Gransnet forums

Pets

Puppy problem, advice needed please

(12 Posts)
Sikipoo Tue 06-Aug-24 15:18:06

Ok…. So I have a pedigree puppy
, who is now 5 months old.
From a reputable breeder.
So the puppy had jabs at 8 weeks and I collected her at 10 weeks . I then went to the vet there at 12 weeks for 2 nd jabs.
The puppy had been vet checked at 8 weeks and again at my visit at 12 weeks.
All ok until today when I had to take the puppy to my local vet as she had blocked anal glands, that was all sorted.
The problem comes when the vet looks her over and informs me that she has an over bite….
This ofcourse should have been picked up,at 8 weeks at the other vet practice.
So now I am worried as this may or may not lead to major dental problems in the future and also as if I had known this information, that i may not have kept the puppy, plus I paid a good,price for her . This is not me being all about money, it’s the fact that the vet passed the dog with a clean bill of health and then I find they screwed up on 2 occasions.
I am not sure what I can do at this stage?

Georgesgran Tue 06-Aug-24 15:25:44

It may be it’s just a slight overbite - although the breeder should have been aware and informed you.
Show dogs with overbites are disqualified and it’s very undesirable in working dogs.

It’s one of those could lead to dental problem, might not situations. Hopefully, you’ve insurance for your dog which might cover any issues. I doubt you’d want to return the pup to the breeder at this late stage?

Georgesgran Tue 06-Aug-24 15:27:17

Dogs with severe over or under bites shouldn’t be used for breeding.

Sikipoo Tue 06-Aug-24 15:30:16

Well yes I agree. We are very attatched to the puppy, but I think there has to be some come back from somewhere.
The breeder shows , so I imagine she must have known.
But very bad for the vet not to have noticed something very basic to their trained eyes.

MayBee70 Tue 06-Aug-24 15:34:41

If she’s already insured the insurance will cover any problems. However if she isn’t insured already I’m afraid she won’t be covered. I think you should contact the breeder because a reputable one will want to know of any problems ( although she must have noticed it). What breed of dog is she? I remember chatting with someone on a train a few years ago that had a spaniel puppy that had an overbite. Might be a bigger problem in a flat faced breed of dog.

valdavi Tue 06-Aug-24 17:21:15

Yes contact the breeder.In the vets' defence, things like overbite can be developmental, not that easy at all to recognise in a "squashed up" 8w puppy face, become more pronounced & easier to diagnose in a 5-6 month old whose jaws have developed more & who has a much more "adult" face. Actually I think the breeder has more chance of recognising this than the vet in an 8w pup, as they're used to assessing pups for show / breeding potential & breeds' facial confirmation varies hugely so they are more familiar with what that breeds' mouth should look like at that age.Make sure you clean her teeth - gum disease is a far bigger cause of dental problems in dogs than conformation.

MayBee70 Tue 06-Aug-24 17:24:59

If the problem hadn’t been picked up by previous vets then I’m pretty sure you’d be covered by insurance as you weren’t aware of the problem when you took out the insurance. I’d put plaque off in her food and get her used to having her teeth cleaned.

Cossy Tue 06-Aug-24 17:28:51

What breed is your pup?

Sikipoo Mon 12-Aug-24 17:12:05

She’s a spaniel

Gillycats Mon 12-Aug-24 19:18:07

What kind of spaniel? Odd that a spaniel has an overbite. I presume that she is already insured but I would say that you need to speak with the breeder. If they have been badly breeding dogs, which many do, they should at the very least help with bills. And also the KC probably need informing.

grandtanteJE65 Wed 14-Aug-24 16:05:53

I don't know if there is anything you can do either regarding the breeder or the former vet.

However, an overbite may never cause any problems, unless you were intending to use the dog for breeding.

I had a rescue cat that had a massive overbite and to start with I was worried that he perhaps could not chew his food properly.

Two days carefully watching him eat, convinced me that he could and did chew anything I gave him (which I may add his size, as he was the largest cat I have ever had, indicated, as he was fully adult when I got him.,

So your dog may never have any problems with chewing or with her teeth.

GranThomas Wed 04-Sept-24 08:42:28

Great tip on watching them eat, @grandtanteJE65. We have a rescue dog with a slight overbite. She can still chew her food properly, though slower than normal. We do not intend to breed her, she's already spayed.