Hi there,
We have a new puppy which was my Mother's Day gift this year. She has been to the vet a couple of times now just for check ups and her shots and so on. The vet I take her to is a walk in animal hospital so there is different Drs. there. The first time the vet said said that because of the overbite she is not able to be bred which is fine because that isn't the reason we got her. Just this past week I took her in for her second shots and the other Vet told me that the overbite could cause concern when she is a little older because the canines won't line up correctly and that she may need orthodontics for a retainer? I was a little more than shocked b/c I have never heard of braces/retainers for dogs. I did look it up b/c I was a little curious on how that works on animals. From what I read, orthodontics in dogs is more a cosmetic thing. She doesn't have any problems with eating, chewing, biting or anything like that.

My question is, has anybody done orthodontics on a dog? Was it as pricey as a human would be? Now our puppy, she is a purebred Border Collie, which again we don't plan to breed or show but of course if it came to her having problems then that would have to be an option. He did say that the dentist could file the bottoms down but more than likely a retainer would be the best.

Thanks,
Kim

I have never heard of such a thing and as long as your dog doesn't have any problems eating or chewing I wouldn't fork out the money for something like that.

Sorry, but I think that's nuts. While our pets are members of our family, they are still an animal. I'd rather spend that money on some underprivledged child that can't afford braces.

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I need to get out more. I have never heard of this.

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Well, I'm glad that I'm not the only one who thinks it's crazy or has never heard of this. My neighbor also has 2 lab puppies and she said that their vet said "good, no braces for you". My neighbor said she thought she was joking until I told her what my vet said. She also had never heard of othordontics either.

Me, too! I've never heard of it either. My sister's dog definitely needs braces. He has a definite overbite and he's fine (bites fine too )

I think it's just another way for the vet to get our money!

I would ask the vet why he mention it--If they are worried about tissue damage from when she chews her food..then I would say you will need to have it done when she gets older

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Angels may not come when you call them, but they'll always be there when you need them.

He is just worried that she won't be able to bite down but the other vet we saw never said anything about it. So far there hasn't been any problems but if there is there at least other options.

I found this online maybe this could be some help for you..

Overbite
(overshot, parrot mouth, class two, overjet, mandibular branchygnathism)
In this condition the upper jaw is longer than the lower jaw. There is a gap between the upper and lower incisors when the mouth is closed. Some puppies that are born with an overbite might self-correct if the bite is no larger than the head of a wooden match. In most breeds of dog the bites are "set" by the time a puppy is ten months old. An overshot bite will rarely improve after the puppy reaches ten months.
Some puppies with overshot bites will experience difficulties when their permanent teeth come in. Due to the increased size of the permanent teeth, as they come in they can damage the soft parts of the mouth. Overbites should be carefully watched, as sometimes extractions become necessary.



I would try to find a vet recommended by friends or coworkers. Our vet office--We see only one person there the others vets I do not trust at all & they tend to run up the bill..

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Angels may not come when you call them, but they'll always be there when you need them.

I don't have a dog and have never heard of orthodontics for dogs, but if it got to that point where your dog couldn't chew is there softer dog food out there? I never go down the pet food aisle (unless I need a less busy aisle to sort my coupons without getting run into by another car, LOL) so I really don't know what is available, or maybe there is a recipe for softer homemade dog food out there. I can't imagine spending money on braces for a dog, it is going to hurt the wallet bad enough for me shelling out the money on braces for my kids!

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Well I did buy a can of something today by Merrick? the flavor was Thanksgiving Dinner. was like opening a can of progresso soup with extra bits in it, my girl wolfed the whole can down and licked the bowl cleaner than if it came out of the dishwasher lol one good thing is that for being canned it didnt STINK like most canned dog foods do

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Just think of having to put the retainer in the dogs mouth...how many times would that happen? I never heard of this either, I'll just go back under my rock now.

I thought my SIL was nuts taking her dogs in for cleanings twice a year! I would never take a dog in for orthodontics.

No way, no how would I do orthodontic work on my dog. I don't hear of dogs dropping over from an uncorrected overbite, so this certainly feels like one more way they can soak up your money.

I remember when my sister's vet told her to start brushing the teeth of her then 10 year old siamese. He is sweet MOST of the time, but had gotten crabby with age and you had to watch his moods. She laughed out loud, and told the vet to kindly demonstrate brushing the cat's teeth, and if came out of it with all his fingers, she would certainly consider it. That was the end of that!

That has to be the most bizarre thing I've ever heard! There's no way that I'd spend money to get a dog orthodontics! As previous posters said, I'd rather spend that money on a child who needed them. If the dog if able to eat properly I see no reason for this. I would definitely find another vet...this guy sounds like a real nut case! ~Lisa

I'd never do it either. My vet wanted me to bring my cat in twice a year to be anesthisized and have his teeth cleaned. Absolutely not. He's a pet. He's well taken care of within reason!

Lisa

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"It's not having what you want,
It's wanting what you've got"

I took my dog to have his teeth cleaned every yr and am glad I did it. the neighbors laughed at me until their dog got a absessed tooth and after much work and lots of money, it still died.that poor dogs mouth swelled up so much he couldnt see out of one eye and was having trouble breathing because of it.the infection got into his system and he was sooooo sick. our dog was over 20 when he died and we had to put him to sleep then. He had uncontrollable seizures.before he died , he lost all his teeth except 2 and we talked about getting him false teeth and he was also deaf and we talked about hearing aids but that was all just joking. there is no way I would ever put braces on a dog. thats just plain nuts!

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Well, I'm glad that I no longer feel like a "bad mom" to our dogs! I'm so glad I asked here because I feel alot better knowing that people either have never heard of it, they would not do that or both. I totally agree and Thank you so much! You made me feel a whole lot better!

I think the next time we go for more of her shots and another checkup which will be in just a couple of weeks I will ask for a different vet and not that one.

Thanks again guys!