Antlers and Root Canals

[Nancie & Gracie Doodle]

Well, here we go again.  Gracie Doodle needs to either have her tooth pulled or have a root canal.  She just had her dental exam and they found two major crunching teeth that are sheared off down the side and/or cracked.  One is down into the gum which must be painful.  There are two thoughts on how to treat this.  Pull the tooth or have a root canal.  Some feel (and the Vet also) that there are dogs who are never quite the same once they have had one of their major chewing and nawing teeth gone.  Not medically speaking but more like depressed or how they act.  My DH said our Lab had a tooth pulled and he was never the same.  I never knew that but then he was DH's dog and not mine.  It was like a little bit of joy went out of him.  Now that we have celebrated Gracie's one year from start to finish on her Myositis we need to deal with this!  

While Gracie was being treated with huge doses of Prednisone, I had to keep her away from places and dogs that might have bacterial stuff.  Her immune system was depleated and she at one point had three bacterial infections on her legs that were bleeding and then get scabbed up.  Not a pretty sight especially since she had lost all her hair on those legs!  We were using a very expenive antibiotic to get rid of the infections.  Because of this I didn't take her in the public.  I felt so sorry for her that I ordered her two wonderful Antlers from the Antler Pantry.  Gracie loved them.  She is an obsessive chewer and I was so happy to see her so engaged in something that she enjoyed.  Well, now I come to find out that was what broke/cracked her teeth.  I know this for sure because one year ago during our diagnosis of her Myositis we had her teeth cleaned and examined.  They were perfect.  So I have to conclude that the antlers were the cause because I never give her bones.  I asked our vet yesterday out of confusion because he had told us that it was OK for dogs to eat bones.  He said yes, bones but not antlers.  He said that the kind of bones dogs usually would eat were rabbit, squirrel and small rodent bones.  Not the bones of a deer, cow or Moose!!!  He said that antlers are extremely hard and that is why they should not be given.  

So, we are going to give Gracie a rest for a month or so and then off to get a root canal.  Yes, we are crazy but she has gone through so much and we don't want to pull her tooth.  They will probably do the root canal on the really bad one and try to seal up and bond the other...just buying some time I'm sure.  Unfortunately, you want to go to a specialist who is licensed and educated to do only these type of problem.  Her root canal is going to cost more than mine!!!  Unbelievable!  But she is our baby and it will be done. 

The only reason I am posting this is not really to discuss it...our mind is made up but feel free to discuss amongst yourselves.  But, I wanted to let you all know about the dangers of Antlers since I know there are quite a few Doodles here who absolutely love them.  Also, this in now way is saying anything bad about the Antler Pantry.  I loved them and if you were to get antlers that's the place to go.  It is just antlers...from anywhere...are dangerous!  

[Nicky, Riley & Boris]

I really think it's wonderful that Gracie isn't going to lose a tooth and that you are willing  to do this for her. I have thought abut the hardness of the antlers and worried about them too and it does make sense that in this case they are to blame especially if Nancie is such a big chewer.  Neither of my two are what I would call big chewers, they do like the antlers for a few minutes at a time. Now I am wondering if I should take them away completely in light of what you have just told us here. I'm thinking perhaps bully sticks are probably the best? Doing what is safe and combining that with what our doodles love is the hard thing.

[Sue & Lily Grace]

It sure is. Do you think the split antlers are ok? Lily Grace eats the marrow out.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

The split antlers are softer. I would say just supervise her. 

[Adina P]

I'm not clear how supervision will prevent tooth damage.  Can you explain?  What would someone watch for and wouldn't it be too late by the time you noticed something wrong?

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I listen more than watch, although I watch too. I don't know exactly how to describe it, but I can hear when JD is using his teeth to scrape at something as opposed to when it sounds like he is trying to break off a hunk of the bone or antler...which in fact is what he is trying to do, lol. The former is good, the latter is where it sounds like a tooth could get broken.

If Lily grace is eating the marrow, she's most likely scraping at it. You can hear that. 

[J and Riley (and Luna)]

So basically it's fine if all they do is "scrape"?  Luna only ever chews her antler when we're around (she chooses to be supervised lol) and it sounds like she is "grinding" it down.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Personally, I think so, but others may feel differently. 

[J and Riley (and Luna)]

Yeah I think so too since if her teeth are constantly moving across the antler then they're not applying their maximum force.  Luna has always chewed on hard items only (used to be the "durabone" white nylabones... now antlers) since she just demolishes anything else really quickly.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Nicky, try beef tracheas. Those were our go-to chews when JD could have them. No danger at all of breaking or chipping a tooth, and they lasted longer than bully sticks. Beef tendons were better than bully sticks, too. But none of that lasts like an antler does, or helps as much to keep the teeth clean. 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Sorry to hear you are dealing with this, Nancie. I hope the root canal goes well. I don't think you are crazy, I think you made the right decision.

JD has just recently been introduced to antlers. I did a lot of research on the various kinds, (there is a wide variety ot types, shapes, densities, even which part of the antler is used) and also polled the FG members who use them. My concern was more that he might be able to break the antler than that he would break a tooth. I ended up buying him an elk antler rosette. I have been supervising him every minute that he has it; he never gets it unless I am able to watch him (and listen) while he has it. I would say he scrapes it more than chews it, and he usually loses interest after 10 minutes. I feel that this is very safe for him under these circumstances. I also gave him cow femurs when he was allowed to have them, and those were also fine for him. Other dogs have chipped or broken a tooth or split the femurs, but for JD they were fine. 

 I think that each dog is different in their manner of chewing, and that what might be safe for one dog might not be for another dog.

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

I'm so sorry to hear that Gracie has to now go through one more thing...this Doodle girl needs a break. 

[Pam & Trixie]

Im very sorry to hear this. Trixie broke her Major Molar either from an Antler or from a Nyla bone. : (
I hope her root canal goes nice & smooth! ( I dont think it is crazy)