# teeth questions



## kanela (Oct 16, 2007)

At what age do maltese puppies start to lose their baby teeth? What age would all the adult teeth be in? 

One more question, I was thinking of getting Jackson neutered in a month. Now I'm rethinking only because I read that alot of you get your babies spayed/neutered at the same time as getting their baby teeth pulled. What age should I get him neutered then so his remaining baby teeth can be pulled at the same time? I would prefer to have him go under anesthesia just the one time.

The reason I'm asking is because I just brought my 16.5 week puppy to the vet and the vet doesn't believe he is that age. The vet says if my puppy is that age, he would have all his adult front teeth in by now. She says he has no front adult teeth in at all. She actually said all his front adult teeth should have been in by 3 months of age. I actually just noticed yesterday that he is missing one front baby tooth. The issue came up because I was wondering as I was paying why he didn't get his rabies shot today. Because the vet believes he's much younger, she didn't give it to him yet.

Thanks so much in advance for any help.


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## jlhajmom (Feb 23, 2008)

I did not have Ava Jane spayed until she was 11 months old, because her adult teeth were very slow to come in. That is the latest I ever waited; both of my previous maltese were spayed at 6 months and their teeth came in much quicker. I'm not sure there is a hard and fast rule on age and when it should happen, but hopefully some other members will be able to provide you with better advice. Good luck!


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## bonniesmom (Jun 2, 2008)

I waited until Bonbon was about eight months before having her spayed because she was so little - under 4 lbs. She had to
have about five baby teeth pulled at the same time. I had Eloise done at 6 months, which I think is a good age unless there
is any reason not to. Maybe JMM or Dr. Jaimie will see your post and give you a more definitive answer. I'm not sure
exactly when the baby teeth are supposed to fall out - but they don't always do what they're "supposed to."


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## jmm (Nov 23, 2004)

Mine seem to get their incisors around 4 months (16 weeks) and have those in my 5 months. Then the rest start coming out. Each dog is a little different. 

I would neuter at 6-7 months and pull any baby teeth that have not fallen out. Maltese and other toy breeds are notorious for having retained baby teeth.


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## dr.jaimie (Mar 23, 2004)

front 2 middle incisors get loose/fall out at 3 mo then next 2 front incisiors at 4 mo..next two at 5 mo and canines at 6mo. sometimes there is a small delay but that is the rule and how we age a pup. so no all the front teeth are not out at 3mo


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## LJSquishy (Feb 27, 2008)

*First, I would get a new Vet. :huh: Not all dogs lose their teeth at the same rate. A Labrador is not going to be the same as a Maltese. London didn't start losing any teeth until she was about 4 months old, give or take a couple of weeks. They also came out very slowly -- She is now 9 months old, and it looks like she has lost all of her teeth (and the adult ones are fully in), but for a while the adult teeth were pushing through so incredibly slow that I thought for sure she'd have to have teeth pulled.

I waited to book London's spay appointment until I was sure any teeth that were going to fall out on their own, did. Like I said, she's 9 months old, and is getting spayed on Tuesday October 7th. Ideally I would have booked her appointment for August, but I procrastinated. I would book your little one's appointment for between the ages of 7-8 months of age if you're wanting to get remaining baby teeth pulled at the same time as the spay/neuter. *


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## kanela (Oct 16, 2007)

Thanks everyone for your information. Yeah, I'm not sure about this vet. I didn't really feel right with her (felt very rushed actually).


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## Bianca04242008 (Nov 10, 2008)

Hi all,

My Bianca is now exactly 11 months old and my boyfriend found a tooth this morning in our bed. At first I was worried, but then I thought could this be a baby tooth? She is very much slowly maturing. She chews all the time. I can't believe we actually found the tooth. Wow! I haven't had her spayed yet and she hasn't even gone through heat yet. She is almost a year old. Shouldn't she have lost all the teeth by now and gone through heat? This is my first time having a Maltese.


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## jmm (Nov 23, 2004)

Maltese and toy dogs in general are notorious for having retained baby teeth. I would get her spayed ASAP and any remaining baby teeth removed.


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## Missy&Maggie (Jun 17, 2007)

QUOTE (Bianca04242008 @ Mar 24 2009, 10:52 AM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=750571


> Hi all,
> 
> My Bianca is now exactly 11 months old and my boyfriend found a tooth this morning in our bed. At first I was worried, but then I thought could this be a baby tooth? She is very much slowly maturing. She chews all the time. I can't believe we actually found the tooth. Wow! I haven't had her spayed yet and she hasn't even gone through heat yet. She is almost a year old. Shouldn't she have lost all the teeth by now and gone through heat? This is my first time having a Maltese.[/B]


It could very well be a baby tooth, but to know for sure I would take Bianca to Vet. I would have her spayed and have any other remaining baby teeth pulled for her health.


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## PearlsPaws (Nov 18, 2008)

For those of you who had their pets teeth pulled during surgery, did your vet pull "retained" baby teeth or just any remaining baby teeth? Is there a difference? Before Toby was neutered, our vet said they would pull baby teeth during the surgery. His surgery was a month ago and the vet said there was no need to pull any teeth. But just today, I found one of Toby's teeth. 

Is this possibly an adult tooth that came out? Or did the vet just look for "retained" teeth, or is this tooth something the vet should have noticed and removed?


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## jmm (Nov 23, 2004)

Sometimes it is hard to tell whether a tooth is a baby tooth or an adult one and some vets don't pull teeth that they do not deam a problem (ie a little incisor). I pull ALL baby teeth because double teeth cause dental problems.


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## PearlsPaws (Nov 18, 2008)

QUOTE (JMM @ Mar 24 2009, 04:03 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=750718


> Sometimes it is hard to tell whether a tooth is a baby tooth or an adult one and some vets don't pull teeth that they do not deam a problem (ie a little incisor). I pull ALL baby teeth because double teeth cause dental problems.[/B]



Our vet did say they would pull all the baby teeth. But there are three baby teeth still in his mouth, besides the one that's already fallen out. Is that unusual? Should I remark upon this on our next visit?


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## wooflife (Aug 8, 2007)

QUOTE (JMM @ Mar 24 2009, 02:03 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=750718


> Sometimes it is hard to tell whether a tooth is a baby tooth or an adult one and some vets don't pull teeth that they do not deam a problem (ie a little incisor). I pull ALL baby teeth because double teeth cause dental problems.[/B]


This is good advice - I told my vet to pull Izzy's baby teeth no matter what when she was fixed (they were ready to come out) and he did not. Now at 2 years old she has double canines tartar between the two and the baby tooth which isn't going anywhere on it's own is broken. :hysteric: We have an appointment on Thursday to discuss the issue. 

Leslie


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## malahusk (Mar 22, 2009)

Tawni was spayed at 6 months. Her baby teeth started to fall out at 5 months. When she got spayed, the vet pulled 3 of the "fang" teeth because he said they were "stuck" and not going to come out on there own. (the 4th one had already come out on its own) He left her other baby teeth alone because they looked normal and were loosening up nicely. All her baby teeth were out by 6 1/2 months, and the adult teeth were all in by 7 months.

I told them if they pulled any teeth, I wanted them (it's a baby thing!). When I went to pick her up and they handed me the gauze with the teeth, the look on my face must have been priceless! I looked at these 3 HUGE items and asked "What the heck is that?" :shocked: , they were the teeth but the root was still connected! I have never seen that before! That was definately "show & tell" when my hubby got home that day, and his reaction was the same as mine!

Tawni had a few stitches in her mouth from where the teeth were taken out, but they were the disolving type, and it didn't effect her eating or anything at all.


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## PearlsPaws (Nov 18, 2008)

QUOTE (WoofLife @ Mar 24 2009, 05:49 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=750759


> QUOTE (JMM @ Mar 24 2009, 02:03 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=750718





> Sometimes it is hard to tell whether a tooth is a baby tooth or an adult one and some vets don't pull teeth that they do not deam a problem (ie a little incisor). I pull ALL baby teeth because double teeth cause dental problems.[/B]


This is good advice - I told my vet to pull Izzy's baby teeth no matter what when she was fixed (they were ready to come out) and he did not. Now at 2 years old she has double canines tartar between the two and the baby tooth which isn't going anywhere on it's own is broken. :hysteric: We have an appointment on Thursday to discuss the issue. 

Leslie
[/B][/QUOTE]


Oh no - this is what I'm so worried about. Our vet didn't remove any of Toby's baby teeth because he somehow mistook the whole mouth for being adult teeth.  I hope Izzy will be ok.


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