Position Statements

Cutting, Reduction, or Removal of Healthy Teeth in Dogs

October 1, 2021

Background

1. For the purpose of this position statement, the definition of cutting teeth in dogs is the
   cutting, breaking off, or grinding down of the crowns of healthy teeth. These procedures are
   usually performed on the canine (“fang”) teeth in adult dogs and puppies. Non-veterinarians
   are known to perform these procedures in order to reduce the severity of potential bite
   wounds. This is also sometimes referred to as “dental disarming” or “canine disarming.”
   1. These procedures are known to involve manual restraint, the use of a mouth gag, and
      targeting of all four adult canine teeth or the lower canine teeth in puppies. The
      procedures are conducted by either cutting the teeth with bolt or wire cutters or
      grinding the teeth down to the gum line.
   2. In such cases no anesthetic or analgesic agents are used either during or after the
      procedure. No aftercare is usually provided to the dog following these extremely
      painful procedures. The tooth pulp is left exposed to bacteria which leads to
      significant risk of both acute and chronic infection, inflammation, and pain (1). As a consequence, in puppies, there is the potential for serious damage to the permanent
      teeth (2).
      
      
2. The CVMA strongly opposes such practices as they are inhumane and inappropriate as they
   do not address the underlying behaviour problem and do not stop the dog from biting.
3. Dental procedures which involve the partial or full removal of a dog’s teeth must be
   performed by a licensed veterinarian. All veterinary dental procedures must be undertaken in
   accordance with the standards of veterinary practice of the respective regulatory body, as
   stated in CVMA’s position statement on Veterinary Dentistry (3).
4. The CVMA is opposed to veterinarians reducing or removing healthy teeth in puppies and
   dogs for non-medical reasons such as a proposed solution to unwanted biting behaviours.
   Reduction or removal of teeth will not prevent a dog from causing injury to a human (4, 5)
   and does not address the underlying cause for the biting behaviour.
5. Mouthing is a normal puppy behaviour; however, puppies need to learn that mouthing
   humans is inappropriate. At an early age, puppies should be taught to direct their mouthing
   towards suitable chew toys. Bite inhibition training [teaching a soft bite] can help prevent
   severe damage if a dog bites under extreme circumstances later in life (6).
6. Dog owners must learn to differentiate between a dog who is exploring their environment by
   putting objects in their mouth, a dog that is aggressively biting and a dog that is using their
   mouth when enthusiastically playing. The three behaviours require different behavioural
   modification techniques.
7. In cases in which a dog engages in repeated inappropriate biting or a single incident of
   inflicting a severe bite, a veterinarian or a veterinarian boarded by the American College of
   Veterinary Behaviorists (ACVB) (11) should be consulted.
8. Aggressive biting requires a thorough investigation to develop effective treatment and/or
   management options. As a minimum, veterinarians should complete a case history, and
   conduct a physical examination and blood work. Some veterinarians are experienced in
   conducting a behaviour assessment that may aid in understanding the underlying cause of the
   problem, but others will need to refer the assessment to a more knowledgeable person (7).
   Depending on the diagnosis, many therapeutic options and/or management strategies may
   exist that do not involve reducing or removing healthy teeth.
9. To effectively treat and manage inappropriate biting behaviour, clear communication
   between the dog’s guardian and their veterinarian or veterinary referred canine behaviour
   specialist is needed, so that owners can be allowed to make an informed decision. Owners
   need to thoroughly understand the potential for both treatment success and failures (8) and
   for legal liability (9) in the event of an injury from a dog bite.
10. In some situations, inappropriate biting behaviour cannot be modified or managed to the
    point that a safe and secure environment is created for the dogs’ guardians, other animals,
    and the public. If no safe and trustworthy solution can be found that allows the dog to
    experience the 5 freedoms (10), then euthanasia should be advised.

References

1. Kortegaard HE et al. Consequences of crown shortening canine teeth in Greenland sled dogs.
   J Small Anim Pract, 2015;56:264-269.
2. Hale SA. Juvenile veterinary dentistry. Vet Clin N Am Small, 2005;35:789-817.
3. Canadian Veterinary Medical Association Position Statement on Veterinary Dentistry (2018).
   Available from: https://www.canadianveterinarians.net/documents/veterinary-dentistryposition-statement. Last accessed August 2021.
4. American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). Removal or Reduction of Teeth in
   Nonhuman Primates and Carnivores. Available from:
   https://www.avma.org/KB/Policies/Pages/Removal-or-Reduction-of-Teeth-in-Non-HumanPrimates-and-Carnivores.aspx. Last accessed August 2021.
5. Hunthausen W. How dangerous is that dog? DVM360Magazine. Feb. 2016. Available from:
   https://www.dvm360.com/view/how-dangerous-dog. Last accessed August 2021.
6. Mouthing, Nipping and Biting in Puppies. Available from: https://www.aspca.org/petcare/dog-care/common-dog-behavior-issues/mouthing-nipping-and-biting-puppies. Last
   accessed August 2021.
7. Godbout M. Dog Aggression Assessing the Risk. Proc. 39th WSAVA World Conference
   Proceedings. Capetown, South Africa, September 16-19th, 2014.
8. American Veterinary Dental College (AVDC). Removal or Reduction of Teeth as a
   Treatment for Canine or Feline Aggression (2019). Available from:
   https://avdc.org/download/30/position-statements/2875/removal-reduction-of-teeth.pdf. Last
   accessed August 2021.
9. Ontario Dog Owner’s Liability Act. Available from:
   https://www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/90d16. Last accessed August 2021.
10. Elischer M. The Five Freedoms: A History Lesson in Animal Care and Welfare (2019).
    Available from:
    https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/an_animal_welfare_history_lesson_on_the_five_freedoms.
    Last accessed August 2021.
11. American College of Veterinary Behaviorists: https://www.dacvb.org/