The trouble with teeth
Animal Details -
Name: “Stella”
Gender: Female Desexed
Age: Two-year-olds
Breed: English Staffordshire Bull Terrier
History -
Stella was referred to The Pet Teacher by a previous client.
Her owner had three other trainers attend to Stella in the past for multiple sessions. She had been told that Stella had severe separation anxiety. She had spent $4000 in 2 years on Trainers.
Stella was incredibly destructive in the home to the point that she had chewed her owner’s door trimmings, pulled out the foam from their $3000 couch cushions, and destroyed many other smaller items.
Other trainers suggested a Crate to secure Stella when her owners went out and or could not directly supervise her. Due to high levels of destruction inside the crate, Stella could not have any bedding or activities inside the crate, which caused her to vocalise and become agitated.
Assessment -
After attending Stella's home, one of the first things I observed with her was that as we wandered about her home, Stella would happily hang out in other house rooms that we were not in. She had a vast array of toys, and most of them showed heavy signs of wear and tear and intensive chewing.
We then set up some scenarios where we started to prepare to leave home - Stella was very reluctant to enter her crate but was not upset when her owner began to rattle her keys or put on shoes which can be triggering to animals with Separation anxiety.
We then did four trial runs of exiting and entering the home. Stella did not show distress when her owner left when she was out of the crate but only when in the crate. This again showed a lack of Separation anxiety.
We then began to investigate further and noted on physical examination of Stella that she had what is termed a Dental Malloclusion. Her lower jaw was “base narrow” - this means her lower jaw was shorter and more narrow than it should be.
This caused her lower canine teeth to grow and drive into her upper jaw. Her lower canine teeth were creating pressure sores inside her mouth. So Stella’s only way to create comfort for herself was to hold something in her mouth or chew. Keeping her jaw open took away the pressure of the teeth on the roof of her mouth.
This was the cause of Stella’s obsessive destruction and chewing. It was the reason she hated the crate because she didn’t have anything in it to put inside her mouth, and the grills of the crate were too narrow for her to open her mouth around.
Stella was desexed before six months, so her Vet could not detect this as her adult teeth had not fully erupted.
Stella was advised to go and see her regular Vet. They examined her lower canine teeth and elected to either remove the teeth or perform a procedure called a Crown resection ( where the teeth are filled down and capped).
If Stella was a younger dog, we could help correct this condition with ball therapy or doggy braces.
See how the lower canine tooth and the upper canine tooth slide next to each other and the front teeth sit neatly behind the back teeth
Note how the long canine tooth is driving into the roof of the mouth behind the canine tooth and the lower incisors are also sticking into the roof of the mouth. The tongue is also restricted from sitting in a normal position
Outcome
Due to our Veterinary training as well as our behaviour training we were able to assist Stella in a way other trainers were unable too.
Stella went to her Vet and was referred to a Veterinary Dental Specialist. Her teeth were fixed for $1500.
All her behavioural issues and destruction within the home were resolved relatively quickly once Stella had a comfortable mouth and she has continued to be a wonderful dog for her owner.
Cost to Client from the Pet Teacher - $150.00 for One 2 hour house call
