My dog's tooth broke playing tug. Is it an emergency or can it wait?

HI and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I would definitely see your veterinarian in the morning however she is likely in pain if she has broken a tooth. I would recommend seeking emergency veterinary care for at least pain control tonight if she is uncomfortable, lethargic, salivating a lot, whining or vomiting. If you think her signs are mild, then you can probably monitor her and see your normal vet in the morning. Good luck!

The tooth looks like a baby tooth in the picture. As long as Sasha is not in pain then I would recommend waiting. If Sasha is in pain or not eating then I would recommend bringing her to a veterinarian sooner. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

I'm sorry to hear about this. The biggest concern with broken teeth is if the tooth root is exposed. This is not an emergency, but is painful and makes the teeth and roots susceptible to infection. In some cases the teeth can be repaired by a veterinary dentistry specialist, but in most cases they would have to be extracted. Considering this happened at the veterinary office, they should take some responsibility. I also understand that this would have been a difficult situation to control for the vet clinic and there may have been some broken teeth or dental disease prior to this incident. In these cases, I recommend talking with the veterinary practice owner and expressing your concerns and how you would like to be compensated. I understand that you must be very upset with them, but these matters can get much worse if you involve other people rather than communicating directly with the people in charge. It's best to talk with them directly as best as you can. I can tell you from experience that the clients that approach these issues calmly and reasonably with their concerns have more favorable outcomes. Give them a chance to explain their perspective and allow them to do the right thing (apologize and offer treatment for the teeth) on their own. Also, please understand that these are people too...who will occasionally make mistakes. I'm sure they did not want this to happen and I'm sure they feel bad about it. If talking with them does not work, or you feel that they did not give you a satisfactory response after giving them the opportunity, then the next step would be to take Mouch to another veterinarian for an outside opinion. They can give a non-biased evaluation of the problem and help you pursue compensation (if needed). You may also consider talking with the local veterinary council/board if you feel that the vet clinic is being unreasonable about the situation. I hope that helps and Mouch gets better soon.

Hello. That tooth probably should come out, even though it is a puppy tooth, but you can wait until Friday as long as Luna does not seem uncomfortable. . Your veterinarian might just leave it be, but there is a small chance of infection that can get into the root & then the bone causing problems with the adult tooth. Just see what your vet says, but she will be fine until your appointment. Thanks for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. So this is a “complicated” fracture of the canine- meaning the pulp cavity is exposed. Unfortunately, if Titus walked into my office, I’d recommend scheduling a dental and removing the tooth. Once the pulp cavity is exposed, bacteria can travel up it and cause a deep abscess in the bone. Then you have weeks of antibiotics and still have to do the procedure. This does not always happen, but there is no way to know which case it will happen to. The other option is seeing a dental specialist for a root canal and crown. That being said, it’s not very painful unless he is chewing with it (which he’ll probably avoid). And not much is going to happen in the next two days, or even in the next two months. Don’t put anything on there and just leave it alone. Schedule an appointment when it’s convenient and talk with your vet about your options. Also talk about why he is chewing his crate (often a sign of moderate to severe separation anxiety). And how to prevent future damage to other teeth. Best wishes to you and Titus!

I'm sorry to hear that! If its a large cheek tooth, or a canine tooth, try to get her in sooner than Saturday if at all possible. If its an incisor (one of the small teeth in the front) its probably fine to wait that long. In the meantime, offer her soft food, or moisten her dry food with water or chicken broth. You can use a dog oral rinse if you want to be proactive about it, but I don't think its entirely necessary. Whether or not specific treatment will be needed depends on what tooth it was and the extent of damage at the gumline. If there is a concern that the root fractured, or if the defect is quite large, surgery may be needed. If she seems to be painful or isn't eating anything, take her in as soon as you can. Good luck with her! Thanks for asking Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor guy! It would be ok for Miika to play fetch as long as he does not appear to be in discomfort and the tooth does not appear to get worse. I think there is a good chance that this does not worsen by playing fetch but that would be dependent on how weak the tooth is to begin with. If at any point he shows discomfort which he may display by not wanting to eat kibble or something hard, then stop playing fetch with him until this is fixed. Good luck and have a blessed day!