My 6 year old dachshund lost her bottom front teeth shortly after having puppies, now my 9 year old dachshund is loosing her teeth, they both had puppies in july of last year, (not planned) they are also loosing their hair, What can I do to help them?

Leiann
Kingfisher, OK

Dental disease is by far the most common health problem in adult dogs and cats. Dental disease often compromises the attachments that hold the teeth in the sockets. Tooth loss occurs when the attachments fail. Tooth loss therefore is not uncommon in 6- and 9-year-old dogs.

Pregnancy is very highly demanding on the body. Often, pregnancy will tip the balance in a dog whose health is not perfect. It is possible that your dogs’ pregnancies were the straw that broke the camel’s back, so to speak, with regards to their teeth. It’s also possible that the pregnancies had nothing to do with the tooth loss. The tooth loss could be a coincidence.

Dachshunds are prone to endocrine (glandular) disorders that can cause hair loss. Estrogen and other sex hormones sometimes play a role in this.

My advice is to have both dogs spayed and to get dental work done at the same time. Spaying will prevent further pregnancies (by the way, if you own an unspayed dog you should plan on having puppies — it’s a very likely outcome) and it may help with the hair loss. Dental work will stop the progression of dental disease and tooth loss.

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