# Overshot bite



## woganvonderweidenstrasse (Nov 22, 2012)

I'm so sad and angry at the same time I want to scream and cry and throw things! My pup's overshot shows no improvement and he is now 6 months old. The bigger problem is that the lower canines are now pushing holes in the soft tissues at the top! This must be very uncomfortable for him and even painful. There is a big risk of infection and worst case it can push all the way through into the nose. If his jaw does not improve soon the only option I'm left with is to have the bottom canines pulled or filed down! It breaks my heart to even think about this. There is still a chance it can come right and I really want to give him a chance until at least 10 months to see if it won't correct. But what do I do in the meantime? How do I protect the palate and prevent serious damage? 
It's SO frustrating! Why my puppy? After all the research I did! He's such a beautiful dog, perfect in every way...if only his mouth can come right. why! why! why!:Cry::mad2:


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## naturalfeddogs (Jan 6, 2011)

I'm so sorry. I don't know anything about these kind of things, but I don't think you can blame yourself if it doesn't correct. These things just happen and beyond our control. He may not be able to be in the show ring, but he's still a beautiful, wonderful friend for many years to come either way.


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## sozzle (May 18, 2011)

So sorry to hear that about your boy. Stanley has a very undershot jaw so when you look from underneath him you can see his top teeth when his mouth is closed, but then he was not bred for his looks, but speed. I hope you don't have to go to extreme lengths to fix it, the pushing through the soft palate would be awful. Is there a vet who specialises in dentistry you can consult with or a veterinary teaching university?


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## woganvonderweidenstrasse (Nov 22, 2012)

sozzle said:


> So sorry to hear that about your boy. Stanley has a very undershot jaw so when you look from underneath him you can see his top teeth when his mouth is closed, but then he was not bred for his looks, but speed. I hope you don't have to go to extreme lengths to fix it, the pushing through the soft palate would be awful. Is there a vet who specialises in dentistry you can consult with or a veterinary teaching university?


No, we only have the normal vets here so I'm really hoping it doesn't get to that point. Did Stanley not have a problem with bottom canines pushing through top? And he's obviously eating fine...? I suppose as long as it doesn't cause him pain and discomfort or affect his working ability - that is all I'm concerned about.


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## Herzo (Feb 5, 2011)

I'm so sorry about your boy, I know you wanted to show him. It must be very hard when your dream is shattered like that. But I wish I could help with the other problem but I have not ever heard of it.

I can't see how it could push through to the nose. Could you post a picture?


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## Kassandra (Jun 6, 2012)

Herzo said:


> I can't see how it could push through to the nose. Could you post a picture?


I've seen a few circumstances where this has happened, the bottom canines end up needing to be removed or filed down.

I'm sorry this happened. I'm sorry about the showing thing but even more than that, this could potentially lead to damage. I know how hard it is to watch something happen that you can't help. There is still some time for it to even out, hopefully it straightens out a little at least. Are there any specialists close to you? Even if not in the same city, it might be worth your while to e-mail them.


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## woganvonderweidenstrasse (Nov 22, 2012)

Here is a picture of what is happening. It's not Logan's mouth (would be impossible to get a shot), but his mouth looks similar to this.







In severe cases it can go all the way through into the nasal cavity.
I'm seeing the vet tomorrow so she can take a look. I'm hoping for some kind of mouth guard that can be fitted over the top canines and palate to protect it from damage from the lower canines..but this is a long shot...we don't really have vets specializing in pet dentistry. But I'll keep looking and if I can't find anyone I'll take a shot and ask a human orthodontist.  Maybe they can have something custom made for him.

Herzo you hit the nail on the head when you said my dreams have been shattered...that's exactly what it feels like. But I'm not giving up hope just yet...we'll give it another 4 months. For now I just need to find a way to keep him free of pain and discomfort.


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## sozzle (May 18, 2011)

woganvonderweidenstrasse said:


> No, we only have the normal vets here so I'm really hoping it doesn't get to that point. Did Stanley not have a problem with bottom canines pushing through top? And he's obviously eating fine...? I suppose as long as it doesn't cause him pain and discomfort or affect his working ability - that is all I'm concerned about.


Hiya, no he has never had any major problems apart from having a bit of difficulty eating out of his bowl, ie his nose gets squashed upwards when he tries to get small morsels etc out of his bowl because his teeth don't meet. We didn't get him until he was 5 and no we have never noticed any soft tissue damage. I have since seen a few other greyhounds with the same problem.
Could you contact a SA veterinary university and ask them for a contact of vet that specialises in dentistry or orthodontics? or as you say maybe ask a human one.


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## xchairity_casex (Oct 8, 2011)

oh no! thats scary! im so so sorry this is happening!
i do kind of know how you feel- I was hopeing to be able to show Chimera, and she has minimal faults, good bite, gher head is filling out, good back end, great front end ect- but the breeder feels like she is too small and therfore doesnt feel she should be shown  

though her problem is not medical like your babies, so i dont understand the kind of fear and worry you are going thru-i imagine its alot! i hope it doesnt get any worse and can be fixed without ruining his mouth/teeth. keep us updated him and how everything goes!


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## Felix (Oct 9, 2012)

I know a former co worker that put his dog in braces, to correct the bottom canines from damaging the gums in the mouth. So there may be other options than pulling the teeth. Look around your area for a veterinarian that specializes in dentistry.


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## Herzo (Feb 5, 2011)

So you mean they go inside the top canines instead of going over the top of the top jaw. I have just never seen it that doesn't sound good at all. I hope it gets better.


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## SaharaNight Boxers (Jun 28, 2011)

I don't mean this in a way to discourage you, but if you have to manually correct this yourself should he really be shown or bred? This could be something that he could pass on which seems to be a major fault which can also cause a lot of pain.


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## woganvonderweidenstrasse (Nov 22, 2012)

Herzo said:


> So you mean they go inside the top canines instead of going over the top of the top jaw. I have just never seen it that doesn't sound good at all. I hope it gets better.


\

Correct, the bottom canines are right next to the top ones on the inside of them, and not in front were it should be. I spoke to my breeder again last night and she feels the bottom jaw has moved and there is improvement. We must give it another 2 - 4 months. She said to just keep the holes in the top palate clean from pieces of food, etc. so it won't get infected...and then we must just wait and see what happens. I also found a pet dentist that will hopefully be able to help with a removable mouth piece or something similar.


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## woganvonderweidenstrasse (Nov 22, 2012)

SaharaNight Boxers said:


> I don't mean this in a way to discourage you, but if you have to manually correct this yourself should he really be shown or bred? This could be something that he could pass on which seems to be a major fault which can also cause a lot of pain.



No you're right..that is why I'm so bummed about it. If it corrects naturally it means it is just the bottom/top jaws growing at different rates and if he has a scissor as an adult without any interference from us, he can still be shown and bred. But if we have to correct it with surgery or braces, we will not be able show and breed as this would mean it is a genetic fault. That's why I'm hoping it will come right on its own. The mouth piece I'm talking about is not to manually correct the jaw, it's just to protect the top palate from damage from the bottom canines pressing into it.


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## xchairity_casex (Oct 8, 2011)

yep- if a dog has had any corrective surgerys-its a disqualification in the show ring.
hopefully it is as simply as his jaw growing at differant rate.
ggod luck!


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