Maltese puppies and teeth

[mamabear]

My sister in law just got puppies from someone she knew who had two dogs that mated. Paren'ts are both pure maltese but no papers.

They are two females both 12 weeks old. She took them to the vet and the vet said that they have to have there puppy canines pulled because they are causing a problem. Something about the jaw and the vet showed brother in law and it looks painful. I guess when the pups bite down the canines are digging in to the bottom of the lower gums.

Vet said they have to have surgery within the week or else bad things can happen.

I have never heard of this in a 12 week old pup. Has anyone heard of this? My sister in law is a bit skeptical but said that her vet seemed to know what she was doing and even showed her husband and he thought it looked painful as well.

I told sister in law that pups teeth can take up to 6months to come out and she said the dr. did say that as well but that this was urgent that they get in there and get them out.

Any thoughts on this? AND if it is heard of should they spay them while they are under sedation during this time?

[lmd]

I am surprised no one has any ideas here. I would not let the teeth be removed UNTIL it is obvious the bad problem has actually started to occur. I have seen puppy teeth in weird bites, but they all turned out just fine as mother nature took over. The sky is falling siomewhere every day. Check with Maltese owners who are familiar with this potential problem. On such a young animal, I would not choose to do 2 surgeries at once. Give them a chance to develop and stabilize.

[Traci]

Actually, I'd seek a second opinion, immediately, and only with a certified canine dental vet.

If there is malocclusion that is interferring with the jaw, alignment of teeth, causing pain, digging into gums, making chewing painful or difficult, etc, it might just be wise to have the canine-teeth removed, on whichever level the problem is. Only an experienced dental vet can tell if the removal is necessary to allow surrounding teeth to align properly, etc, and of course, to avoid potential and serious problems later.

Since they are three months of age, you have to be careful about choosing whether to alter them now or not. In a maltese, I'd personally wait until they're a bit older, but it has to be the owner and vet's call. Pre-surgical blood screens should be done first, some small breeds like the maltese breeds have liver problems (portosystemic shunting), that absolutely must be checked for, addressed etc before any surgery. (not that these pups have it, but it's early in their development still)

Bottom line, get a second opinion immediately, and by immediately, I mean first thing next week because these pups are still developing and one can't risk them getting early periodontal disease, infections, risking pain enough they can't eat, etc. It's very possible the teeth may need to be removed, but again, see a specialized dental vet.