| Charlie the cavoodle adores his Kong toy, particularly when it’s stuffed with peanut butter! However, when he was five months old, his owner Vanessa noticed that he suddenly seemed less keen on the Kong, and would only lick at it a few times before walking away.
On the first day, Vanessa attributed Charlie’s behaviour to possible teething discomfort – after all, her vet had informed her that pups undergo teething at around 4-6 months old. However, when Charlie seemed persistently hesitant with the Kong, she felt that something else might be going on. Vanessa thought it would be best to ring the vet clinic for advice. The experienced vet nurse at the clinic explained that puppies around this age may develop abnormal mouth discomfort with problems such as:
The nurse advised that it was best for Charlie to be booked in for a prompt veterinary assessment. During his dental exam, Charlie was reluctant to have his mouth handled due to apparent discomfort. It was observed that Charlie had retained baby lower canine teeth, which were causing the adult canine teeth to emerge in an incorrect position and were starting to “bite” against his palate and cause painful wounds. The vet performing the examination recommended that Charlie undergo a procedure (under anaesthetic) to have the firmly-stuck baby teeth extracted. If done early, this might allow the displaced adult teeth to naturally move into their correct position. Vanessa agreed, and Charlie underwent the procedure, recovering comfortably and surprisingly quickly with good pain relief. To Vanessa’s great relief, Charlie’s adult teeth did move into their correct positions over the next couple of weeks, so that they were no longer causing an issue. Charlie can now happily maul on his Kong again – although Vanessa’s shoes are still off-limits. |
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