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Expert: - 11/4/2011


Question
We have an adult male dog probably about 2-3 years old. It looks like he had a fracture of the lower jaw at some point that has healed improperly so that his lower jaw sits crooked and his tongue hangs out most of the time. He also does not have hardly any teeth. He can eat and drink well though.

My question is should we try to see if we can have the jaw repaired even though it is obviously an old injury? Would that increase his quality of life/health a good amount? How much would this cost normally? All the information I have been able to find online is about fresh injuries so I'm hoping that you will be able to advise me a little about it. Thank you!

Answer
I am guessing that you just rescued this dog? If he eats well and drinks well, has good energy and is happy, what would be the point of fixing it at this time?

You know the old saying, why fix it if it isn't broken? My point is that he will undergo a pretty extensive surgery to realign his jaw then it will be wired for 6-8 weeks. Since most of his teeth are already gone, this isn't going to benefit that. His tongue hangs out from the lack of teeth, not the jaw being crooked.

If he is eating (chewing, not eating whole) his food, and has a healthy, shiny coat and well formed stool then he is digesting it properly.

I see no health benefit to putting him through that if he is doing well. The cost varies, no vet charges the same. Some will charge you $500 and some will charge you $3000. You would have to call around to find out the cost.

But that is all just my opinion on it. :-)

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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.

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

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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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