Khuh-Ti is a 4 year old cutie that has been coming to see us since he was a puppy. Like many shih-tzu’s, he has needed special attention and care for his teeth. When he was six months old, we found that he was missing nine adult teeth and this caused some of his baby teeth to not fall out properly. We helped remove his retained baby teeth at the time of his neuter so his mouth could be more comfortable.
More recently, Khuh-Ti had a complete oral health assessment and treatment (COHAT). While he was sleeping under anesthesia, we were able to clean, polish, and most important identify any teeth that needed attention with dental x-rays and careful examination of each individual tooth.
Even with his missing adult teeth, there was still too much dental crowding in his small mouth, causing a build up of tartar and bacteria. Together with Khuh-Ti’s family, we decided to extract the most crowded teeth to make proper room for the remaining functional teeth in his mouth. Our goal is always to maximize comfort and health of each individual tooth at Markham Veterinary Clinic.
The procedure also allowed us to remove all the tartar and bacteria from above and below the gumline of his remaining healthy teeth. We were also able to identify several minor teeth fractures from chewing a little too enthusiastically at home. With this information, Khuh-Ti’s family will be able to continue with home care for his freshly cleaned teeth to help his mouth remain healthy.
Dr. Cathy Leung DVM
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