Hi everyone! I am new to this forum and need some advice and help. I purchased my Vizsla puppy from a reputable breeder, she is 9 weeks right now, almost 10. She had her 1st vet visit yesterday and the vet said that she has slight overbite and I should contact the breeder since this could be a problem if I want to show her and possibly breed her. I looked into her mouth a little, it was hard because she was moving, but her baby teeth are so tiny, that its hard to tell if its an overbite. Seems like her upper teeth are going over the lower slightly. However, her k-9 seem to be in the right place. Can her overbite change when she gets her adult teeth in? Im just worried, because I do want to show her. I contacted the breeder and she said that they can take her back and give us another puppy from future litter, but we had her for almost 3 weeks and we are too attached. So giving her back is not an option for us. Worst case scenario, we wont show or breed her. Anyone had that problem and the puppy grew out of it? Any suggestions so it wont be worse, like no tug o war, hard bones, etc.
She's still growing & as long as she's eating ok I wouldn't be to worried. Am not sure if the top jaw grows faster then lower jaw or if its the other way round.
I can't do better than direct you to the most recent post in our Hungarian Visla forum. This is a post which almost exactly mirrors your own. Although the OP did not come back with a follow-up, the comments on your puppy would be likely to be similar.
Hello Marlenush! Canine health is a love of mine and I enjoy trying to help people. Congratulations on the new Vizsla puppy! Was she sold as a pet or as a show/breeding dog? Honestly, when it comes to Vizslas, dentition is not something to be concerned about. Yes, it will impact showing, but a slight overbite is not a health problem and would not prevent you from breeding quality puppy. Before breeding her, have her heart, elbows, eyes, hips and thyroid tested. An overbite in a puppy is not going to change as the dog matures. Unfortunately, you are not going to be able to do well in the show ring with a Vizsla who has an overbite. What does your contract say regarding hereditary defects? I would not give a puppy back under any circumstances and exchanging puppies sounds like something a pet store would do! She won't do well in the show ring, but there is no reason she can't compete in other canine sports or be bred. She is not going to grow out of this. Make sure to feed her a species-appropriate raw diet to prevent tartar buildup.
A lot depends on the severity of the overbite, ive had a Gsd puppy who had overbite but it did correct itself, so it’s not a open and shut case. He had good bite at 8 weeks, was overshot at 4 months, but by the time he was 9 months he had a correct bite again, as long as the pup is otherwise healthy and eating ok I wouldn’t worry to much as he is still young and the jaw line will continue to develop.
I am afraid that is not correct, the jaw will continue to grow till it has reached maturity, and the lower jaw is the last to stop growing, so it could very well correct itself, all depending on the severity of the overbite. Marlenush have you contacted the breeder what are their thoughts on this, they should know if this is something they see in their lines, they should be the ones to give you the best advice. Did you buy pup as a show potential, or pet, for now whilst the jaw is developing do not play any tuggy games, this wont help if pup pulls on toys. Speak to your breeder, but I am afraid it is simply a waiting game, it will either correct itself or not !
I did contact the breeder and she was very helpful and understanding with me being worried about the overbite. She said that if it's slight then I should not worry about it, as it will correct itself. Now if I don't want to wait and see if it will, then I can return the puppy and get a new one from a future litter. She said that they have bred this particular pair before and they did not have a problem with the overbite. All of their dogs are show dogs and I have purchased my dog as a show/breeding puppy as well. Option of returning a puppy was not an option for us, because we are already attached to her, she's great. If anything, we just won't show or breed her, we love her too much to let her go.
That sounds like a genuine response. Did you send her a photo - it would be hard for her to assess without one. So much can change when the second teeth come through, so do stay hopeful until then. I'm glad you are going to keep her whatever the outcome though. Let us know what happens when she gets her permanent teeth.
Your pup is still growing. Things change. Parts grow at different paces and every dog is unique. It's possible for the overbite to correct itself. I've had pups with overbites that leveled out by the time they were done growing. I'm glad to hear you contacted the breeder.
Can i ask what happens in a severe overshot jaw case? Pup is only 7 weeks and is one of our own. We are obviously keeping him as it's not an option to sell him now. We are going back to the vets next week.
Can i ask what happens in a severe overshot jaw case? Pup is only 7 weeks and is one of our own. We are obviously keeping him as it's not an option to sell him now. We are going back to the vets next week.
As this is the third, almost identical, enquiry on this forum in six months, I would assume that this is quite a common concern in this breed. As neither of the previous posters have come back to let us know the result, it is hard to forecast, but my comment would be as before - if you are not over concerned about a show career, just wait and see. I would always advise sharing any of your concerns with the breeder or stud dog owner. If she is serious about her dogs, she is likely to have experience of watching youngsters of her own bloodlines develop, and could save you a lot of worry. If she isn't local, you could always email her, attaching some clear photos.
I'm glad the breeder is being genuine with you, although I am surprised this a a surprise to her, I would have thought your pup had the overbite when you bought it, and although it was wiggling about not giving you a chance to look in its mouth, your breeder will have had 7/8 weeks to check its mouth out, and given your requirements for the pup, why did she give you a pup that had an overbite. It may well correct itself and your breeder may not have been to worried about it, but if you are planning to show pup and its bite does not settle you won't be able to , same with breeding, if this is a problem in the lines, ethically it should be taken out of the breeding programme . Hopefully it will right itself .
As far as I know it's not an issue in the breed, or hasn't been in the past, it would be interesting to know the lines of all 3 dogs to get an idea, but friends in the breed have never been concerned before about bite...but as with anything things can change
from what i have seen with CAO puppies, the bite can change , any slight overbite will correct itself at about 6-8 months , and sometimes it corrects when adult teeth come out. but it could also stay. you can never tell . when the adult teeth come out you will have a better idea. but if the overbite is really slight then i would not worry about it. if you can send a picture it would be useful to judge
