Tandy's Teeth

You might remember Tandy as the puppy mill survivor who pancaked any time someone walked into the room?  She's undergone a wonderful transformation, and her foster mom reported that just a few days ago, Tandy approached her foster dad and asked to get up on the couch and snuggle.  Truly a fantastic turnaround!  Last week we got a message from Tandy's foster mom saying Tandy had serious dental problems.  Here's her first note:

"Tomorrow morning Tandy will be having some much needed dental surgery.  Although we knew that her teeth would need attention in the future, it seems the future is now.  Her front two bottom teeth have abscessed and caused the jaw bone to soften.  Imagine being able to wiggle the bone up and down between the front teeth.  Tandy shows no signs of her mouth bothering her so we didn't notice the extent of the damage until now.  Dr. W will remove the bad teeth, hopefully without the bone breaking.  If that happens, little Tandy will have to have her jaw wired.  While she is sedated, the rest of her mouth will be carefully examined and any other problem teeth removed.  Please send good thoughts for our little Tandy girl."

We had never heard of this condition before Tandy came along.  Tandy's foster mom sent us these photos to show what the problem looks like.  Earlier this week, we got these photos of Tandy just prior to dental surgery.

"These pictures were taken by Dr. W before removing Tandy's rotten teeth.  You can see how the jaw is "split" between the front teeth.  Dr. W removed the front four teeth based on infection and decay that could be seen on the x-rays.  Her jaw should heal with time, but could still require some reconstruction if it fails to heal properly."

Later that same afternoon, Tandy's foster mom heard from the doctor while Tandy was recovering.

"I just spoke to Dr. W and Tandy is doing great!  She ended up removing 4 teeth and Tandy's jaw is very soft, however Dr. W saw no reason to wire it.  The jaw should heal just fine on it's own.  If Tandy develops trouble eating (which she has not had up until now), then she will need to be re-evaluated.  I would says she has come through with flying colors and I will pick her up around 4:00 this afternoon."

During our conversation on the volunteer listserv, another volunteer offered this information:

"My resident Frenchie, Ben, had a very similar problem when he was only 2 years old. His breath was terrible so I took him to the vet for a check up. She noticed 3 of his teeth right in the middle of his lower jaw were decaying. When they took an xray, it showed his lower jaw never fused together as a puppy and the roots of those 3 teeth didn't have anything to secure into. So they decayed and had to be removed. My vet said this is not uncommmon in bully breeds. His lower jaw is actually in two pieces, but it doesn't stop him from eating normally. He is actually on a raw diet and he chomps through bones with no problems at all!"

We've been doing French Bulldog rescue for 10 years or so, and we've never heard of this problem.  Just another something to be aware of if your Frenchie develops very bad breath.

Live and learn, marvels

The Frog Princess

PS  Naturally, if you are inclined, we'd be delighted to accept any donations toward Tandy's dental surgery.  You can sponsor her on her available page.