Cracked and split upper canine tooth - advice appreciated

This morning when out running on rocky terrain, my little guy suffered a heavy blow to his face. We have absolutely no idea how it happened; he was dashing through the brush parallel to the track and turned up with his face bleeding.

The tooth in front of his left canine is gone and the canine is in very bad shape. His upper lip is cut at points which correspond with his damaged teeth... which suggests (though I am no expert), that he suffered a blow which drove his lip into his teeth.

We took him to an emergency vet who gave him antibiotics and antinflammatory shots. I asked if something could be done to save the canine tooth. The vet replied that he thought the tooth would be lost, but in any case, he could only administer emergency treatment and advised us to visit our regular vet tomorrow. It felt like we were visiting the MacDonalds version of the veterinary world.

I anticipate that we may be advised to have the canine removed, but in advance of this, I would like to know if anyone has had similar experiences I could learn from? If there is any chance that his tooth could be saved, I think I'd like to try....

Any advice and comments will be welcome Many thanks in advance.

I'm sorry I haven't any advise but I hope he is ok and do let us know Xx

So sorry to hear of this.

I'm afraid I don't have any experience with this either.

But I'm hoping the very best for you and your dog

Thanks for your kind words. It's much appreciated.

I will try to be as informed as possible before we meet the vet

I wouldn't hesitate to have the canine removed if its causing pain. Emergency vets are just that - patch up temporary until proper treatment can be obtained.

Pop him bk to ur regular vet and get them to take a look. I don't think he will miss a canine - but you prolly will from a cosmetic pov.

Let us know how u get on x

Hope he's OK ><

Ouch, poor little guy that does sound painful, hoping you can get to see your regular vet tomrorrow, please let us know how you get on >< ><

Oh poor little boy - the most important thing is that he is made comfortable after the trauma to his teeth and mouth.

Don't worry about losing a canine tooth - it might spoil his looks a bit until you get used to it but he won't miss it, especially if it is broken. I had a Dobe who got an abcess under the canine tooth and it had to be removed and then she was fine.

Do let us know how your little guy gets on, big >< to him.

Aww hope the little fella is fixed up soon keep us updated.

Many thanks to all for your words of support. It's good to know that he could live quite happily without the tooth if necessary....but I've found a specialist doggy dentist near here whom I will call in the morning. If he gives me any grounds for hope at all, I will encourage our vet to refer us to this person (apparently referral is needed).

For now, the litttle chap seems completely indifferent to his injuries, but I know this could change rapidly....

Thanks again. I'll update after the consult tomorrow.

If the tooth is split I would imagine that there's very little that could be done with it. Most vets would take it out (not emergency vets because that isn't what they're set up for). A canine dentist might be able to make a false tooth if there's enough root to attach it to, but it would be very expensive.

My last dog, Bandit had a lower canine tooth knocked out by a stone, and he managed perfectly well without it, never missed it for a second!

Poor little boy - hope he is all fixed up soon ><

Chiquito had to have two canines removed and while I will say he did struggle for a little while at picking things up he soon got the hang of it and it doesn't seem to bother him at all now.

Let us know how you get on

Poor guy, hope he is on the mend soon ><

What the vet decides to do will depend on how far the tooth is split, if the root is compromised, if the pulp is inflamed or exposed, the condition of the alveolar bone, where the root of the tooth is in relation to the sinus... The variables are pretty much endless. If you mention that you're willing to go to the specialist that you've found then they'll probably jump at referring you to them if there's any chance of saving the tooth. Maybe even if there isn't, just for a second opinion.

It's really hard to speculate without x-rays and pictures (also the fact that I work on people, not dogs) but that's me hazarding a guess.

Must've been a bit of a fright for you when he appeared! Anyway, I hope he's not feeling too sorry for himself and that he's all fixed up soon.

I suspect the vet will want to take out the tooth and to do that they'll have to give him a general anaesthetic because it is effectively a minor operation. One consideration is infection so try to keep the area clean.

Our girl is slightly wry jaw and gets food caught in the roof of her mouth along with occasional bleeding around the gums. After various courses of rather pointless antibiotics that cost us an arm and a leg the vet eventually suggested a mouth wash called hexarinse and we've never had a problem since. One bottle lasts months and you don't need a prescription. It soothes the gums and keeps them clean. It only costs about £5.

This morning, my local vet needed no prompting at all, he unreservedly suggested that I go to precisely the same specialist I had researched. The specialist was able to fit in a short consult in the afternoon.

So, the damage is: three incisors to be removed (not just one as I thought) and the canine is irrepairable. Tomorrow, the pooch will have a scan and if the roots are viable, the dentist may prepare them to receive a crown. If not, he will extract that too.

I may need to sell one of my kidneys to fund it. I think I may now be convinced to take out vet insurance.

Thank you all for your advice and warm wishes. It's very welcome. We're still a bit shocked by the whole thing.

Aurora, many thanks indeed for the detailed comments. They helped me prepare my thoughts for the first vet consult, though in the end, I didn't need to say a word.

So, tomorrow I will leave the little chap at the surgery in the morning and recover him mid-afternoon. For the moment, he is completely unconcerned and is taking it all in his stride.

I'll update tomorrow night. Thanks again!

Bless him, at least it's not bothering him too much then, hope surgery goes well tomorrow ><

Poor little doggy.

I wish you and the pooch the best of luck tomorrow (and deep pockets if you go for crowning etc - they cost an arm and a leg for humans).

Best wishes and hugs to the little one ><

Oh, dear, what a poor fella.

Let us know how he gets on & what eventually will need doing.

Big hugs for the poor fella >< keep us updated.

Sorry to hear this, it must be hard but they are so robust that there is a light ahead. Good luck tomorrow will be thinking of you both

Glad to be helpful. I'm sorry that the news wasn't better. Good luck tomorrow, hopefully it all goes well. Let us know how it goes.

Ohhh Poor baby ><

Sorry the news was not better for you both. Best of luck with your visit tomorrow ... let us know how he gets on.

How is your little guy today TS? I hope all went well.

Hello all, the news is as good as it can be. The little fellow is safely through the op and is home, sleeping in his own bed. Exceptionally, his bed is in our room tonight... (yes, I know that's how it starts )

The dentist managed to save the roots and a little bit of the canine. He removed a bit of gum around the tooth, so that it will be a bit more prominent for biting things. If it works well, the tooth will be around the size of an incisor.

We have a visual checkup in 2 weeks, then a scan under anaesthetic in 3-4 months. Following the scan, the vet will report on the feasibility of fitting a crown.

He thinks that there is a 95% chance the tooth will be useful provided that we prevent Monty from chewing anything of substance in the next 1-2 weeks. If he does find something to chew, all could be lost, so we need to watch him attentively. Paradoxically, we are not allowed to take him running for a few days, then when we do start, he must remain on leash.

So, we must deprive a very fit little dog of his daily exercise and any sort of games at all, whilst simultaneously preventing him from chewing... hmm...

Thank you all very much for the moral support and advice. The little guy is sleeping just now, but I'll take a few photos and post them in the coming days.

Thank you for the update TS, we have all been thinking of you (and Monty, bless him)

I would think that the restrictions your vet has placed on Monty's exercise are due to the hangover he is bound to be feeling after a general anaethestic, plus trying to prevent any further damage to his poor teeth.

It's going to be difficult to prevent Monty from chewing anything remotely hard, although it is understandable why they have told you to do this. I can only wish you the very best of luck and eyes of a hawk to prevent this. Presumably you have got Monty on soft food for now.

What a terribly difficult situation for you and Monty - I do admire you for doing the very best you can to restore Monty's dentition as much as is possible. He is a lucky dog to have such a caring owner.

Sending all best wishes and vibes to you both >< ><

Get well soon x

Thanks for letting us know, hope it heals up well ><

Aww >< for you both, hope he feels well again soon & that things go well over the next few weeks