# Should I pull tooth???



## Deerboy's Momma (May 23, 2011)

Two weeks ago I noticed Chip's retained baby canine was loose...it's steadily gotten more and more loose and tonight it is hanging on inside the gum by the back corner of what "root" remains. It doesn't seem to be causing him any pain, but when I push at it (I have NOT tried pulling) he pulls away from me, so I'm afraid putting pressure on it to pull it out will hurt him, or that he will get an infection in his gum.

The vet wants 700$ to extract it, which I can't do right now. His next appointment is in July, for his rabies/5-way/annual everything. 

Should I leave it alone for a while longer or try and help him out? 

Very worried about it now that it's so loose...


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## coccomummy (May 3, 2011)

i really dont know and i wouldnt like to tell you what to do but i think if it was me i would try giving it a small pull or like a little wobble like we would with ours i know when my daughter has had a few i have done thesse things but we are talking about a pet well mine are like my kids lol so its really up to you hope it comes out soon


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## flippedstars (Dec 16, 2009)

Yes, just yank it. Easiest to do with a tissue as it "grips" the tooth. I've pulled probably 40 teeth out of my puppy's mouths in the past year (I've hadd 6 puppies I've raise though). He'll be fine. Of course he won't like it. $700? What a joke. 

Also DO NOT have him get more than 1 vaccine at once -- NEVER combine rabies with ANYTHING ELSE, it could kill him. Shots need to be spaced out by at l east 6 weeks.


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## Shamelle (Jan 20, 2010)

Yep, I'd work on pulling it to. I pulled baby teeth fro both Jadzia and Kira. 
They sometimes pull away just because they don't like someone's fingers in their mouths, you may not be causing any pain at all.

Kira had one upper fang hanging fairly loose and I just pulled it straight and to the back, no sideways movement, and it just popped right out, no fuss no muss.

700.00 is ridiculous. Good luck

You could also give him something hard to chew on, something he would want to work at, that could get the job done.


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## Deerboy's Momma (May 23, 2011)

Okay, which direction should I pull? Just straight down? When the doctors take out teeth at the office (I work at a dental practice), they're wiggled out in a circular motion. Do you think that would make it worse?

@Flippedstars- I actually don't want to get him either vaccination at all- I know that both intial "puppy" vaccines and his first rabies will last something like 6-8 years- but rabies is required yearly by state law and it was in his rescue contract that he be given the DHPP-L as well, or they can take him back. I will only be getting the rabies at his next appointment...our local Speck's Pet Supply offers "wellness clinics" every few weeks and you can take in dogs for vaccinations. I REALLY want to contact his rescue and ask them about it, but I am very afraid that it will result in them trying to "reclaim" him...I already moved in the first six months I got him, which I guess was a huge no-no and got me in trouble.  Never mind the fact that he has a fenced-in yard now, is rarely in his crate because my grandparents are always home, and has two other small dogs to play with...nope, all they think is that I further traumatized him. Ugh.


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## Shamelle (Jan 20, 2010)

> I REALLY want to contact his rescue and ask them about it, but I am very afraid that it will result in them trying to "reclaim" him...I already moved in the first six months I got him, which I guess was a huge no-no and got me in trouble. Never mind the fact that he has a fenced-in yard now, is rarely in his crate because my grandparents are always home, and has two other small dogs to play with...nope, all they think is that I further traumatized him. Ugh.


I love rescue organizations but I hate it when they take things to far.

As far as which direction to pull, well I say don't do the circular motion pull away from the end that is already out or the loosest. For example if the tooth is out at the front then pull to the back. That way you wont be pushing the loose jagged edge of the root back into/towards the gum.

Another example; if you have one end of a staple in your finger you would naturally pull away from the end that was out so as to not poke yourself with the second end.

Hope that helps


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## Deerboy's Momma (May 23, 2011)

Shamelle said:


> I love rescue organizations but I hate it when they take things to far.
> 
> As far as which direction to pull, well I say don't do the circular motion pull away from the end that is already out or the loosest. For example if the tooth is out at the front then pull to the back. That way you wont be pushing the loose jagged edge of the root back into/towards the gum.
> 
> ...


I'm bracing myself do to this...I may have a panic attack before it gets done.

Will Chip need any special treatment afterwards? Will food get impacted in the socket? He gets fish today, so there's no bones to crunch through...


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## Deerboy's Momma (May 23, 2011)

UGH okay I pulled it. There's a small hole in the gum where the socket is, and it looks all red inside...but I don't see any bleeding. He wouldn't take a treat from me though 

Edit- The top of the tooth looks kind of jagged...could there be a piece left inside of the gum?


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## Tink (Oct 14, 2009)

Deerboy's Momma said:


> UGH okay I pulled it. There's a small hole in the gum where the socket is, and it looks all red inside...but I don't see any bleeding. He wouldn't take a treat from me though
> 
> Edit- The top of the tooth looks kind of jagged...could there be a piece left inside of the gum?


You'll soon know if there is because it will swell or start looking bad. It's out and unless you want to take him to the vet to have him poke around in the socket, or do an xray, I'd just leave it alone for the time being and see if anything happens. I'm guessing it won't. 

And just to comment, $700 is an EXTREME cost for pulling a tooth.  I would seriously be looking for another vet if this is representative of what he charges. Just as a frame of reference, I have had full dentals done on both Tango, and Jazz, each including removed of several (2 or 3 iirc) retained baby teeth, plus the dental itself which was very thorough (plaque removal, scraping, polishing etc.) AND done while under anesthesia, WITH a mini blood panel beforehand. And all that, every bit of it, cost me under $300 each dog.


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## flippedstars (Dec 16, 2009)

Deerboy's Momma said:


> UGH okay I pulled it. There's a small hole in the gum where the socket is, and it looks all red inside...but I don't see any bleeding. He wouldn't take a treat from me though
> 
> Edit- The top of the tooth looks kind of jagged...could there be a piece left inside of the gum?




No it's b'c the roots dissolved and thus why it was pretty loose -- the actual root on a tooth not loose can be close to 3/4" which Ivy's were when they were pulled at the vet's last week -- they were not loose at ALL. Leah's roots had started to dissolve and had the jagged top.


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## flippedstars (Dec 16, 2009)

I also wanted to say that what the vets don't tell you is when they pull puppy teeth with full roots, the roots often break. Once a tooth system is "broken" the body usually just absorbs it. SO even if there was a bit of tooth left up there, which is unlikely in this case, his body most likely would handle it fine. A tooth broke on each of my girls when they were removed and I can already see their bodies working to take care of the remaining tooth bits.


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## Deerboy's Momma (May 23, 2011)

Tink said:


> You'll soon know if there is because it will swell or start looking bad. It's out and unless you want to take him to the vet to have him poke around in the socket, or do an xray, I'd just leave it alone for the time being and see if anything happens. I'm guessing it won't.
> 
> And just to comment, $700 is an EXTREME cost for pulling a tooth.  I would seriously be looking for another vet if this is representative of what he charges. Just as a frame of reference, I have had full dentals done on both Tango, and Jazz, each including removed of several (2 or 3 iirc) retained baby teeth, plus the dental itself which was very thorough (plaque removal, scraping, polishing etc.) AND done while under anesthesia, WITH a mini blood panel beforehand. And all that, every bit of it, cost me under $300 each dog.


They are very expensive...but unfortunately, they are the only vet I've found that treats both my animals compassionately. I wish I had your vet 

It hasn't started to swell yet...I'll probably put some Orajel on it.

Do you guys think that it was this tooth that makes him paw at his mouth a lot?

Chip's about two- possibly older, we think- so the root SHOULD have been absorbed and I'm pretty sure that nothing is left in there. Thanks everybody, LOL!


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## Tink (Oct 14, 2009)

Deerboy's Momma said:


> They are very expensive...but unfortunately, they are the only vet I've found that treats both my animals compassionately. I wish I had your vet


I'm very grateful for my vet, whom I consider a real find! My daughter is actually the one that found the clinic (3 vets, all fabulous) after she moved out, and then I moved in with my roommate (my daughter was the last one at home.) She'd been a Vet Tech for years prior to moving out and we'd always used her place, but she stopped teching at the same time that she moved, so we had to find something more convenient for us both. Honestly the vet she'd worked for just didn't inspire that much confidence, so her not being right there to oversee things made us want to find another. The clinic is very reasonably priced, the vets are all competent, plus they CARE...that's big for me. They understand that owners freak out and want to know that their animals are OK. Plus two of the three are experienced small animal vets/surgeons, which is also a big plus as far as the chis are concerned. 



Deerboy's Momma said:


> It hasn't started to swell yet...I'll probably put some Orajel on it.
> 
> *Do you guys think that it was this tooth that makes him paw at his mouth a lot?*
> 
> Chip's about two- possibly older, we think- so the root SHOULD have been absorbed and I'm pretty sure that nothing is left in there. Thanks everybody, LOL!


It may well have been. Jazz had a retained molar and two retained canines and tended to paw at her mouth fairly frequently, just because they were uncomfortable, or there was pressure, or something I guess. All I know is that when the baby teeth were removed, the pawing stopped. 

And if it hasn't started to swell at this point, I don't think it's going to.


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## coccomummy (May 3, 2011)

glad you got it out ok


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