Doggie Orthodontia

Two weeks ago my dog went to the dentist and came home with a retainer in her mouth that she will have to wear, if she doesn't break it first, for the next couple of weeks.  If you have stopped laughing I will explain why she had to have a splint (retainer).  It wasn't for cosmetic reasons, it was strictly medical.  Her lower canines were coming in straight up and into the roof of her mouth.  She has a narrow lower jaw with a slight underbite.  Her adult canines came in on the inside of her baby canines.  For about a week she had double canines. Hmmm....this didn't look good, so I grabbed a friend, who conveniently is a vet, to look at her mouth.  Which is why I found myself with an immediate appointment with a doggie orthodontist.  And in the immortal words of that vet as we sat on the floor of the exam room with the patient "Your screwed, those canines are going to grow into the roof of her mouth causing holes which become vectors for infection and then we will have to file her adult canines down and risk of infection is........"  Damn.

So.....there is a narrow window of opportunity to intervene as the adult canines are coming in to get them to shift outward and not drill holes into the roof of my dogs mouth.  As my youngest daughter said this morning: "How do you end up with all these high maintenance pets?!?!"  She was laughing....as I tried to protest that I don't go out looking for them, how was I suppose to know that the rescue cat I adopted had thyroid disease and needed a compounded medicine from a little boutique pharmacy.  Once they are mine, they are mine and it is what it is.

But in the meantime it is awful.  No toys for Nana, nothing to chew on, her food has to be soaked to mush and I can give her Benadryl to try and calm her.  She is a very busy girl and I am trying to come up with alternatives during this next week that will keep her interest and her mouth empty.  Not easy when you are only 5 months old and you think everything belongs in the mouth.  I've explained it to her, but I just don't think she gets it.