Teeth, tums and feet
You have wormed, vaccinated and are now going to de-sex your new puppy. You have been wondering about the little swelling near her tummy button, the extra claws on her feet and the extra teeth in her mouth. Are they important and what should you do about them?
The little swelling on the tummy button is likely to be an umbilical hernia - some puppies are born with these. The umbilicus (belly button) marks the opening through which the pre-natal blood vessels passed before birth. After the umbilical cord is cut at birth, the opening closes rapidly. Occasionally however, it does not close completely, and an opening in the abdominal wall remains and a hernia can develop. Usually only abdominal fat makes its way through this hole, but if the hole is large enough, intestines can sometimes fall through, which have the potential to twist. It is always best to repair this hernia, especially if it is large, either as a special surgery or when other abdominal surgery is being performed. Doing this surgery at the same time as de-sexing (neutering or speying) is therefore ideal so that your puppy only has one anaesthetic instead of two.
Your puppy's deciduous (baby) teeth are all replaced by permanent teeth between four and six months of age. The erupting permanent teeth usually push the deciduous teeth out of their sockets. Occasionally the deciduous teeth remain in place, causing the permanent teeth to grow in the wrong place, in the wrong direction and out of alignment with the other teeth. This can cause problems with eating and damage to teeth later in life, so it is always best to remove the remaining deciduous teeth as soon as possible. These can also be easily removed at the same time as your puppy is de-sexed, at six months of age, again avoiding the need for two anaesthetics.
You may also have noticed that your puppy has dew claws ("thumbs"). The front ones are usually close to the foot but the back ones can be large and dangly. In our experience, there are no more dew claw toe injuries than other toe injuries, even when the dew claws are large, so there is no need to routinely remove these claws unless an injury actually happens later in life. However, if you would like them to be removed, this is another surgery that can be done at the same time as your puppy is de-sexed - your vet will be able to advise you if it is recommended or not.
Please do not hesitate to contact us at the Feilding clinic on (06) 323 6161 if you have any questions or would like any further advice on any of the above - we are here to help.
