Ask the Veterinarian/Decaying tooth

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Expert: - 12/31/2009


Question
I have a year old amstaf we adopted her 8 months ago and within about a month of having her we noticed a spot on her tooth. After months past we noticed it getting bigger well now its actually creating a hole in the tooth.  We finally got some extra money to take her to the vet and the vet said that its nothing. I have read all this stuff on line that it could cause heart disease. Should I not worry about it or should I get a second opinion?

Answer
Maybe this vet doesn't do endodontic, or maybe he has never seen a caries lesion on a tooth. This is not 'nothing' when it is creating a hole in the tooth.

Without seeing it in person of course it is hard to know for sure, but I would have another vet look at it. Any time a tooth is decaying you are going to get bacteria involved and you are totally correct, tooth decay can cause heart, liver and kidney disease. Good for you for doing your homework!

So call around and ask about the vet's dental expertise before you go there.
While the outcome might involve extraction unless you can afford to have the tooth reconstructed, it is better than a rotting tooth in her head.

Please let me know what you find out.

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Jana Connell RVT, CVT

Expertise

PLEASE READ BEFORE SUBMITTING TO ME: I am NOT a vet and do NOT diagnose diseases. That is only for a licensed Veterinarian to do. I will give you suggestions and steer you toward calling your vet for help. You can call the vet's office and talk to the technician there or the vet at times. Don't be afraid to call them! If you have a serious issue with your pet please post it to one of the veterinarians in here- I will tell you the same thing in my answer. IF your pet is injured or in an emergency situation, CALL YOUR VET- Do not wait and post in here. Just call the vet's office and get them in to see the vet right away. Critical treatment time is lost if you seek answers here when you should have your precious pet at the vets!! Don't sit at home waiting for an answer when your pet is critically ill or injured!! I can answer most questions about small animal and wildlife care as well as small animal nutrition. I can also answer questions about all phases of dental care for small animals. I DO NOT answer questions about birds (unless it is wildlife or songbirds) or HAMSTERS/GERBILS/CHINS/GUINEA PIGS/REPTILES/FROGS/RABBITS/PET BIRDS OF ANY KIND so please submit these questions to the appropriate sections. I, as well as other experts in here, do NOT do homework questions- that is for YOU to do! Please respect these rules for all of us. Thanks!

Experience

I have over 35 years experience in the field of veterinary medicine. I specialized in small animals and did wildlife rehab for over 25 years, mostly raptors, squirrels and opossums. I am a Small Animal Nutritional Consultant with 6 certificates from Hills Pet Foods, CNM and Purina. I also specialized in Small Animal Dentistry which is a field I truly love.

Organizations
Audubon,World Wildlife Federation, American Society of Veterinary Dental Technicians.

Education/Credentials
Licensed with California and Oregon, RVT and CVT. Certified Veterinary Dental Technician Have over 500 logged hours of Continuing Education Credits(that means I keep up to date!).

Awards and Honors
Nominated for Expert of the Month for the last 5 years.

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