Update on Cujo's tooth :(

7646 Views 39 Replies 13 Participants Last post by Mike Schoonbrood, Apr 15, 2006

Mike Schoonbrood

Discussion Starter · Mar 29, 2006

I just got off the phone with my own vet, have an appointment for Monday 10:30am to get a 2nd opinion. I think the tooth may be turning gray, but it's still purplish so I'm hopeful that it's gonna be OK.

I know a steel cap is probably strongest for him since he's doing bitework, but I just can't picture him not having his pretty white teeth

I really hope we can save his tooth. I was hoping there was a way to make steel teeth look like normal teeth but I guess not?

Does anyone have photos of a shepherd with steel canine teeth?

Cujo's also not really a super hard biter or police dog, maybe porcelain is strong/durable enough for him?

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G

· #2 · Mar 29, 2006

Monday! Why? Can't you get him to a dentist sooner? What happened to cause this anyway?

Selena van Leeuwen

· #3 · Mar 29, 2006

Mike, I know that here in Holland there is a dentist who uses a sort of crown for dogs who have enough base of their tooth left.

With steel you could have a problem in the future with fractures in the jaw, cause steel is much stronger.

Mike Schoonbrood

Discussion Starter · #4 · Mar 29, 2006

The meds he's on from the other vet is the best anyone can do right now, the only thing my vet can do is give me a reccomendation on whether the tooth needs to be pulled or not -- but I've done all I can do without pulling his tooth, so either it's gonna be OK and my vet will just put my mind at ease, or it's gotta be pulled and he'll tell me on Monday. If it has to be pulled then it has to be pulled, 1 days or 3 weeks isn't going to affect the outcome.

They can see Cujo on Friday but I'd have to leave him at the vet's for the whole day, so I opted to wait till Monday and just come in with him since the extra few days won't affect the outcome either way.

Unfortunately my vet is often booked up with appointments, up until now I've been lucky enough to get same day or next day appointments.

I tried taking photos of the tooth but the lighting and the subtleness of the purple is making it difficult, so you can't see it as being anything other than a normal white tooth in the photos. But on closer inspection it's definately still purple, hasn't turned gray yet, so either the purple will go away and he'll be fine, or the purple will become gray. All I can do is play the waiting game.

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Mike Schoonbrood

Discussion Starter · #5 · Mar 29, 2006

Selena van Leeuwen said:
With steel you could have a problem in the future with fractures in the jaw, cause steel is much stronger.

Interesting, I hadn't considered this -- if this was your dog, would you choose porcelain then?

Connie Sutherland

· #6 · Mar 29, 2006

Mike Schoonbrood said:
Cujo's also not really a super hard biter or police dog, maybe porcelain is strong/durable enough for him?

I can't answer about the work your dog does....but I CAN tell you that porcelain has now worked for several years on my granddog, a working earth dog (BT) who also does a lot of tug-practice.

Bob Scott

· #7 · Mar 30, 2006

A dog on our club has just had a steel crown placed on one of his canines. It's shorter than before, because the doc was worried about leverage breaking it off. It hasn't bothered him one bit.

Mike Schoonbrood

Discussion Starter · #8 · Mar 30, 2006

Bob Scott said:
A dog on our club has just had a steel crown placed on one of his canines. It's shorter than before, because the doc was worried about leverage breaking it off. It hasn't bothered him one bit.

That would drive me nuts, I like symmetry LOL.

susan tuck

· #9 · Mar 30, 2006

Just wanted to tell you, I think Cujo would look good either way. If you end up going with the steel, you could nickname him \"beartrap\".

Selena van Leeuwen

· #10 · Mar 30, 2006

Mike Schoonbrood said:
Selena van Leeuwen said:

With steel you could have a problem in the future with fractures in the jaw, cause steel is much stronger.

Click to expand...

Interesting, I hadn't considered this -- if this was your dog, would you choose porcelain then?

It depends on what´s going on in his tooth. If the tip was broken I would go for a porcelain kind of crown. But if his roothcanal is damaged...I really don´t know. I´m afraid you´ll have to wait till you learn more from your vet.

Mike Schoonbrood

Discussion Starter · #11 · Apr 3, 2006

OK I just got home from my Vet appointment. She took a look at Cujo's tooth n the medications I had him on. The antibiotics are finished now, n I have 1 week of pain killers left, she told me to continue giving the pain killers. Looks like he has a little \"pulpitis\" n referred me to a canine dental specialist over in Largo near Tampa to have xrays taken just to be sure.

I have an appointment on Apr 14th which means I needa be up at 5am to get there on time, its about a 2-2.5 hour drive if traffic is OK, I don't know where Largo is exactly so I'd rather get there too early

I'll also have my puppy then so gotta figure out how I'm gonna manage 2 dogs while going to the dentist, since I can't leave the pup home alone, n it's a good experience for her to get out and do something different with a long car ride anyway.

So the night before Cujo's not allowed to eat anything in case they do have to do anything to him that day, then the beginning of that week he needs pre-op bloodwork done at my vet's office so I have the paperwork and results ready for the dentist.

Hopefully the xray will confirm that nothing's wrong n doesn't need anything, maybe he needs a root canal. His tooth isn't visibly damaged or anything so it's likely he won't need a crown or have it pulled.

What a pain in the ass, poor doggy

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Julia Tompson

· #12 · Apr 3, 2006

Well it sounds a little more hopeful... is he on light duty for the next two weeks? What a bummer considering you guys were making some great progress.

Connie Sutherland

· #13 · Apr 3, 2006

Julia Tompson said:
Well it sounds a little more hopeful... is he on light duty for the next two weeks? What a bummer considering you guys were making some great progress.

It DOES sound better than the worst case scenario of an extraction.

Here's hoping the puppy doesn't get carsick. (P.S. They often do so only on the first one or two trips, I have read.)

Selena van Leeuwen

· #14 · Apr 3, 2006

Sounds better than what I presumed after reading your first message. Take puppy along and stop every hour to let her do her business.

Mike Schoonbrood

Discussion Starter · #15 · Apr 3, 2006

If the xray shows a fracture then he needs a crown, but I don't think there's a fracture, unless it's inside the tooth where I can't see. My vet called me a few minutes ago to tell me she spoke to the dentist too, n that they think it's not going to be a big deal, but better to xray and make sure. And also wished me luck with my puppy

Connie Sutherland

· #16 · Apr 3, 2006

Mike Schoonbrood said:
If the xray shows a fracture then he needs a crown, but I don't think there's a fracture, unless it's inside the tooth where I can't see. My vet called me a few minutes ago to tell me she spoke to the dentist too, n that they think it's not going to be a big deal, but better to xray and make sure. And also wished me luck with my puppy

Cool!

Mike Schoonbrood

Discussion Starter · #17 · Apr 3, 2006

Connie Sutherland said:
Cool!

Yeah I love my vet's office, I'm sure they are more expensive than some (most) vets around, but they really care about the animals, they remember my name and my dogs name every time I come in, the second you come in the door they send you straight to an exam room, every exam room has a window to the reception area so you never leave the exam room, even when you're paying or doing paperwork. It's great, you're never sitting in a main waiting area with other sick dogs for more than a minute. The other vet I went to last week, oh my god, I was going crazy, n then this lady had a cat in a tote bag n I was thinking \"oh dear god please don't take the cat out of the bag (ha ha excuse the pun) cuz my dog's gonna go ape shit, then I finally got into the exam room n had to wait an hour while the dr was tending to a cat in the back room that was having seizures.

Hil Harrison

· #18 · Apr 3, 2006

Well hopefully Mike all will be ok then. Will keep my fingers crossed here but I'm sure he will be fine if they sound optimistic.

Anne Jones

· #19 · Apr 3, 2006

Mike it sound like you are on the right track. Hopefully, it will all go well & the tooth will be fine. Good luck.

Connie Sutherland

· #20 · Apr 3, 2006

Mike Schoonbrood said:
...... the second you come in the door they send you straight to an exam room, every exam room has a window to the reception area so you never leave the exam room, even when you're paying or doing paperwork. It's great, you're never sitting in a main waiting area with other sick dogs for more than a minute. ....

This sounds excellent. Ever see a dog fight in the waiting room? I have! Not good. Not to mention, as you say, sitting there with sick dogs and your own dog.............

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