had a dog with a shiny metal tooth... The dog would probably think I was insane!


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