# baby teeth and neutering



## rileysmommy (Jan 4, 2010)

I took my five month old maltese bichon puppy to the vet today for what was supposed to be his pre-neuter physical exam. Thankfully, he checked out healthy though my vet said something that didn't quite make sense to me. She adviced to wait a month to get him neutered until more of his baby teeth had come in so she could pull them before getting him neutered. This confused me. I was under the assumption that baby teeth just fell out on their own with no intervention. And what does baby teeth have to do with getting him neutered?

Thanks for helping me clarify this matter. I'm really confused.


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## ladyshadowhollyjc (Oct 28, 2008)

From my experience, puppy teeth, just like human baby teeth, do not always fall out on their own. They then have to be pulled to prevent the permanent teeth from going in crooked and your dog from having dental problems in the future.
I'm assuming your vet wants to postpone the neuter to give the baby teeth more time to fall out. Do you know the puppies exact age? If not, that might be another reason your vet is postponing the neuter.


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## Cracker (May 25, 2009)

Yes, it is common for the deciduous (left over) canines to still be there at sexual maturity and it is easier to remove the one or two that may be there while the pup is under anesthesia for the neuter. I think it's a good idea to wait and see if they fall out on their own and if not, have them removed at the time of the neuter.


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## rileysmommy (Jan 4, 2010)

Ohhhh...ok. Thanks guys. That makes much more sense. My vet just didn't clarify that she wanted me to wait for more baby teeth to come out so she can pull them while he's under anesthesia. That makes a LOT of sense now.

I've been reading that neutering early (ie. under six months) is best so was kind of getting anxious because my puppy is already five moths old. First time doggie mom paranoia at its finest


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## Labsnothers (Oct 10, 2009)

There is a lot of debate over the right age to neuter, with little hard data to back either up. Many cases where vets disagree, I suggest going along with your own vet. I think a 6 month Bichon would be a little further along than the bigger breeds I usually see. Putting a dog under is never good even with the better drugs we have now. 

In another month the vet can make a better decision ow removing the the teeth. Unless you are having severe behavior problems, I would wait.


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## lucidity (Nov 10, 2009)

My vet recommended extracting my pup's baby canine too when he went in for his neuter surgery a couple of weeks ago. Be careful, though. They usually charge for the extractions--mine was going to charge $30 per tooth. I told her that I don't mind just waiting to see if the tooth falls out on its own, and voila, it did! Just a week ago or so. His teeth are all in order now.


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## agility collie mom (Jan 26, 2008)

I would have the vet remove them when he goes in for his neuter. Maltese are notorious for dental problems. If the baby teeth do not fall out he will have to be anesthetized again to have them removed. Food accumulates between the adult canine and the baby canine causing the tooth to rot and gums to become infected. I had Squeak's (maltese) removed when she was spayed.


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