Why are my dogs teeth loose?

I have a yorkshire terrier that is 4 years old. She barely is losing her puppy k9 teeth (the long sharp ones), when she was 3 yrs, and one still remains. Now her upper k9 and the one next to it is loose. They are adult teeth, and I don't know what to do. I'm concerned that she is gonna lose all her teeth eventually. I brush her teeth, but she still has really bad breath and tarter. I've give her raw hides and "greenies" (tarter control chewing things). What is wrong with her? please help.

Why are my dogs teeth loose?
Sounds like she may have periodontal disease.


No greenies or chews will help at this point. She needs a professional teeth cleaning (scaling and polish) by a vet.


There is a new dental sealant called OraVet, check it out (for after the dental) http://www.Oravet.com





The teeth are probably falling out due to gum recession. Some dogs are more prone to mouth disease/problems then others.





If there in an infection present, she will probably have to be on antibiotics.





Definitely do not ignore the problem, studies have shown, good teeth care will extend the life of your pet. The bacteria associated with tartar can lead to heart problems and much more!





Hope I helped!
Reply:she has gingivitus. its common in many dogs. if you take her to the vet or just go to a local pet store, you can ask them for a special toothpaste that can help :P
Reply:sounds strange


call the vet
Reply:somone cracked him in the jaw.
Reply:She should have lost her puppy teeth a long long time ago...like around a few months of age. Her mouth should be evaluated by a vet to be sure what exactly what is going on in there. She may have bitten onto something hard like some rocks or she may have some dental problems that need to be addressed to try to preserve the rest of her teeth if need be.
Reply:You need to make an appointment at the vet for her. She could have a teeth infection or teeth disease. My dogs all lost their puppy teeth within the 1st year.
Reply:i would take her to the vet just to make sure nothing is wrong with her. also i would hold off on the raw hides until u can figure out wat is going on.
Reply:It sounds like she needs a good dental cleaning and then the vet can see if the teeth need to be pulled. Once they are clean you can keep them clean by brushing them. Pre-anesthetic bloodwork should be done on your dog to make sure it is healthy before the dental and this will let the vet know if your dog may have any underlying conditions causing loose teeth.
Reply:Smaller dogs commonly have retained teeth and higher incidence of tooth problems, though it can happen in all breeds. If she is just now losing her puppy teeth that could explain a lot. When the adult teeth were trying to grow in the puppy teeth could have put pressure on them and taken up the root space the adult teeth needed.


Having a dental exam done by the Vet will help improve her health. This isn't a problem that greenies and rawhides can fix. If the gingivitis gets too bad it can lead to kidney failure due to the bacteria.
Reply:She is in obvious need of a dental.





Why has your vet never recommended extracting these retained puppy teeth at your annual visits?





Yorkies are SO prone to dental problems, and this is the number one reason you should be seeking veterinary advice, and should have long ago.





Retained puppy teeth will rot, causing Gingivitis of the gums and infection /rotting of the adult teeth.





Brushing and Greenies will not help this problem.
Reply:You should consult a vet. Maybe you should hold off on the brushing and on the rawhides. Maybe you are brushing too hard. Are you scrubing? That could be the reason.
Reply:This sounds like a gum disease called piorea.I would take this dog to the vet fast since it has already lost so many teeth.
Reply:I don't know why, but smaller dogs tend to have bad teeth no matter how hard the owner's try to keep them clean. Since her baby tooth never came out, bacteria and plaque have probably built up between the 2 teeth and have caused damage to the permanent tooth. Only a dental check by a vet could tell you how far the damage has gone. If she has infected teeth, they are probably painful and the kind thing would be to have them removed before they cause other health issues.





There are many dogs out there that have lost their teeth and are still able to eat softened dry food or canned food.
Reply:Make sure that your vet takes dental x-rays prior to doing anything. Often times there is pathology associated with the jaw and there can also be fractures present prior to removing the teeth. Also, what you see in the mouth is literally the "tip of the iceberg." There is a whole lot of tooth down there under the gum that cannot be evaluated without radiology. Your dentist would never pull a tooth without doing an x-ray first.



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