Toy Poodle with many loose teeth...

Question
I just adopted a 3 year old male Toy Poodle from a local vet clinic.  They rescued numerous dogs from a puppy mill in Oklahoma.  They told me that our little one, "Pumpkin," had been used for breeding and lived in a kennel his entire life.  Pumpkin was fixed by the local vet, and all shots and grooming was done before I adopted him.  It's been about 3 weeks since we brought him home, and he's been adjusting okay.  Since we got him, his breath has been an issue.  We've given him Nutra small breed natural dog food, and some small dental chew sticks.  Today when I examined his teeth, I was horrified to find that he has at least 8 front teeth that are extremely loose.  I can't imagine how horrible he must feel.  This probably explains why he eats so little and never licks or even attempts to bite.

With all that said, what can I do for him?  Should I contact the vet that I adopted him from?  The only thing they told me was that he needed his teeth cleaned, which I was going to schedule for this week.  Now that I have discovered this tragedy, I don't want to cause Pumpkin any more pain.  Would I be out of line asking them to do something for our little guy?   They told me it was "only $125 for a teeth cleaning," but what kind of cost are we looking at for pulling multiple teeth??   I'm not a millionaire, and cannot afford to have major dental work done on the dog...or myself for that matter.  We live comfortably and take care of my parents, as well as 4 children.  The dog is well-loved, now he just needs to live comfortable....pain-free too.  Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Sincere thanks from our home to yours!


Answer
Shanon,
Bless you first of all for taking this little guy in. Many of our clients have done this and yes, they had a lot of visits to us as a result.

Puppy mill breeders care very little for their dogs and even three short years this lack of care has done major damage to his mouth. Most dogs have dental disease by the age of two unless their owners brush them from puppy-hood on.

You are going to have to have this guys teeth cleaned and in the process these bad teeth usually fall out. However, I would ask right up front if they charge extra for extractions, as not all vets do. Make sure a registered vet tech is doing the work also, not some kennel help. ASK!!

It is important as we are trained to do this work, kennel help is not trained nor is it legal for them to do it.

Once you get him home you will have to start him on a daily or bi-weekly dental care day. That means brushing his teeth and making sure he is getting a high quality diet to make up the deficit for his lack of nutrition for three years.

Pumpkin can live a long, healthy and happy life if his teeth are cared for now. Dental disease has been implicated in heart, liver and kidney disease in both people and animals.

It make cost you a bit at the start but once it is done he will need home care which is not expensive. Once or twice a year he should have a thorough cleaning. He may lose a tooth now and then but if your care is good he won't lose many.

Good luck and enjoy him. I bet he thinks he is in heaven.
Bless you both from my house to yours!