From:
"Roger Vaughn"
Date: 2002-08-30 13:10:56 UTC
Subject: Re: [ferrethealth] Puppers Tooth
To: <ferrethealth@smartgroups.com>
Message-ID: <1191.192.168.132.34.1030713056.squirrel@webmail.seaconinc.com>
> has quieted down. The vet said it probably just feels weird to him.
Mike is right - it probably hurts. Animals are better at tolerating
pain than we are, but that doesn't mean it does not hurt.
The big problem you will face now is that a tooth broken that far down
exposes the root. That's basically an expressway straight to the
blood for infections. Systemic infections resulting from dental
invasion can be very, very serious. Like Mike said, Pupper is going
to need a root canal or an extraction to prevent that from happening -
and to take care of the pain.
That tooth, BTW, is called a canine. The canines are the long ones,
the front teeth between the canines are the incisors, and all of the
teeth behind the canines are the molars.
Sniffles broke a canine off half way not long ago, so I just went
through this. If you can find a good veterinary dentist, a root canal
is a good option. Mine told me that they are very easy to do in
ferrets, and carry less risk than extractions. The other thing I
found is that the break left a sharp edge on Sniffle's tooth. During
the week we had to wait for the dentist, the tooth was cutting into
his lip and making him very uncomfortable. You might check the inside
of Pupper's lip to see if that is happening.
If you can't get the dental work done right away, you might ask your
vet about prescribing an antibiotic just in case bacteria start
invading that root.
I am not a vet.
roger and the six sneaker snatchers
missing bear