We took Penny and Chip to Animal Medical Hospital for their annual check-up with Dr. Gerard on December 27 expecting all to be normal. We started going there when we moved to Charlotte in 2014; and all of the veterinarians have been thorough in examining both dogs. They have saved Penny’s life twice from foreign body blockages; but that is another post. Dr. Gerard discovered that Chip had fractured one of his cheek teeth, a large molar. I took the following picture, which I also posted on Facebook.
Penny and Chip are both extremely aggressive chewers. The only toys that have not met an untimely demise via the P&C Testers are hard Kong rubber and Nylabones. Dr. Gerard strongly felt that the Nylabones were the culprit; recommending disuse by all dogs. I disposed of all Nylabones at our house upon returning home that very day. I started looking for ‘indestructible’ dog toys and found some possibilities for the P&C Testers to try. The tests must wait for Chip to recover from his surgery. They already have some Chuck-It balls which they like to chew on; but leave them after a time as if they were old and boring. The lonely Kong toys take up space in the toy box to make it appear plentiful.
Chip had surgery on January 5th to extract his molar which had abscessed at the roots that were severely infected. I know the kind of pain caused by this with my own dental misadventure; and Chip gave no indication of discomfort. Dr. Gerard also sealed his other molars which showed signs of stress from his heavy duty chewing; and cleaned all of his teeth.
New toy guidelines will be strictly adhered to according to the information that Dr. Gerard sent home:
- Bend it – It should be mildly bendable.
- Indent it – Indent your fingernail into its surface
- Knee test – If you hurt your knee when you hit it with the toy, then it is too hard.
My main purpose for this post is to bring attention to the risks of toys as hard as Nylabones possibly destroying your dog’s teeth. Many times animals only indicate pain and discomfort when it reaches crisis proportions. Fortunately Chip and Penny have great vets who caught this problem before it got any worse. In addition to the before and after pictures, Dr. Gerard sent home copies of all of Chip’s dental x-rays. Animal Medical Hospital also has all that technology has to offer for its patients as mentioned in my Ultimate Blog Challenge Day 5 post about my own dentist.
We will begin a routine of tooth brushing for both dogs. Penny’s teeth also show signs of wear from heavy duty chewing; but are otherwise in good shape. Penny likes to have her teeth brushed; but Chip hates it. He will get extra treats to help him adjust. It’s a win-win situation. After all he is a lab.
Until next time…
My father brushed my dogs’ teeeth when I was a kid. so, when I became a dog owner myself I made sure my dogs’ teeth were taking care of.
It is so good to hear from you again