Rubber dog balls are a classic choice for games of fetch outdoors. They can come in all shapes and sizes, but they have the advantages of being easy to grip, bouncy, and they also float on water. Most owners have at least one or two in their collection. Made right here in the USA, this hard plastic ball comes in a range of sizes. However, when it came to herding, two sizes performed better than the others: Large Herding balls are especially unsuitable for dogs who bite, scratch and chew large balls. As you will soon learn, herding balls can be dangerous for these dogs. You might want to consider a

Radiography is important to confirm the position and degree of resorption of the deciduous teeth to be extracted. Like all deciduous dentition, the tooth roots are extremely long in comparison to the length of the crowns. This is especially dramatic in deciduous canine and incisor teeth: the roots of these teeth could be as much as four to six times the length of the crown. For better visualisation, an open technique is advisable. Size is another important feature. Your dog needs to be able to fit the ball comfortably in their mouth. But it can’t be too small as this could pose a choking risk to your four-legged friend. Leen Verhaert, DVM, Dip. EVDC, EBVS, first described the technique in a study published in the Journal of Veterinary Dentistry ( JOVD) in 1999. The title of the paper was “A removable orthodontic device for the treatment of lingually displaced mandibular canine teeth in young dogs.” I must admit when I first heard of the technique, I did not expect it to be as helpful as it has proven to be. The study documented use of the technique in young dogs of different breeds with Class 1 or Class 2 malocclusions. Dogs ranged from five to 9.5 months of age. Twenty-three of 38 cases were fully corrected without any other treatment. Figure 2: An example of an appropriately sized “appliance” for treatment of linguoversion of mandibular canine teeth. First, let’s start with a discussion of normal occlusion and malocclusions. Normally, when the mouth is closed, the mandibular incisors are behind the maxillary incisors, while the mandibular canine tooth is behind the maxillary third incisor and in front of the maxillary canine. There is interdigitation of the premolar cusps of the maxilla and mandible, resulting in a resemblance of pinking shears. The maxillary premolars and molars are positioned lateral to the mandibular premolars due to the anisognathic widths of the maxilla and mandible in the dog and cat. Chevron Amethyst Sphere - Dream Amethyst Crystal Ball - Dog Tooth Amethyst Gem Ball - Amethyst & White Quartz Sphere - Soul Path GemstoneThere are four classes of malocclusions. 1 Class 1 refers to a normal jaw length relationship between the maxilla and mandible, but one or more teeth are malpositioned. Class 2 denotes the mandibular arch occludes caudal to its normal position. Previously called mandibular brachygnathism, its preferred medical term according to the American Veterinary Dental College’s (AVDC’s) nomenclature committee is mandibular distoclusion. The common lay term used to describe this malocclusion is “overbite.” Class 3 malocclusion occurs when the maxillary arch is shorter than the mandibular arch. Previously referred to as maxillary brachygnathism or “underbite,” the preferred medical term for this condition is mandibular mesioclusion. Class 4 malocclusion refers to maxillomandibular asymmetry in either the rostral-caudal, medial-lateral, or dorsal-ventral direction due to asymmetric growth of the right or left maxillary or mandibular arch. A common lay term for a type of Class 4 is “wry bite.” 1 Play ball Owners with young puppies identified with this problem at first presentation are advised to have the deciduous lower canines removed as soon as possible. There are three reasons for this: Like all new toys, herding balls should be given under supervision. If you notice your pup using the ball incorrectly, remove it. Don’t worry! Not every toy is going to be perfect for your dog. Why not give your furry friend a

When it came to price, performance and suitability for dogs of all sizes, only one herding ball could be declared the winner – The Jolly Pets Push-n-Play. Gnawsome balls are covered in pliable spikes that most dogs can’t resist chewing. This version adds a bounce-activated LED light for nighttime play (or just extra fun). A single tooth in an abnormal position in animals with a normal length of the upper and lower jaws can be considered to be more likely to have a traumatic cause, but even this has not been established.Curettage and lavage of the impingement defects or craters would remove inflammatory tissue and debris and, as long as the cause is removed, defects should heal effectively by sec­ond intention. With large defects, palatal bone exposure and oronasal fistula formation, palatal soft tissue can be mobi­lised to create flaps for surgical correction of the defects. Treatment of wear facets

The direct link between genetics and malocclusion has not been established, but the fact that some cases of malocclusion occur more in some breeds than others is a very strong indication of an underlying genetic relationship. Even though persistent deciduous teeth are considered the most important cause of malocclusion, they appear to be more common in certain breeds and could therefore have a genetic association.

The formation of an oronasal fistula after extraction of a maxillary canine tooth or a mandibular fracture during extraction of a mandibular canine tooth remain possibilities, even in young patients. AddThis sets this geolocation cookie to help understand the location of users who share the information. Even some soft toys are very damaging. Tennis ball and other toys covered with that material are very abrasive. The fuzz is abrasive itself. It also traps dirt/sand/grit and so now chewing on the toy is like chewing on sandpaper and can wear teeth down in a hurry.

The key to successful ball therapy or “rubber toy therapy” is realizing its limitations and using it in cases of linguoversion or mild Class 2 malocclusions (Figure 1B). Hopefully, this will help some of your patients with mild malocclusions. Have you had success with ball/toy therapy? Send your “before and after” photos to me at [email protected]. Do not try ball therapy with deciduous (puppy) teeth. There are two main reasons for this. Puppy teeth are fragile and can easily break. More importantly, the adult canine tooth bud is developing in the jaw medial to the deciduous canine tooth (see radiograph above in the puppy section). If the deciduous crown tips outwards the root will tip inwards. This will push the permanent tooth bud further medial than it already is. The most authoritative text on the subject is found here. Verhaert L 1999 Journal of Veterinary Dentistry 16: 2, 69-75. A loud internal squeaker appeals to a dog’s prey drive, too. Gnawsome balls are lighter than tennis balls, so they’re easy to throw. And they’re bouncy but not likely to destroy anything upon impact (unlike tougher toys). The Mega Ball was the only exercise ball to last over our month-long testing. Well, almost. But I’ll get to that in a moment.John Lewis, VMD, FAVD, DAVDC, practices dentistry and oral surgery at Veterinary Dentistry Specialists and is the founder of Silo Academy Education Center, both located in Chadds Ford, Pa. References AppNexus sets the anj cookie that contains data stating whether a cookie ID is synced with partners.