Root Canal vs. Extraction

[Laurie, Wally & Charlotte]

About six months ago, Wally broke one of his large upper molars by chewing on an antler. An x-ray at the time revealed that he had not exposed the pulp of the tooth and it wasn't broken beneath the gum line. This being the case, we were told to watch it. Now, six months later and a followup visit with his regular vet, it's clear that he needs to have it pulled or have a root canal. Wally has an appointment to see a canine dentist early on Monday morning, and then afterwards, he will be admitted for whichever surgery is recommended. It is possible, though, that we may need to make a choice between the two procedures. This is where I need your help. What have your experiences been with either surgery, particularly one involving a large molar? Thanks.

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

Laurie,

I am very sorry to hear about Wally's tooth and his hip pain.  I have no advice but I am watching this very interesting and controversial post.  Spud's teeth worry me constantly and I often wondered what I would do.  

Get Well Soon Wally

[Janie, Jackson and Jilly]

Laurie, I'm so sorry to hear about Wally. I hope his liver levels test fine so you can move ahead and then put this all behind you. We have a few antlers laying around and Jack and Jilly hardly ever touch them. I'm going to get rid of them all now. Sending hugs to Wally and to Charlotte too.

[Amy M. and Molly]

Joanne- haha, yes I have to admit that I did give Molly hard bones during the first year, especially during the teething stages. She "lost" two of those (expensive!) antlers that I bought within about two weeks, so I stopped buying them. When I heard that the "gnawing" started to sound like "cracking" on the bones, I took them away. So now she is an expert at chewing up frisbees....but a little mangled plastic is better than a date with the doggy dentist! :)

[Laurie, Wally & Charlotte]

My first doodle, Simon, used to love chewing on frisbees.  Boy, that brings back happy memories :o)

[Cheryl and Finnegan]

Well I was feeling so bad for Wally after reading about this.  I hope his tests went well. But then Finn had his annual exam this morning and the vet told me his back canine molar was fractured!  So looks like I'll be bookmarking this discussion.  He said that it's a piece of enamel that has split off but it makes the tooth more susceptible to tarter and deep fracture.  Bones, antlers, and rocks are the culprit. 60% of dogs 5 and over have these fractures according to the doc. He said we'll just watch it for now but I can tell Finn's favorite bone is history -- a little late. I feel bad because I've taken away his stuffed toys because he rips the stuffing apart and I've been concerned about him eating the stuffing. His bone and whimzees are a great stress reliever for him.  Guess he's down to his Linus blanket and Kong :(

[Laurie, Wally & Charlotte]

Oh, no, Cheryl. I am so sorry about Finnigan's broken tooth. Well, brushing his teeth will surely help prevent tarter buildup, but that molar will inevitably be vulnerable to future breakage. Wally's got worse, even though I did my best to prevent additional damage.

Finn doesn't take Rimadyl every day, does he? In retrospect, I wish that I had Wally's liver enzymes checked three months after he started taking it, rather than waiting for six months as instructed by our vet. Actually, I am assuming that Rimadyl was the cause of the trouble, but I am secretly terrified that something else is wrong. I am waiting for a callback from our vet to discuss this.

On a happier, but related subject, Wally and Charlotte both love to play with toys made by a company called, Fluff and Tuff. Their plush stuffed animals and balls have held up amazingly well. No other brand of stuffed toys has compared. 

[F, Calla & Luca]

Oh no, so sorry to hear about Finn.

[Gail and Bailey]

Cheryl,  sorry to hear about Finn's tooth!  Amazing statistic about dogs over 5 having these fractures!

[Cheryl and Finnegan]

Laurie, can't reply to your comment above (DK gremlins are back), but Finn is not on daily Rimadyl. He gets it if if he's really sore -- and thankfully, that's been infrequent. Maybe because I monitor his exercise better now or maybe just luck. Only 8-10 pills over last year. I just had his prescription refilled today so I have it for emergencies. The good news today was that he has almost 100% range of motion without showing pain. So no further change. Doc was pleased. I'm terrified with you for dear Wally but trusting that all will be fine. Please keep us posted. Thanks for the toy tip. Will check it out.

Thanks F. What are the chances that I would have been worrying about Wally and had just thrown the bones away? The vet must have thought my reaction was a bit strange. Lucky he's so wonderful.

[Laurie, Wally & Charlotte]

Wally's test results came back today, and his liver numbers are indeed high, but not indicative of serious liver damage. Phew.  I spoke with the dentist, who still wants to see him early on Monday morning to determine if the tooth needs immediate attention or if the surgery (extraction or root canal) can wait for a few weeks until (hopefully) his liver recovers. When the liver isn't functioning properly it is risky to have anesthesia. 

Both our regular vet and the dentist believe that Rimadyl caused the liver damage. Assuming that the dentist says that it's safe to wait until early December to operate on the tooth, we will keep our fingers crossed that repeating the bile-acid test in late November will show that he can tolerate anesthesia and have the surgery. 

Thank you, everyone, for sharing your personal experiences and for offering very-much-appreciated support. 

[Camilla and Darwin]

Good news about the liver, and thank you for the update!

[Cheryl and Finnegan]

No serious liver damage - that's good news.