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12 year old split premolar - thoughts?

1K views 9 replies 5 participants last post by  crazyontrt 
#1 ·
My poor old 12 year old girl split her premolar today chewing. It doesn't seem to bother her at all. She eating fine and playing. She is going to the vet in the morning. Has anyone had a similar issue? Our closest dental specialist is 5+ hours away. I'm also very concerned about sedation at her age, if they have to extract the tooth. I'm just sick with worry. Poor old girl :crying:

 
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#2 ·
If the tooth is split right down then the risk of infection is a big thing to consider. That split allows bacteria from the mouth directly into the blood stream.

Frankly, I'd do blood work if it makes you feel more comfortable but have that tooth pulled asap.
 
#3 ·
I know. Infection scares the **** out of me (I work human emergency and critical care) I'm sure the tooth ultimately has to go. It just such a gut wrenching feeling. I want pre-op blood work for sure and antibiotics. I have a feeling tomorrow will be a very expensive day

Most importantly I just want my girl safe and feeling better, no matter the cost. She is worth it, and has given me a lot of years of being my best pal
 
#4 ·
I understand your concern about her age. Years ago, I had a senior dog who needed a tooth pulled. I also worried about the sedation. He came through like a champ. Went on to live to the ripe old age of 17.
 
#6 ·
My vet does not want to touch it. She is hoping the piece that is broken off will come out on its own (it is flapping in the wind) She agrees that she is not in pain (eating, chewing chews, playing tug with the pup), so we are to monitor closely for signs of pain or infection. Follow up in 2 months or sooner if it doesnt come out. If it doesn't come out she would like to give a little morphine, remove the flapping bit and do an X-ray. I honestly don't know at her age and condition how well anaesthesia would go for her. So I am going to remain cautiously optimistic that this will be ok.
 
#9 ·
Dogs can be...stoic. Or at the very least, they can shrug of pain pretty well, and our breed can be (sadly many times!!!!) too good at it.

When are you going to realize signs of infection? When it is "more" swollen or when she acts sick (septic?). Take pictures of it now, in case it changes gradually and you don't notice. Pain, again, an be hard to tell in some animals. In my experience, many of them will react to sudden pain...but chronic pain, they just "live with" until they can't take it anymore.

Anesthesia CAN be safe for older animals. But this requires more "input" - blood work values known prior to surgery, exam by vet, in this case a veterinary dentist who is experienced with this sort of thing, a good tech who WILL BE THERE before, during and AFTER anesthesia. That is not a cheap standard, but it is the best one. Recovery can be very dangerous, as one story has already shared in this thread. But if this is not an option...stay in touch with your vet, see what you can work out in closely tracking this issue.
 
#7 ·
I'd ante up for a canine dentist to do the work after my recent experience. My 9 year old needed a cleaning and a careful exam to check the extent of damage from chewing an antler. Prelim blood work was fine and he did well during the procedure but as he was coming out of the anesthetic he had severe respiratory problems. Oxygen sats were way down and he was turning blue. He was in the VEC specialty clinic in Toronto and had close supervision by a tech as he recovered. She alerted the vet, they got oxygen going quickly and moved him to the ICU for a couple of hours. He was fine in the end but gave everyone a scare. We don't know if he was allergic to the preop meds, the anesthetic or had some kind or structural problem in his trachea. My own vet said it would not have gone well if that had happened in their own clinic. She was as thankful as me that she had referred him downtown. My previous GSD had two broken carnassial teeth plus an abscessed one removed between ages 9 and 11 at the same clinic with no issues so it can be done safely. Needless to say, antlers and rawhide no longer are found in this house. Things can go wrong quickly with an older dog so having all possible help available if you have to go for an extraction is a comfort.
 
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#8 ·
Honestly, not doing anything for 2 months concerns me. Can you get a second opinion, or take your dog to a veterinary dentist? It sounds like your current vet may be uncomfortable with the situation, but I think something needs to be done. A watch and wait attitude is fine for some medical issues. I don't think this is one of them - Not for 2 months.
 
#10 ·
I am going to closely monitor it for now. The piece of broken tooth is already gone. My vet felt that the anesthetic risk and infection risk were comparable at her age.

The site looks good. No redness, pain. She still eats and chews with that tooth. I will be keeping a very close eye on it.
 
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