Bottom teeth hanging out...

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SumCoco

Boxer Buddy
Is it normal for a few of the bottom teeth to be showing when the boxers mouth is closed? We are thinking about taking in another boxer, but want to know if that's normal or not. It's one of the lower canine tooth (I'm not sure if that's what it's called?) and then one or 2 of the smaller, front bottom teeth. Normal?
 

TwoDogs

Boxer Insane
How old is the dog and has a vet ever looked at its jaw?

In Boxers, jaw set and amount of underbite is directly related to the fact that humans have selectively bred for a shorter, upturned muzzle. Breed standards do set certain proportions for the head and muzzle that breeders try and shoot for. Depending on how well a breeder has selected for head/muzzle shape and proportion you might end up seeing different or more exaggerated underbite and so that might be one reason the lower teeth are showing when the dog's mouth is closed.

But another thing that could cause a jaw set that results in the teeth showing or sticking out when the dog closes its mouth is a condition called "wry mouth". It is a condition where one side of the lower jaw grows at a different rate than the other, causing the jaw to twist or grow awry. Wry mouth is hereditary and dogs with wry mouth have a greater chance to have pups with wry mouth and therefore shouldn't be bred. Wry mouth usually shows itself by 1 year--when it is noticed depends on how severe a case the dog has. The more severe the twist, the more obvious it is and that can mean it is diagnosed early.

Wry mouth can range from mild cases where the dog just ends up going through life with a crooked, toothy grin, to more severe cases where the bite is so far off that the teeth don't line up and the dog has trouble chewing and eating. The teeth end up wearing unevenly and because the dog doesn't chew correctly it can be more prone to dental disease. Sometimes wry mouth can be so severe that the dog's tongue ends up hanging out of its mouth all the time and cause the mouth to become dried out and the dog might need its tongue and gums spritzed with artificial saliva a couple times a day.
 

SumCoco

Boxer Buddy
She is 1 year and 5 months. It's not horrible, but I wanted to make sure we aren't getting ourselves into some big vet bills right away. I tried posting a picture, but I'm not sure how. Thanks for the replies!
 

SaharaNight

Boxer Buddy
If this dog is coming from a breeder I wouldn't as they aren't breeding correct dogs. If she was coming from a rescue or re home situation I would take her in. Sometimes they have to grind down the teeth so they don't rub on her mouth, but she shouldn't have any other problems.
 

candyboyer

Boxer Pal
Our 8-1/2 month old female boxer - Luna - has always had teeth or tongue hanging out. Sometimes it's just one of the lower canine teeth, and sometimes it's both...makes us laugh but I always reach over and gently pull her upper lip to try & get her to cover them. We wonder sometimes if we should have named her Snaggletooth!
Seriously, it's VERY common...unless it affects her ability to eat, I wouldn't worry about it.
 

AmISarge

Boxer Booster
We adopted Rusty (a Boxer mix) 15 days ago, and he has the "underbite", but we only see it when he's chewing on his leash - lol He's got a cat-like ability to turn his head around 180 degrees. YIKES!

He has NO problem eating (thankfully!)
 

brodieboxer

Completely Boxer Crazy
Dempsey, a rescue we adopted, has an amazing underbite! He often has both bottom canines showing, with his upper lips draped around them! When I pull up his upper lip, I can't really even see his top teeth. This hasn't caused him any problems so far, and he's 5 years old.
Here's a recent photo with some of his teeth poking out. It's often much more pronounced, with both canines showing - lol!
PotsieandDempseyDec2012_zpsc058d2b1.jpg
 

AmISarge

Boxer Booster
I've looked at many pics of Boxers on petfinder, lately. The most hilarious pic I saw was a Boxer -- his name is CHOPPER! ;D He has the most pronounced case of underbite imaginable.
 

LILYLARUE

Boxer Insane
I've looked at many pics of Boxers on petfinder, lately. The most hilarious pic I saw was a Boxer -- his name is CHOPPER! ;D He has the most pronounced case of underbite imaginable.

Isn't Chopper the boxer mix that won the "Uggliest Dog Contest?" I love that boy! And all his teeth! LOL
 
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