Poodles and teeth

[Prancerpoos]

Any poodle owners out there? My friend has her heart set on a poodle, but I met someone a while back who had 3 poodles, not sure if they were toys or miniatures, but small and they all had awful teeth. Like no teeth / teeth falling out and big vet bills. We googled it a bit today and it does look like poodles may be predisposed towards bad teeth - or is it bad ownership? I have never heard of such a thing before, although obviously I have seen all the stuff re brushing dog teeth etc. I am on my 5th dog now (one lab and 4 cc retrievers) and never had any teeth issues (nor have I ever brushed them!) or heard of any problems in any other dogs I know / have known. Maybe I have just been lucky, or is it a breed specific thing?

My friend is going to join a poodle group on FB as she wants to find out more about the breed anyway, her family always had rough collies and shelties, but does anyone on here have any knowledge of poodles that they can pass on, please?

 

[CorvusCorax]

Dentition and associated problems are genetic. Certain breeds suffer more than others.

 

[twiggy2]

In my 14yrs as a vets receptionist poodles were frequently seen for dental issues and other health problems

 

[AmyMay]

My own small breed dog (Bichon) had to have several teeth out last year. I was very upset as I’d thought I’d been looking after her teeth well, and felt pretty sh!tty that obviously I hadn’t. My vet told me that small breeds are renowned for poor teeth.

It certainly wouldn’t put me off the breed (or any other). I’m just more aware for the future.

 

[Equi]

My cousin got a yorkie and his teeth have always been awful. He is about 6 or 7 now and i doubt he has a tooth in his head. Horrible smelly breath. She did everything she could with good food etc but it just must have been in him.

I had a toy poodle many years ago now, his teeth were always perfect until the day he died.

 

[[139672]]

I own a small poodle. Teeth not brilliant now he’s older but I do use an emmipet ultrasonic brush and I find orozyme gel is really good. He’s fed mainly raw.

 

[Christmascinnamoncookie]

The only poodle I really knew-standard, mum’s friend’s dog, had dreadful teeth and the owner reckoned it was a common poodle thing.

 

[Umbongo]

Can be genetic. IMO most small breeds, brachycephaphic breeds and greyhounds tend to have quite bad teeth.

 

[Bellasophia]

Ive had standard poodles since 2000..teeth never had issues.I check the teeth ( and ears)regularly as the dogs go on the table daily for their brush out.I occasionally rub the molars with a dog toothpaste if I see any hint of tartar and it pops off straight away.
The toys ,like most small dogs can have a greater tendency for tartar buildup,overcrowded dentition ( genetic)eg retained canines etc..so it’s recommended to clean the teeth on a regular basis.I agree the smaller breeds have higher risk for dental issues ,but also some dogs have higher risk due to the more compact mouth…food traps easily in the cheek pockets etc..unlike a larger mouthed dog.
Its important for any hair on the muzzle to be closely trimmed (imo) to avoid the pockets of wet hair that can build up on the sides on the jawline,also causing issues.Any red staining there is a sign of bacterial buildup.
I also believe small dogs‘ teeth can suffer from over indulgent treats from their loving owners..!

 

[Prancerpoos]

Thanks for all your replies. It’s seems the general consensus is that there is a higher risk of teeth problems in smaller poodles and other toy breeds, so back to the drawing board ?

 

[Aru]

Smaller dogs with smaller jawlines and a panting habit tend to have bad teeth.
The small sized poodles tend to be all of those things. Poms and Yorkies and dachshunds also fit the same category.

Larger jawlines even in a small dog help as their is a larger distance between the tooth roots and the outer gingiva so delay takes longer to reach severe levels. The size of the teeth v the jaw can be impressive.
Lots of smaller dogs also are bad chewers and fussy eaters so don't have a lot of mechanical action going on to reduce the tartar plaques.
Anxiety and open mouth panting does seem to always makes a big difference and worsen oral health.Similarly to humans who sleep with their mouth open having more dental issues. Not having saliva around your teeth worsens bacterial build up and causes plaque.
I often hypothesis this might be why greyhounds and whippets are so much worse then rough collies etc.

 

[some show]

I'm not evangelical about raw feeding, but I've given my greyhound raw since I got him when he was 3, he's 9 now and hasn't needed a dental and the vet gave his teeth a thumbs up last year at his check-up saying they were really good 'especially for a greyhound'! I fed him Millie's Wolfheart for about 6 months once when he was having some digestion issues and his teeth started to get build up on them quite quickly, so there did seem to be a correlation with the food. He's just now again starting to get a bit at the top of his upper incisors, so got the Logic toothpaste on the go!

 

[Penny Less]

My cocker has on y 5 teeth left, dreadful gum problems, she makes a lot of tartar. (Rescue dog and came with mouth in a shocking state)
vet says cockers are one of the breeds that suffer from terrible teeth

 

[Prancerpoos]

My cocker has on y 5 teeth left, dreadful gum problems, she makes a lot of tartar. (Rescue dog and came with mouth in a shocking state)
vet says cockers are one of the breeds that suffer from terrible teeth

Hmm, I wonder what cockapoos' mouths are like then, if both sides have bad teeth?

 

[Jenko109]

My late whippet had awful teeth.

None of my other dogs past and present (lurcher, GSD, BC, Labrador), fed the same diet, have ever had any issues with their teeth.

 

[LittleRolo]

We have got 2 havanese, a Havanese x Shih tzu, a Shih tzu x bulldog and Yorkie x Shih Tzu all rescues And none have teeth problems.