# puppy teeth issue



## jesicamyers (Dec 27, 2010)

Jax's front teeth are loose. One is overlapping the other. He gets food stuck in there. Its a struggle to brush them. Anyone know a way to help him lose those suckers?


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## flippedstars (Dec 16, 2009)

Will he let you wiggle them? Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle! if he will 

Has he been neutered yet? If not, you will want to have all remaining puppy teeth removed at the time of his neuter. Retained baby teeth usually aren't a huge issue, many chis live with them, but they CAN cause bite and jaw problems, too or, like you are seeing, causing food to build up between them. In those cases you really want to get the teeth out at the time of spay/neuter.

You also can give him safe hard things to chew on -- bully sticks, beef soup bones that are raw in your grocer's meat section, and nylabones if he will tolerate them. The more he chews, the more likely he is to lose them on his own.


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## jesicamyers (Dec 27, 2010)

Our vet said to wait until he's a year to neuter him, so not yet. He has chewed on bones (he gets one raw meal a day) and he has dozens of toys. He did not care for the nylabone. I think he's getting impatient with me messing in his mouth. I'm happy that it won't hurt him. He's my first puppy, so this is very new to me


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## Mom of 4 Chi's (Apr 3, 2009)

Curious, why does your vet want you to wait until he's a year old?
Kristi gave you great advice for loosening up those baby teeth.


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## flippedstars (Dec 16, 2009)

You might want to get a new vet???...if you let a male (especially a toy breed male) stay intact much past 6 months, it is VERY likely that he will mark, mark, mark, mark!!!! Once they start the behavior, it's very difficult to train out of them, and they don't see it as pottying at all. It will do your nut in, trust me I have an intact male that I am showing and either he smells like pee from the urine on his belly band, or there is pee on my throw pillows, in my shoes, and on my purse! He is about 11 months old and this started at 6 months. I don't know any vet that recommends waiting that long to spay a pet. Anyway, others might have different advice, but I personally would never have a pet male with his nuggets past 6 months


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## jesicamyers (Dec 27, 2010)

Lol @ flippedstars. I didnt ask a whole lot about it. His last vaccinination, I asked when we should neuter him. Vet answered @ a year. I assumed it was because he's small. Our other dog was an adult, and neutered, when we got him, so marking is not an issue we've dealt with.


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## Amandarose531 (Aug 9, 2010)

Nooo neuter at 6 months, you'll thank yourself! Marking is terribly hard to break.

As far as teeth chewing definitely helps!


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## flippedstars (Dec 16, 2009)

Well I guess you can view the tooth removal as a secondary benefit to neutering, then?  The marking is just awful...and so obnoxious, I hate for anyone to deal with it unless they have to.


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## Amandarose531 (Aug 9, 2010)

flippedstars said:


> Well I guess you can view the tooth removal as a secondary benefit to neutering, then?  The marking is just awful...and so obnoxious, I hate for anyone to deal with it unless they have to.


B still peeing on his siblings?


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## flippedstars (Dec 16, 2009)

Amandarose531 said:


> B still peeing on his siblings?


He's not as bad,...he has learned to contain himself SOMEWHAT, or...just gotten sneakier, not sure which...but UGHHHHHH...once he's done showing, even if I neuter him, he will still have this habit. Ha ha ha. What he does instead is shove his head under the girls while they are peeing if he's out at the same time with them, and gets pee on his own head. I went to put my shoe on yesterday and he'd peed in it  And we don't have any throw pillows anymore...little TERD.


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## Brodysmom (Jan 8, 2009)

jesica, has jax started lifting his leg to pee yet? Once he does this, it is a very short road to marking. That is the start of the male hormone testosterone and once that gets going - you will be dealing with marking like Kristi said. Do yourself a BIG favor and go on and get him neutered at 6 months. There's NO reason to wait longer. He will be a much, much better pet if he's neutered earlier rather than later. Once marking starts, it becomes a habit. He will dribble/spray pee on your couch/walls/bed/curtains/anything on the floor, etc. He may even lift his leg and mark YOU or others in the house to say (in dog language) that you are his property. It is extremely obnoxious. Unless you don't mind if your house and belongings and your dog smell like pee.  

I say to get that boy neutered ASAP and get any retained baby teeth removed at the same time. Believe me, you will be happy you did. I would certainly question any vet that believes in waiting a year to neuter a toy breed.


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## Amandarose531 (Aug 9, 2010)

flippedstars said:


> He's not as bad,...he has learned to contain himself SOMEWHAT, or...just gotten sneakier, not sure which...but UGHHHHHH...once he's done showing, even if I neuter him, he will still have this habit. Ha ha ha. What he does instead is shove his head under the girls while they are peeing if he's out at the same time with them, and gets pee on his own head. I went to put my shoe on yesterday and he'd peed in it  And we don't have any throw pillows anymore...little TERD.


Oh gah. Your house sounds like my house. I've all but done away with rugs, those are just glorified pee pads to G. And I've gotten rid of our throw pillows as well, yeah...

UGH!


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## jesicamyers (Dec 27, 2010)

He still squats, has never tried to lift his leg. He's right at five months now. He will be seeing a new vet, because we've moved. I'll ask about neutering him asap


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## Cambrea (Feb 21, 2010)

Be sure to mention the teeth to your new vet too. I know it is standard practice to remove puppy teeth during a spay or neuter, but my vet did not for some reason. My sister had to pay for one of our chis to get hers removed after and one of my girls still needs to go in to get some out. Its such a bummer to have to put them under twice, not to mention expensive and stinky!


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## jesicamyers (Dec 27, 2010)

I did talk to the new vet about his teeth. Though yesterday, the front overlapping tooth came out!


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## Eclipsica (Nov 23, 2010)

I had no idea this was so bad. Going to have second thoughts about an intact male that was advertised that I replied to.


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## flippedstars (Dec 16, 2009)

Eclipsica said:


> I had no idea this was so bad. Going to have second thoughts about an intact male that was advertised that I replied to.


Yeah do not buy an intact adult unless he is for showing/breeding purposes (and please note he should NOT be bred if you aren't going to at least try out showing him to see what you can learn about the breed and your dog before you ever consider breeding  )

Little dogs are far worse with marking than big dogs, I only know a few people who say their intact adult males don't mark...and TBH I think they are just sneaking it in LMAO.


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## Eclipsica (Nov 23, 2010)

Some of the chihuahuas I've seen up for adoption by individuals have not been spayed/neutered. 
I suppose some of these people may have bred their dogs. 
Like the one I replied to was a 6-7 intact male. He was close to what I was looking for being reddish and longhair. Longhairs being difficult to find in the re-homing market...
I did wonder why he wasn't neutered. 

I don't plan to breed and any chi I'd get would be de-sexed. The only reason I'd prefer an intact chi is because I could possibly get the alternative de-sexing methods (which is a whole other topic).


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## flippedstars (Dec 16, 2009)

Alternative de-sexing methods are only useful on puppies  After 18 months of age, all "benefits" of alternative de-sexing methods are null and void.


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