Improperly Healed Jaw in Dog

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. :-)