# Dog's canine wearing



## Hunter Allred (Jan 28, 2010)

Hello.

My male's lower canines appear to be wearing flat on the top. Enough such that there are dark dots right center on the flat top of the canines. He is only a little under 4 years old so this seems a bit early for this. I assume the dark center is where the wear has gone through the enamel? Longer term am I looking at some tooth caps here? He is a very hard biter so I'm concerned about tooth health here


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## Mike Scheiber (Feb 17, 2008)

What dose the dog bite on as far as bite work/toys


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## Hunter Allred (Jan 28, 2010)

Mike Scheiber said:


> What dose the dog bite on as far as bite work/toys


Jute toys/sleeves/etc, rubber balls, jolly balls. When we're out in the boat he'll usually find a stick to fetch. When he finds a stick, he doesn't chew it though, just carries it to me and drops it at my feet. He's not a big chewer... my female will spend an hour mangling a toy, where the only reason its in his mouth is the bring it and place it at your feet to have it thrown.

The only thing he chews are fresh raw bones, and thats not all that frequent. He won't chew rawhide or that sort of thing


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## Guest (Dec 1, 2008)

Hunter Allred said:


> Jute toys/sleeves/etc, rubber balls, jolly balls. When we're out in the boat he'll usually find a stick to fetch. When he finds a stick, he doesn't chew it though, just carries it to me and drops it at my feet. He's not a big chewer... my female will spend an hour mangling a toy, where the only reason its in his mouth is the bring it and place it at your feet to have it thrown.
> 
> The only thing he chews are fresh raw bones, and thats not all that frequent. He won't chew rawhide or that sort of thing


 
Jolly Ball ran down all four canine on my dog from 6-12 months, they went down about half way....she never chewed it just compressed it over and over and never tooke it out of her mouth, health was great mouth and teeth were great, just wore down quick, took it away and she hasn't wore them down since and she is almost 5 now.


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## Sue DiCero (Sep 2, 2006)

You might want to get checked to ensure health of teeth, to be on the safe side.

Where are you located at? You need to have checked by a qualified dental vet.

My dog that passed a few year ago did not have strong dentation on his smaller teeth.


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## Geoff Empey (Jan 8, 2008)

Hunter Allred said:


> Jolly balls.


BINGO!! BINGO!! BINGO!! We have a winner! 

Those and those Egge toys are murder on teeth!! Avoid or seriously limit use and only under supervision.


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## Mike Scheiber (Feb 17, 2008)

Geoff Empey said:


> BINGO!! BINGO!! BINGO!! We have a winner!
> 
> Those and those Egge toys are murder on teeth!! Avoid or seriously limit use and only under supervision.


Dirt on a Jolly Ball!!!!!!!! BAD dirt on tennis balls BAD to I have a Egg seldom let the dog have it, see nothing good happening dog just completely looses his mind


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## Benjamin Allanson (May 2, 2008)

I train with balls frequently and they get dirty a lot. That sentence sounds funny. But anyway we train inside a horse arena and his toys are constantly getting dirt all over them. How do you prevent that? Wash em after?


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## Mike Scheiber (Feb 17, 2008)

Benjamin Allanson said:


> I train with balls frequently and they get dirty a lot. That sentence sounds funny. But anyway we train inside a horse arena and his toys are constantly getting dirt all over them. How do you prevent that? Wash em after?


I use the rubber balls on a string or small Kong toys on a string they get dirty but the dirt seems to slide with the teeth rather than being held by the fibers of the ball or material the toy is made of my dog when outside is never with out his rubber dental Kong its his fav.


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## Geoff Empey (Jan 8, 2008)

Benjamin Allanson said:


> I train with balls frequently and they get dirty a lot. That sentence sounds funny. But anyway we train inside a horse arena and his toys are constantly getting dirt all over them. How do you prevent that? Wash em after?


Just don't train in a horse arena .. I did that one winter, it is even worse when we are talking bite suits and leg bites. You might as well take a file and go at the teeth it is the same damned thing. Some things seem like such a great idea but looking at it in hindsight .. not so much.


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## Benjamin Allanson (May 2, 2008)

I don't have many other options. Unless I go out in the snow.


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## Mike Scheiber (Feb 17, 2008)

Geoff Empey said:


> Just don't train in a horse arena .. I did that one winter, it is even worse when we are talking bite suits and leg bites. You might as well take a file and go at the teeth it is the same damned thing. Some things seem like such a great idea but looking at it in hindsight .. not so much.


Bite suit with dirt on it few things worse than that for dog teeth


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## Geoff Empey (Jan 8, 2008)

Mike Scheiber said:


> Bite suit with dirt on it few things worse than that for dog teeth


Especially the horse arenas with the sand floor which I think they all are. This is where we used to train. 










Never again ..


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## Hunter Allred (Jan 28, 2010)

I'll def pay more attention to dirt on the toys... he hasn't had a jolly ball in 6 months atleast, but tennis and rubber balls are always around. the odd thing is they wear perfectly flat on top of the lower canines. my main concern is the dark spot in the center. any recomendations on dental specialists in the south east US?


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## Sue DiCero (Sep 2, 2006)

If you are neae enough to B'Ham, AL,...Indian Springs Dental vet.

http://indianspringsanimalclinic.com/

Excellent vet, excellent and durable work,


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## Benjamin Allanson (May 2, 2008)

Ours is like a sand dirt mix. This has never really crossed my mind before. I may have to come up with a solution. A 1/3 of our arena is covered in concrete do you guys think maybe rolling carpet out or something like that could work for a bitework area??


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## Hunter Allred (Jan 28, 2010)

Sue DiCero said:


> If you are neae enough to B'Ham, AL,...Indian Springs Dental vet.
> 
> http://indianspringsanimalclinic.com/
> 
> Excellent vet, excellent and durable work,


Well if the canines continue to wear bad, I have no problem going anywere for metal caps or a permanent fix, but I'm in Chas SC.


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## Geoff Empey (Jan 8, 2008)

Even Tennis balls Hunter .. Actual tennis balls have a grit built right into the glue (which is not good for teeth too) for the rackets action and grip. You are best to get actual chuck-it tennis balls as they don't have the same grit and glue chemical makeup. 

As for the little black dots on the teeth, you could get a dental vet to check them out. But they will give you a doomsday scenario for sure and want to do TI capping or TI implants at about $2000 a tooth. But if it gives you peace of mind .. why not. 

My dogs teeth have been like that for about 2 years now and she still bites like a croc, having the tips taken off the canines actually protect the tooth from further breakage from hard sleeve and suit work. (from less leverage) 

Leaving it into old age 7-8 years old you risk blood and internal organ infection, but I'm sure your visit with the dental vet will cover all those scenarios and they will try to use it to scare you into opening your wallet now.  

I know eventually I will have to do some sort of dental surgery for her, just getting them pulled when she is retired is a lot cheaper than capping right now. The caps and implants are not guaranteed either to not fallout or be a real PITA for continuing in bite work. I've scoured the training field more than once trying to find a $2000 TI tooth. Then the Dental Vet says "to bad so sad" and wants another $2k!!


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## Hunter Allred (Jan 28, 2010)

Geoff Empey said:


> Even Tennis balls Hunter .. Actual tennis balls have a grit built right into the glue (which is not good for teeth too) for the rackets action and grip. You are best to get actual chuck-it tennis balls as they don't have the same grit and glue chemical makeup.
> 
> As for the little black dots on the teeth, you could get a dental vet to check them out. But they will give you a doomsday scenario for sure and want to do TI capping or TI implants at about $2000 a tooth. But if it gives you peace of mind .. why not.
> 
> ...


my female already chipped a canine :-(


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## Sue DiCero (Sep 2, 2006)

Do not always need a crown or cap. Even on a broken canine.

A good dental vet is worth their weight in gold and travel expenses.


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## Benjamin Allanson (May 2, 2008)

did you guys not see MY post??? :grin: answer me now!


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## Geoff Empey (Jan 8, 2008)

The guy we have up here Sue the working dog people haven't had much luck with his work. I'm sure like in any practice you have people who are much better at it than others. I hope to go to France next year and use my contacts over there dental DVM as the prices for the the caps and implants are about 1/2 of what the local guy charges. 

But you are right she may not even need caps or crowns, hey maybe a root canal if the base of the tooth is still healthy. Wish I was closer to see the person you recommended.


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## Geoff Empey (Jan 8, 2008)

Benjamin Allanson said:


> did you guys not see MY post??? :grin: answer me now!


Yeah ok .. 



Benjamin Allanson said:


> I train with balls frequently and they get dirty a lot. *That sentence sounds funny.* But anyway we train inside a horse arena and his toys are constantly getting dirt all over them. How do you prevent that? Wash em after?


It would only sound funny if you said this .. 



Benjamin Allanson said:


> I train with balls frequently and they get dirty a lot. But anyway we train a horse and his toy is constantly getting dirt all over it. How do you prevent that? Wash em after?


:-o:-o:-o

Is that what you were looking for? :twisted: LOL!


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## will fernandez (May 17, 2006)

If your looking in the Southeast Dr. Charra Sweeny-Reeves [email protected] Her practice is called the Low Country Veterinary Dentistry and Oral Surgery. She will do all she can to save a tooth. Has done alot of work for our K9 unit.


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## Hunter Allred (Jan 28, 2010)

will fernandez said:


> If your looking in the Southeast Dr. Charra Sweeny-Reeves [email protected] Her practice is called the Low Country Veterinary Dentistry and Oral Surgery. She will do all she can to save a tooth. Has done alot of work for our K9 unit.


Lowcountry... as in SC? Charleston area? that would work out well


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## will fernandez (May 17, 2006)

She splits her time between hilton head and savannah. Her surgery is done in Hilton Head. She has a very good grasp on the way working/sport dogs bite. She comes out to our training (every 4 months or so)and takes notes and pictures.


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## Hunter Allred (Jan 28, 2010)

will fernandez said:


> She splits her time between hilton head and savannah. Her surgery is done in Hilton Head. She has a very good grasp on the way working/sport dogs bite. She comes out to our training (every 4 months or so)and takes notes and pictures.


HHI is close enough... I was expecting a drive to Atlanta or further


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## Al Curbow (Mar 27, 2006)

My oldest males canines are nubs now. He's 7 and has had something in his mouth all the time, I mean ALL the time, like 18 hrs out of the day. Even sleeping at work, soccar ball or basketball etc. I think that has more to do with it than anything else


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## Benjamin Allanson (May 2, 2008)

Not that post lol. The one where I said half of my arena is concrete and could I cover it with carpet or something to make a good bitework area?


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## Geoff Empey (Jan 8, 2008)

Benjamin Allanson said:


> Not that post lol. The one where I said half of my arena is concrete and could I cover it with carpet or something to make a good bitework area?


He he he Just teasing Benjamin .. 

The places where we train in the winter when we can't train outside and are forced inside due to the weather has those big rubber horse mats. All the bite work equipment and reward toys don't get fouled up with sand and dirt. Plus side they seem to have enough absorbing qualities so we can still jump the dogs too. 

If you where going to lay down a carpet basically it is all how much sand and dirt you track in and again how much of that ends up on the equipment, plus keeping it clean too. If it is concrete it can't be that dirty?


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## Hunter Allred (Jan 28, 2010)

will fernandez said:


> She splits her time between hilton head and savannah. Her surgery is done in Hilton Head. She has a very good grasp on the way working/sport dogs bite. She comes out to our training (every 4 months or so)and takes notes and pictures.


Thanks! We've gotten in touch and she's got some pics of my dog's teeth. Initially looks like a root canal & cap is likely in our future. We've cut all tennis balls out as well as anything else that encourages chewing or can hold sand. She also mentioned the TI caps that she gets are lifetime guaranteed not to come off and if they did (she has not had it happen yet) it will be replaced. The main concern for doing the cap is preventing infection of the pulp of the tooth. For everyone else's info, if you can slow the wear down enough (proper toys, prevent kennel biting) the tooth wear will be slow enough that the retreat of the pulp will prevent any issues.

Interestingly we spoke at length and she said while it would be a good idea to use a rug or something to keep the sleeves off the ground to minimize wear, and switch to some of the tighter weave materiels (like some of the synthetic jute out there) for the sleeve, the sum of all the actual sleeve bite time is unlikely significant cause of wear. She said (maybe talking about you guys?) that the police & military dogs she works with are obviously training all day and don't get significant wear... only the toy carriers and crate biters get the wear.


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## will fernandez (May 17, 2006)

I am happy to have been of some help.


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