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My dog has a cracked, discolored canine tooth. Is it an emergency?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Medium (23 - 60lb) | Female | spayed | 35 lbs

My dog has a crack in her upper right canine tooth near the top. I'm pretty concerned because the tooth seems discolored and I'm worried it might be infection setting in. I already have an idea of how much it'll cost to fix and I'm already on the task of getting the funds together. I'd just really like to know how long I have before the problem becomes serious. Do you think this is the case? I strongly thank you for any feedback provided.

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3 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on December 24th, 2018

The cracked tooth could have been caused by Sly (love her name!) chewing on something hard like a bone. You are right she needs to see a vet for this problem, and it would be best to have her seen as soon as possible. This can be very painful for her. Best of luck, I hope this helps and happy holidays!

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    Answered By Dr. Elizabeth

    Veterinarian

    Published on April 16th, 2020

    A swelling like that typically represents and abscess or a tumor (some of which can be malignant). I recommend to have your pup examined by the veterinarian today. He will need to be sedated and have an x-ray of that area to get a better idea of what is happening. I hope this helps.

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    Answered By Dr. Strydom, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on June 16th, 2019

    That tooth is the upper 4th premolar (carnassial tooth) and it appears fractured (broken) and the gum above it is very swollen. Your vet needs to check it and it probably needs to be extracted. This happens a lot if they chew on hard bones but can happen from any trauma.

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