My 5-month-old puppy broke a tooth playing. What should I do?

Hello, thank you for your question about Nico. Since Nico is so young, he likely broke one of his baby teeth. He may be experiencing some mild discomfort but he should be losing this tooth in the near future. I would not be overly worried and would recommend continuing to monitor him. If he is having difficulty eating or seems incredibly uncomfortable you could have him evaluated by your veterinarian. Hope this helps, congratulations on your new puppy!

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.

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Luna. It looks like it could be her baby tooth, and if the tooth is turning brown, I'm worried about the viability of the tooth. If the pulp is exposed, this will also cause her pain. Have her seen by her vet in the morning to discuss removing this tooth as needed. I hope this helps!

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sorry to hear about Tyson. Most likely this a puppy tooth based on the age you gave for him. I don't think this will cause problems as many of the adult teeth have yet to erupt and fully develop. The cracked or broken tooth will most likely be pushed out as the adult tooth forms. If you have any doubts, I would let your veterinarian take a look at Tyson. The tooth may become discolored also over time which as long as it falls out and is replaced, shouldn't be a problem. Good luck with Tyson. I would monitor it closely and seek help if you need to.

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!

Broken teeth can be prone to abscesses. Bella is very close to the age where she will start shedding her teeth but I still recommend to have her seen by her veterinarian to be safe. Moving forward, do not allow her to chew on very hard objects. As a general rule, if you cannot make an indentation with your thumb nail in a toy, you run the risk that it could break her teeth if she is an aggressive chewer. Also make sure she is not chewing on the bars of her kennel as this will break teeth as well. I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions.

You will need to take your puppy to a veterinarian for an exam and possible extraction of the tooth. If the pulpa of the tooth is damaged your puppy will need antibiotics, as puppies can get a tetanus infection from a fractured tooth. Please take Onyx to a vet asap.