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My puppy has an underbite. Should I worry and can it be fixed?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Australian Terrier | Male | unneutered | 2 months and 3 days old

My puppy who is 2 months has a slightly small under bite, will he be fine in the long run? How can I get rid of it?

4 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Eve Pugh, DVM, CVA

Veterinarian

Published on February 25th, 2016

Slight underbites and overbites do not cause any major issue in terms of eating, drinking, chewing on a bone or grinding teeth. If you are concerned, there are veterinary dentists. You would have to ask your veterinarian if there is one in your area and get a referral. In my 17 years of practice, I have seen dogs with severe under bites do just fine! But I have heard of veterinary dental braces which would need a veterinary dentist. I do not recommend putting any dog through that unless it was absolutely necessary though.

12Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

Answered By Destini R. Holloway, DVM
Veterinarian
An underbite cannot be fixed feasibly because braces on the teeth is not common practice and can be quite expensive.

The major issue with underbites is a mis-alignment of the teeth so there is an increased chance of dental disease. As long as you stay on top of brushing your pets teeth daily you can stay ahead of the curve and help prevent dental problems later.
3Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Rodrigo Roca, DVM
Veterinarian
Published on July 22nd, 2018
Hello, its likely that his underbite may improve or stay the same as he gets older and fully develops. There are some surgical methods to fix the underbite, however, these are not practiced frequently as pets tend to do well even with this condition. Dogs in general, should not be given bones because they can cause damage to their teeth and mount, if ingested they can also cause problems with with their GI tract.

As Luke gets older, if he develops any problems with his prehension of food and chewing then he may need to he his veterinarian and an orthodontic surgeon to discuss surgery and treatment options.

Otherwise, as long as he is eating normally and able to chew, Luke should be ok and may not necessarily require surgery. Hope this helps and best of luck.
2Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Jeffrey Milner
Veterinarian
Published on January 14th, 2018
While an underbite is certainly not normal, it is not likely to cause any major problems for your dog in the immediate future. Some very small percentages of dogs with an underbite or overbite will develop some difficulty eating or with dental problems. However, this typically happens sooner than later. The great majority of them live perfectly normal lives and just look a little more unusual that the average dog. You are likely not going to get any useful information from the adopters regarding this, since the presence of an underbite is not necessarily genetic or hereditary. Hope this makes sense.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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