Hi June,
 
I had a little jill go through the same thing last year.  She came in w/a
broken upper canine & the gum was visibly enflamed.  We had the tooth
pulled & she was on a course of antibiotics (amoxi) after surgery to
prevent infection.  =20
 
She was a real trooper & didn't have a problem eating at all afterwards.
They chew their kibble w/their their back teeth.  They really don't use
their canines because they don't have to kill prey.
 
I did get a little nervous when I thought her lower canine on the same
side was going to cause a problem & dig into her lip.  But it just seem to
adjust to compensate for the missing canine just fine.
 
Of course, there's always a risk w/surgery.  I would inquire of the vet if
he intubates (sp?) for the procedure & uses isoflorine.  It's also a good
idea to have blood work done before the procedure just to rule out any
problems that aren't apparent.  But it is a pretty routine procedure.
 
And since their under anyway, it's a good idea to have their teeth cleaned
& polished at the same time.
 
I hope this helps.  My best wishes.
 
Juliana  (770) 984-1417
FERRET BUSINESS of GA
(fer'it`biz'nis) n.  1 Ferret foster care & adoption.  2 Info about ferret
care & ownership.  3 What a ferret does.  4 A collection of ferrets.  5 A
direct result of ferret math.
 
/That's BUSINESS as in a bunch of ferrets folks./
[Posted in FML issue 2588]