Oh dearie me! Lulu had an additional eight teeth removed. She was already missing her lower incisors. During her pre-departure dental check-up before she left Harbin Slaughterhouse Survivors, they took out one. On three separate vet visits in the last year, they all agreed on one thing – there were issues with her teeth.
She was booked in for a dental check-up and cleaning on Wednesday. X-rays showed her upper four front teeth were loose so she wouldn’t have been using those. Three pre-molars had infection and the left lower canine had issues. A total of eight had to be removed.
George in the past years had many of his teeth out too. Like many small dog breeds, George and Lulu are prone to dental problems due to several factors:
- Small Mouth Size: their smaller mouths can lead to overcrowding of teeth. This overcrowding makes it difficult for teeth to stay clean and can cause plaque and tartar to build up quickly.
- Diet and Chewing Habits: Unlike larger dogs that might chew on bones or toys that help clean teeth, small breeds may not engage in as much of the beneficial chewing.
- Saliva Production: Smaller dogs often produce less saliva than larger dogs. Saliva helps to wash away food particles and bacteria from the mouth, so less saliva can mean more dental issues.
- Oral Health: It is a lot more difficult in brushing the teeth of small dogs.
We use Dorwest’s Roast Dinner toothpaste for brushing but it is very difficult trying to get to their molars. It is essential to schedule regular veterinary dental check-ups. I don’t know how many more teeth they will lose but it is necessary. Lulu’s blood tests showed that her liver levels were higher than normal. And the vet is confident that it is all the toxins from her teeth that had caused it.
And no worries about Lulu being able to eat with fewer teeth. She will chomp down whatever she can find.
Lulu had her dental procedure at Creature Comforts in Notting Hill.
