My 4-year-old dog lost a front tooth from ice. What should I do?

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.

Poor Osi! Apply gentle pressure if he will let you to try to stop the bleeding. Take him into the vet first thing in the morning, and don't feed him in the morning. The vet will likely need to sedate him to remove the broken tooth, and he needs an empty stomach to be sedated safely. Best of luck.

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about your puppy. Do not give him any human pain relievers, as many are toxic to puppies and can be fatal if given. Given he's running and playing, just observe him tonight. Have him seen by a vet in the morning, and the vet can remove it as needed. Best of luck.

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. He may experience mild bleeding from the gum and the gum may become swollen and sore for up to 24hrs. You can give him soft food for a day or two as picking up dry kibbles may cause some discomfort. In general, dogs tolerate losing teeth very well, so I do not think there is much to worry about.

Hello, sorry to hear about Bella. It looks like the crown of her canine tooth broke off. Although she may have experienced some discomfort, it is also likely that Bella had underlying dental disease which caused her tooth to become weakened and thus break while playing. Therefore, its unlikely she is experiencing any additional discomfort now. If you see she does not want to eat, or has excessive salivation, or is pawing at her face, then you should could have more concerning discomfort. Bella should be evaluated, but it is something that can wait so that she may see her primary care veterinarian tomorrow for a dental appointment. You may feed her soft food until she is seen by her veterinarian. Hope this helps and best of luck.

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!

Hello, and thank you for your question. I would recommend getting Archi seen by a vet within the next few days, to assess the severity of the broken tooth. If the fracture is deep enough to expose the nerve, it can cause pain and infection, and can affect eruption of the adult tooth. In this case, they may recommend extraction of the tooth. If the fracture is shallow, the vet may just recommend monitoring it until it falls out (usually by 6 months of age). In the meantime, offer Archi the option of softer food (canned food, watered down dry food) in case the broken tooth is causing him pain. Monitor for any discolouration of the tooth which would warrant immediate attention by a vet. I hope this helps, and that Archi does okay!