# Flat canines, how does that happen?



## herojig (Apr 3, 2013)

hi all, I just rescued a GSD (story is here), and his top canines look like this on both sides (see attached pic). I'm taking him to the vet soon, but would like to know what to expect. thx!!!


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## Aly (May 26, 2011)

IME, it comes from chewing objects that are too hard. I realize that you've just gotten the dog, so I'd select somewhat softer toys in future. You might want to keep an eye on things because some dogs may show later damage to the tooth, beyond the 'flattening' that you can see in the picture (e.g., small fractures, etc).


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## herojig (Apr 3, 2013)

Aly said:


> IME, it comes from chewing objects that are too hard. I realize that you've just gotten the dog, so I'd select somewhat softer toys in future. You might want to keep an eye on things because some dogs may show later damage to the tooth, beyond the 'flattening' that you can see in the picture (e.g., small fractures, etc).


Thx so much Aly, I thought he might be a victim of some strange type of dog abuse (filing of teeth). Funny, he's been in the house for 24 hours now, and has not attempted to chew a thing. But I guess he is about 6,7,or 8 years old at least, so perhaps the wear was from his younger days...either that, or he is waiting until he is all alone in the flat.


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## Magwart (Jul 8, 2012)

Even tennis balls can wear teeth down.


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## Aly (May 26, 2011)

You're welcome. I'd say the likelihood of his teeth having been filed is pretty remote (think horses, not zebras  ), and more likely a consequence of serious chewing during his younger days --- possibly when the enamel and/or tooth itself wasn't fully developed. It's not uncommon. I'd still keep an eye/nose on things to make sure nothing else develops later. By 'nose,' I mean that I find that a dog's breath (good vs. foul) is a good indicator of things going well vs. wrong. Post pics of your new guy!


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## Aly (May 26, 2011)

Magwart said:


> Even tennis balls can wear teeth down.


Yup! I'd forgotten about that.


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## Nigel (Jul 10, 2012)

Even good quality balls/toys can cause wear with an active chewer. My girl will carry stuff around and mouth at it, this constant action will cause wear over time, sometimes significant. I think there is a genetic component as well.


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## islanddog (Jun 27, 2016)

My 1st gsd wore her teeth down to nubs by the time she hit old age. She was nuts about hauling logs & trees for that matter. She never seemed to suffer from it.
The teeth in pic do look flatter than regular wear. Curious to hear what the vets says about that--maybe it's just the pics, or maybe your dog is a rock chewer.


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## truckola (Nov 3, 2013)

Catching Spinning frisbees, my pup has the start of flat top canines.


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## wolfy dog (Aug 1, 2012)

Once a pup is passed teething, no more recreational chew toys to save the pearly whites in this house. I try to solve boredom by play and work. When we do have the occasional visitor to the house, I give her a bully stick, which isn't hard on her teeth. She is on a raw diet so she can satisfy her chewing desires with that.


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## herojig (Apr 3, 2013)

Aly;8729970 Post pics of your new guy![/QUOTE said:


> Ha, not much of a photographer here with a lead in one hand and an iPhone in the other... but here is Hiro, on his first day out after rescue...
> 
> Now wondering why this new one has yet to bark or even whimper. Absolutely silent. Well, it's only been 48 hours since he's been off the street. My last GSD (rip) was such a talker. Hiro sees a vet tomorrow, so his pipes will be checked then
> 
> Thx again for your support!


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## IllinoisNative (Feb 2, 2010)

Beautiful dog!

It's not unusual for a new dog to not bark. He has to figure out that your house is his permanent home before he starts territorial barking. Enjoy the silence. LOL

Every time I've moved, my dogs wouldn't bark for the first few weeks in the new house. It was awesome!  Most of my fosters were the same - no barking until they were with me for a while.


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## herojig (Apr 3, 2013)

IllinoisNative said:


> Beautiful dog!
> 
> It's not unusual for a new dog to not bark. He has to figure out that your house is his permanent home before he starts territorial barking. Enjoy the silence. LOL
> 
> Every time I've moved, my dogs wouldn't bark for the first few weeks in the new house. It was awesome!  Most of my fosters were the same - no barking until they were with me for a while.



Thx for that IllinoisNative! Makes sense. Such a contrast to my GSD who just passed, who would become noticeably territorial the moment he was in _any_ new situation - even at a cafe table or a friend's house - he was always working!


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## astrovan2487 (May 29, 2014)

Most of the dogs I have seen that do bite sports have pretty obvious flattening on the canines, even at an early age. Bite sleeves, tugs, balls, chews, all wear teeth down over time. The more the teeth get used the more worn they will be. I would think though with teeth as perfectly flat as your dog's that he probably fractured them at some point (chewing on something too hard or trying to get out of a crate) then they broke off at the fracture. I can't think of any reason why someone would file a dog's teeth down.
Can you see the pulp or root where the tooth is broken off? If you can this is something that needs medical attention, it could be causing pain or eventually get infected. If you can't see the root then it's not nearly as serious. Tooth damage is something I worry about because there's not much you can do to fix it. You never want to completely remove a canine tooth because it can actually weaken the jaw and even spending thousands on caps is a temporary fix.


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## griz (Jan 1, 2001)

definite wear , abrasion ... on what? who knows.. extremely common. Toys, nylon bones, hard balls, tennis balls, crates, chewing on self,etc...
If the wear happens slow enough the tooth will lay down repairative dentin. But there could have been pulp exposure , and he may now need root canal therapy on those teeth. Only dental radio graphs will be able to tell if they are infected/dead... or if a sharp dental probe sticks in the black hole in the middle of the tooth ( I dont recommend that sans sedation).


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## Jenny720 (Nov 21, 2014)

Yes max?s Teeth are flat from getting worn down the vet said I have to watch the nerve does not get exposed. So I took away his jolly balls even though they are soft I?m pretty sure this was it and any bones. I use the chuck it ball it?s glow in the dark one with hole in middle it is pretty soft and flexible and soft toys.


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## herojig (Apr 3, 2013)

*Dog torturers exist in Nepal!*



islanddog said:


> My 1st gsd wore her teeth down to nubs by the time she hit old age. She was nuts about hauling logs & trees for that matter. She never seemed to suffer from it.
> The teeth in pic do look flatter than regular wear. Curious to hear what the vets says about that--maybe it's just the pics, or maybe your dog is a rock chewer.


Finally got into the vet on Friday, and it was confirmed, while lost, Hiro did have his teeth filed by someone. We will never know who, but someone did it. Our vet - the best in Nepal - says some people here do that in the case where they have children in the house, and the dog standing guard in the yard. They think they are doing the right thing, and the unscrupulous filer does not use anything for the pain. 

Sounds like dog torture to me; poor thing! He's going back this week for some dental work, the vet says that his gums look really bad as well.


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## islanddog (Jun 27, 2016)

herojig said:


> Finally got into the vet on Friday, and it was confirmed, while lost, Hiro did have his teeth filed by someone. We will never know who, but someone did it. Our vet - the best in Nepal - says some people here do that in the case where they have children in the house, and the dog standing guard in the yard. They think they are doing the right thing, and the unscrupulous filer does not use anything for the pain.
> 
> Sounds like dog torture to me; poor thing! He's going back this week for some dental work, the vet says that his gums look really bad as well.


That is very sad. Sometimes telling people which country you are from is very helpful. 
The filing must be very painful, and it is awful that it was perpetrated on your pet dog, but I think the outcome will be okay for your dog. My dog, who filed her own teeth flat over the years never appeared to be in pain. Your dog probably is in a lot of pain right now, as the nerves have been abruptly and quickly exposed but I think things will get much better over time.
My dog comes from a country were dogs are not treated very well, mostly due to a combination of poverty, overpopulation (uncontrolled dog breeding/street dogs and ignorance (lack of knowledge, not stupidity). If you can be part of a group of people who help with dog care & education, that can be very helpful.


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## Kibs (Oct 25, 2017)

I don't understand how people can make such bad misinformed decisions. Same with people removing a cats claws. But at least Hiro is no longer with them and has found a great home with you! 
Hopefully his gums will recover soon enough.
Wishing you two the best.


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## lawlfactory (Aug 29, 2021)

Wrong, nobody 'filed' your dogs teeth. My dogs teeth are flatter than yours & they looked completely normal as a puppy. 

He plays ball, used to play ball at the beach daily and guess what? sand is harder than teeth, even dust is extremely abrasive. 

Your vet is a moron. Do you have any idea how hard it would be to hold a dog still & file down only his canines? Completely ridiculous. Get another vet.


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## Fodder (Oct 21, 2007)

lawlfactory said:


> Wrong, nobody 'filed' your dogs teeth. My dogs teeth are flatter than yours & they looked completely normal as a puppy.
> 
> He plays ball, used to play ball at the beach daily and guess what? sand is harder than teeth, even dust is extremely abrasive.
> 
> Your vet is a moron. Do you have any idea how hard it would be to hold a dog still & file down only his canines? Completely ridiculous. Get another vet.


i don’t know that such an abrasive tone is necessary, especially as your introductory post on the forum. although it’s likely not not the case here, teeth filing is certainly a thing in dog fighting rings. and just as i’ve come across puppies that have been the victims of DIY ear cropping, simply using scissors…. there are unscrupulous ways to restrain or sedate an animal for these things.

Anyway, closing this 3yr old thread.


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