2007-03-09 10:14:08 · 5 answers · asked by Kalona 3 in Pets ➔ Dogs
i am constantly being asked by other shih tzu owners what they can do about their shih tzu's crooked teeth because my shih tzu has straight teeth - she came like that. :) so now i am wondering the same thing... how did my dog lucked out with straight teeth? i got my shih tzu when she was 11 months old. she was being groomed as a show dog - did that have anything to do with her straight teeth? i'm assuming that she didn't have any toys to chew/tug on while she was teething, perhaps that helped with her teeth coming out straight? your answers are appreciated - thank you!
2007-03-09 11:13:32 · update #1
Your dog was bred as a show dog so likely came from a very responsible breeder
who chose only to breed pairs who were genetically sound and had good jaws and teeth, who likely showed and had them titled meaning they past the test for breed standard and conformance to the breed which mean the parent had to have straight teeth as well and that is why your pup had a good set of teeth.
Other breeders only breed for money, they don't care enough to do genetic testing or to pick only the best specimens of the breed and that is why so many shih tzu's have crappy teeth both in formation and density and will have under or overshot jaws, all they care about is having a male and female mate and produce puppies, once they get $300 to $500 they don't care if the pup has seizures or heart or kidney problems or any thing else
It takes a lot of homework to find a good breeder who breeds for quality. I would say less than 20% of the shih tzu breeders out the are reputable and breed for quality the othe 80% are breeding for the almightly dollar and are doing it as cheaply as they can to maximize profits
2007-03-09 12:28:55 · answer #1 · answered by OntarioGreys 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
If you are going to get a breed that is prone to crooked teeth then you can expect it. I have never heard of dog braces for teeth. That sounds like someone that has way too much money. If the dogs bite is off and it is unable to eat properly then have the problem teeth removed
2007-03-09 10:32:49 · answer #2 · answered by married_to_troll 1 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Any smush-faced breed is going to have crooked teeth. It's a genetic problem associated with the deformed shape of their face. A canine is supposed to have a long jaw to support all those teeth, when you breed them to have shorter faces, the teeth get smushed and end up crooked. There's really nothing you can to to prevent it. If you don't like the way it looks, buy a long-nosed breed.
2007-03-09 10:22:20 · answer #3 · answered by Dreamer 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
People are gong to think this is nuts but I've actually seen braces on some dogs. Especially Shih tzus!
2007-03-09 10:17:43 · answer #4 · answered by ♥Golden gal♥ 7 · 0⤊ 2⤋
If we could prevent crooked teeth in mammals, don't you think we'd do it to humans?
2007-03-09 10:21:45 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋