Doggy teeth.....

[Justwingingit2005]

We have recently (within the last month) adopted a dog from a rescue shelter.
He was given a full bill of health, but tonight I think his teeth look odd.
Never had a dog before so no idea what's normal.
He is a 2 yr old.

That does look odd. I can't make out what that blackish bit is, what does it feel like? And does it smell?

PS I like his hairy wee face 😍, what kind of dog is he?

Hes a Parsons Jack Russell.
He has a little beard 😍

The black bit feels the same as the pink bit. Soft.
We have vet papers from rescue saying he js healthy and ok to be rehomed but I'm worried about his teeth and mouth being ok.

Yes teeth don't look too healthy. Quite discoloured for a 2 year old too. We used to get our dogs done at least twice a year with his groom but I would probably get a vet to check over them before messing

Thanks, I've never had a dog before. I trusted the dog rescue saying all was fine.
We have a vet registration appt in 10 days I will mention it.

So is it a part of his lower lip then @Justwingingit2005 ? As in, can you move it down and there's teeth behind it? Or is it actually in place of teeth?

Some dogs do have black pigmentation on their lips, but it does look a bit odd I think.

I'll bet he's gorgeous though, my old neighbour had one of those, he was a real wee chancer (dog, not neighbour), into everything and an expert thief!

The black on the gums is just the colour of his skin, it’s very normal to have patches on gums as well as the rest of them.

He looks almost like there might be teeth misting? It’s honestly hard to tell though. With teeth though, if they can eat etc and there’s nothing causing pain, that is healthy.

I’d take him to the vet and get his teeth cleaned and ask them to look tbh. At two years old his teeth should not be that bad…it’s probably nothing but they don’t look like healthy teeth belonging to a young dog - I have three dogs and even my eldest (10) has better teeth than that

The black is just pigment on his gums - it's very normal.

Hmm, I'm just not seeing this the way you and @tabulahrasa obviously are, since you both say the same thing.

The resolution on my phone isn't great but when I zoom in it looks different to what I would expect the gum to look like, which is why I was asking OP if it was actually the lower lip. Do you see what I mean if you zoom in on it? Does it look kind of granulated (horrible word, sorry!) to you?

Not where it’s black no, the black bit definitely just looks like it’s supposed to be that colour to me.

But like, it’s one of those close up photos that the more I look at it the less sure I am what I’m actually looking at 😂

I know what you mean - it's like me with those Magic Eye pictures (if you're old enough to remember them), the more I looked at those, the less I saw 😂

Anyway hopefully the OP will get her mind put to rest when she visits the vet in a week or so.

Our Parson’s gums have black pigmentation too. He was also a rescue and had plaque built up on his back teeth. Before we resorted to the vet for cleaning I purchased a very sticky enzyme toothpaste and a lot of beef tendon chews and beef collagen sticks - all of which the trick and his teeth are clear again. On his next visit to the vet they checked his teeth for me and gave him a clean bill of health.

It doesn't look granulated to me at all @CarrieMoonbeams - it looks just like my beagles' gums and mouth.

I agree with this. My dog is 2 next month and her teeth are still pure white, I do feed her Canagan Dental dog food but no 2 year olds teeth should look like that so I'd definitely take him to the vets and get them to have a look. Maybe he's just a lot older than 2, it could also explain why some teeth seem to be missing?

My youngest has plaque on his teeth, he’s just turned 2, had it already when he arrived with us at 13 months.

We’re sure of his age, but he’d been neglected for at least part of that first year, so god knows what he was being fed etc. and what he was given as a puppy - he’s been getting chews and his teeth brushed since he’s been here and it is slightly better.

I'd also say that, like people, some dogs just have bad teeth - sighthounds, brachy dogs and some breeds of terrier are especially prone to dental issues because of the size and shape of their skulls.

@tabulahrasa have you tried Plaque Off powder added to the food? I think it changes something in their saliva so that bacteria doesn't stick to their teeth.

I've been feeding my dog Canagan Dental (it has Plaque Off in the biscuits) since her adult teeth started to come through and she has absolutely nothing on her teeth yet.
I started feeding it as a precaution because I have a breed prone to getting nasty teeth (CKCS) my previous Cav who didn't have Plaque Off had 2 dental cleanings/teeth removed and both times she got plaque build up really fast despite eating a natural chew or carrot every day so I think the Plaque Off definitely prevents new build up.

Glad your pup has a loving home now.