# Retained baby teeth....how long to wait!



## Jayda (Jun 15, 2012)

Jewel lost all her top and bottom baby incisors but appears to have her adult bottom canines coming in with the baby canines in place. My question is whether there is chance the baby canines will come out on their own. The adult canines have just started to poke though. Her teeth and bite (nice scissor bite) are very good right now (important for showing). I don't want mess up her teeth but I don't want to extract the baby teeth if they might come out on their own. She will be 7 months in 5 days. Also, how long of a recovery is there should she have them extracted? I have a series of shows in May, June and July I am hoping to do with her. Thanks so much if there is anyone here with experience.


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## LittleBeverly2015 (Jan 26, 2015)

I don't have has much experience as others on here, but I remember Beverly keeping 2 of her baby teeth until she was at least 6 months old. She looked really funny. We were thinking of scheduling an appointment to have them taken out and then she finally spit them out! I hope someone on here knows more than I do!


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## Wicked Pixie (Oct 14, 2011)

They will probably still come out on their own, the canines are usually the last to go.
When we got Mouse at 18 months she had both top baby canines still. A few months of eating raw and having bones etc to chew and they came out.
If her permanent teeth are in danger of coming in crooked because there is no space I would consider having them removed, but I would keep an eye for now and see how they go. Give her plenty of things to chew.


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## Jayda (Jun 15, 2012)

Wicked Pixie said:


> They will probably still come out on their own, the canines are usually the last to go.
> When we got Mouse at 18 months she had both top baby canines still. A few months of eating raw and having bones etc to chew and they came out.
> If her permanent teeth are in danger of coming in crooked because there is no space I would consider having them removed, but I would keep an eye for now and see how they go. Give her plenty of things to chew.


She's definately been chewing a lot lately. She have many of the pet stages chew toys. I've also been giving her tripe chews and beef tendons. The problem with those is that she loves them and too much of a good thing can give her really runny poo. She gets them twice a week. I hope they come out!


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## susan davis (Mar 25, 2011)

I had my chi's baby teeth extracted when they were spayed. However, that doesn't work for you! What do judges say, IF she still has her baby teeth? It shouldn't go against her, I would think. If she still has them at a year, then I'd look into having them pulled.


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## Moonfall (Nov 16, 2012)

When Doug had a couple teeth removed he had to eat soft food for like a week but it was a pretty easy recovery. They weren't baby teeth either- they were both bottom premolars.

I'm not sure how judges feel about baby teeth but I can't see it being a problem since she's a puppy.


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## Wicked Pixie (Oct 14, 2011)

I don't think the baby teeth themselves are really the issue, it is more that they can stop the permanent teeth coming through in the right place and throw the bite off, which would be the end of her show career.


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## Moonfall (Nov 16, 2012)

Ahh. Can you speak to your vet about it? If that is a possibility I would have them removed as soon as you can.


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## Pure love (Sep 13, 2014)

My dog Lincoln had his puppy canine till he was about 11 months old. I noticed a bad smell and I didn't understand why because I brush his teeth. I finally realized the bad odor was due to his retained puppy canine. I took him to the vet and we decide to wait till he turned a year old and schedule the extraction. The tooth finally did come out on its own. Lincoln has a good scissor bite so the tooth didn't affect his bite. I would be concerned if i had a show dog though. The vet told me she sees lots of chihuahuas that hold on to the canines, due to very long roots and the chis small mouth.


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## MMS (Aug 2, 2012)

Rufus has retained his lower canines. He's about 2 years old, according to the rescue. He gets food stuck between them and his breath gets atrocious at times! I'm waiting until his behavior improves a bit before getting them removed, since they don't bother him or affect his eating, but being in pain and groggy has the potential to increase his aggression.


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## BasketMichele (Sep 9, 2014)

Carolina just had 7 baby teeth extracted at the same time last month when she was spayed and she was just a couple weeks shy of a year old. My vet monitored them up until she was scheduled to be spayed. Since showing wasn't an issue for me and only wanting her put under once we decided to wait until then. I was told she was one of the more extreme cases they see for baby teeth retention most don't retain that many. The vet called her shark mouth.

I would consider consulting with your vet and get their opinion, especially since you show Jewel. I was told it could effect, but doesn't always, adult teeth coming in crooked or change her bite, but since we don't show that wasn't an issue to consider. Carolina does have a couple little front bottom teeth that aren't completely straight now, but her bite was not effected.

She had little to no recovery time for that amount of teeth pulled, I was amazed. I was told by my vet to give wet food (premade raw for us) for the next day or two and then I could slowly add her kibble with freeze dried raw to see how she tolerated it. I was told to leave it up to her. She was eating her "hard" food by the 2nd day after surgery. Carolina is very food motivated too, so not sure if that was the reason she ate her normal food diet so quickly.


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## doginthedesert (Oct 10, 2011)

Kerri was pediatricly spayed at the shelter so there was no spay and remove teeth option. She had retained canines and my vet was very insistant that if they weren't out by the time that the adult teeth were all the way in that they might cause bite issues. We weren't worried about showing, but straight teeth have other advantages too! I had been giving her EVERYTHING, pork necks, whole chickens, my agility instructor made these string tug toys. She chewed and the canines just didn't come out. At just about 6 months I had them extracted. She was at the vet 2 hours and ate a chicken foot that night. I never noticed her acting any different or having trouble. They don't even really chew with the canines, they are mostly for killing so maybe that's why she recovered so fast. If I had to do it again I would have retained teeth removed as soon as the adult ones were in, like I did. No regrets here! I would feel even more strongly about it if bite and showing was an issue I think.


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## elaina (Jul 1, 2008)

Ellie has an appointment with her Vet. on Monday for an exam. she is 8 1/2 months old and has retained baby teeth. She'll be getting her first rabies vaccine and i'm sure he will discuss removing those teeth


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## Corona Pup (Jan 27, 2015)

Okay, this may be the silliest question asked here, ever! How do you know if and when they lose their baby teeth? Do you find them or do you see them missing from their mouth? Corona will be 9 months next month and I have no clue as to whether or not she is retaining baby teeth?! I looked at her mouth and nothing seems to look strange, but I have never noticed any teeth missing neither. Something I have never really thought about being a first time puppy owner, and again not being well versed in puppies since I was looking for an older dog, when Corona "just happened"(and thank goodness she did). I get her nails clipped at the vet each month, is this something I should have her check out next appointment? This site really is a wonderful source for helping me raise my baby! Thank you all!!


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## Wicked Pixie (Oct 14, 2011)

Often the baby teeth are swallowed and the gap is quickly filled with the permanent teeth so there isn't a lot to see. If teeth are retained she will have two of them, some Chis actually have a full row of baby teeth as well as their adult teeth, just like a shark.
If Corona's teeth all look even the chances are they are all permanent by now and she had an easy time of teething. Any retained baby teeth will look much smaller/thinner alongside the adult ones. Take a pic and post it if you aren't sure.


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## Corona Pup (Jan 27, 2015)

Okay, thanks! I'll take a better look this afternoon and if I am unsure, will post a pic!


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## Jayda (Jun 15, 2012)

I did find one of Jewel's teeth. The incisors were interesting, especially on the bottom. One day I looked and her baby incisors were there....another week later they were all gone and I see the adults poking through. I am going to make an appointment with my vet for next week. I don't want it to mess up her bite.


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## Wicked Pixie (Oct 14, 2011)

Maybe take a pic and show your breeder?
Jasper and Bibi went through a really gummy phase where they had no teeth! I have several of their baby teeth in a locket, which people find strange, but I think they are so cute and tiny.


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## Corona Pup (Jan 27, 2015)

Well I just took a look a Coronas mouth and noticed, that yes indeed she is a little shark and has 2 rows of teeth! Silly me for not knowing to look for this!! Is this harmful? Will the baby teeth still fall out. I will call my ver and ask her advice, of course, but I just want to get some opinions on here. I feel like a horrible mom not noticing anything was up!!! I would have never noticed or have known to look if not for this thread...


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## Wicked Pixie (Oct 14, 2011)

They do usually fall out on their own, but you can have issues with food getting trapped and gum disease etc, so while not life-threatening it definitely needs to be monitored


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## lulu'smom (Jan 4, 2012)

Corona Pup said:


> Well I just took a look a Coronas mouth and noticed, that yes indeed she is a little shark and has 2 rows of teeth! Silly me for not knowing to look for this!! Is this harmful? Will the baby teeth still fall out. I will call my ver and ask her advice, of course, but I just want to get some opinions on here. I feel like a horrible mom not noticing anything was up!!! I would have never noticed or have known to look if not for this thread...


Please do not feel like a horrible mom! Lulu was my second dog to have, and we had gotten our first dog ever in my adult life 18 months before Lulu. Both dogs were spayed on the dot at six months because that's what I thought I was supposed to do. I feel sure if they had any retained baby teeth they were pulled at that time--I really don't know because I didn't even know to ask or that pulling teeth could be a possibility. I never saw any teeth anywhere on the floor, furniture, etc., and I never looked in their mouth. They went from baby teeth to adult teeth without me having a clue that even happened in dogs. I didn't find this forum until Lulu was 4 yrs old, and I have learned an immense amount of information since then. So don't feel bad--that's why I'm thankful for the people here willing to share knowledge and personal experiences, and you can see you are by far not alone!

Lynda, from my story you can tell I can't give you any help with the teeth, but I can tell you Gidget had to have 9 baby teeth extracted a few months after she was spayed at 6 months old that never fell out on their own, and she was eating normally the next day. I can't remember though if it was kibble or commercial raw, but if it was the raw it would have been ZP back then.


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## Jayda (Jun 15, 2012)

Well one bottom canine has fallen out over the last week, praying the other comes out too!


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## queenladydragon (Jul 20, 2015)

not only am I reviving an older thread, but I'm at this stage with Hunley at the moment. I managed to save two baby teeth that fell out so I could save them in a pendant ( I also think they are so cute and tiny!!). But I have noticed all four of his adult canines are poking through and pushing his baby canines to the outside of his mouth. I purchased some bully sticks and he has been chewing like crazy. Going to get some baby orajel to rub on his gums and see if that helps with any discomfort, he is not pleased with me even looking into his mouth but has let me if I'm quick and don't touch near the area. (lifting his lip to look is okay). One baby canine seems a bit loose so Im hoping they will fall out on their own soon.


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