Article: Ask the Vet: Action required when dog breaks tooth; Root canal, extraction are only choices available

Q: My vet just found a fractured tooth on my 4-year-old beagle, Petunia. I had no idea! She never cried or quit eating so I don't know how long it has been broken. I feel terrible. What can I do to help Petunia now?

A: Please don't beat yourself up. Unless you look in your pet's mouth on a regular basis and know what to look for, you might not notice this fairly common finding. Like people, animals break teeth. Think about a dog's diet: bones, rocks, sticks, hard food, ice.

Obviously a rough diet for the old choppers. Not only can diet fracture teeth, but traumas also fracture teeth. Being hit by a car, falling up or down stairs and fighting with other dogs can cause enough force to break a ...

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