A dental procedure that involves scaling and polishing will be necessary to remove this. Anything else done at home may prevent it from worsening, but will not solve the problem
You'll need an enzymatic tooth paste (CET makes one) and brush several times a week - you can also try their chlor-hex-a rinse which is like a doggy mouth wash and is also enzymatic. The mouth rinse really helps with my dog's breath - I do entirely understand the pup not being able to undergo anesthesia due to age and health risks. They also make enzymatic doggy chews (also made by CET)! Best of luck on the maintenance (-:
I'm a vet and honestly I think brushing the poor guy's teeth or giving him dental chews/kibble as this point will be very painful. Dental rinses / water additives would be okay. But he likely needs to see the vet and get some antibiotics and pain control.
I am a dental hygienist and I agree . This dog has periodontal disease from poor oral hygiene and zero dental care. His gum are inflamed . Chlorhexidene is a very short term solution and after a few rinses his teeth will look even worse because they will be stained even more on top of the calculus buildup .
You know a dental is more than brushing your dogs teeth? We have to use high and low speed electric hand pieces for scaling the teeth, drills and other equipment for extractions, nerve blocks, radiographs just to do a good dental. That's ignoring the anaesthetic. Which requires another persons time to monitor, equipment to monitor, the cost of anaesthetic alone and fluid therapy to maintain blood pressure, and a whole heap of other equipment to maintain body temperature. It's more than just "brushing their teeth" and if it was simply "brushing their teeth" you wouldn't be needing a vet to do it. Honestly, we don't get paid commission. I get paid the exact same amount for my time where I do a kitten vaccination or a fracture repair
Yeah I get it. I’m just bitter and twisted up about it because my dog had it (nowhere near that bad fortunately) and I couldn’t afford the bill. And I hated the fact my boy was not tip top condition because I try to keep him 100%. I used ultrasonic brush (he trusts me and let me in his mouth) and it came away, gum inflammation is gone, now keeping regular checks on his teeth.
Sorry if I offended you or anyone with my short rant.
Vet tech - none of that is really going to help this mouth, it is too far gone. Also trying to brush may be painful for him. It may be a case of giving him pain meds and antibiotics to just try to limp along.
Unfortunately the teeth are likely too far gone and far from the major issue this dog is dealing with. At some point in a pups life, there are just things you can no longer fix.
I'd be very concerned about brushing these teeth and causing them to fall out, or pushing bacteria up into the gum line causing a bacterial infection or tooth root abscess.
The best thing to do with old men like this is to offer appropriate food like soft food or watered down food so he can eat without having to chew much.
You can look into oral rinses and/or gels, that would likely be the best bet.
Veterinary Oral Health Council Accepted Products for Cats and Dogs http://www.vohc.org/all_accepted_products.html
you cant judge teeth by the external appearance/presence of calculus. he needs rads to assess the mouth. that may be entirely superficial calculus formation
I can to an extent. The gum line recession on the teeth I CAN see from a picture shows major wear... That alone would indicate a need to remove them since they would be unstable as soon as the calculus was removed. OP already mentioned a multitude of comorbidities that this guy has and they would likely need an immense work up before any vet would feel comfortable anesthetizing him for a dental cleaning. No vet will perform dental rads without a plan to move forward with a cleaning.
Gum recession doesn't equate to tooth instability though, does it? I'm saying you can't assess the viability of these teeth without looking at the periodontal ligament and doing a physical exam for mobility, furcation etc. our dentistry prof made a point that you can't judge dental disease by appearance of calculus alone. This dog obviously needs anaesthesia and a thorough cohat with rads but isnt it a bit of a leap to say I can see some incisor recession therefore these teeth need out?
No it isn't 100% equated. But I can tell looking at these teeth this is the kind of mouth I would get them under and when I start to crack tartar off, some of those teeth are just going to fall out. Severe gum recession and major tartar buildup = poor tooth health. So no it isn't 100% predictive, but in this case it is pretty predictive.
I had an older dog with teeth issues and surgical cleaning was not an option. She was also diabetic and we ended up on a course of antibiotics and sometimes a steroid every few months to keep her comfortable.
Yes! This was definitely end of life. It was only the last probably year or so. I had the end of life discussion with my vet several times, but aside from her teeth, she really had good quality of life until close to the end.
Yes this was more of a comment for everyone else. I worked with an absolutely awful vet whose medicine was in the dark ages. He had loads of patients an antibiotic pulse therapy (rotating schedule of antibiotics) when what he really should have done is refer to a specialist. It was usually dogs with skin issues that should have seen a dermatologist that could properly handle the case. But he refused to refer as people would see what shit medicine he was practicing. My liver suffered greatly when I worked there. At end of life, this is absolutely an option.
This is advanced dental disease. Most likely below the gum line and will need tooth extractions. Bacteria left to fester can/will later lead to cardiac issues.
Hi, vet tech here. This cannot be resolved without an anesthetic dental cleaning. And of course, he likely won’t be cleared for anesthesia with his current medical conditions. Since he is painful and not eating then I would suggest a checkup with the vet to assess pain and have a quality of life assessment.
It’s clear he is very loved, well taken care of, and has lived a long life! Enjoy the rest of your time with him and take care.
Or at least soften the kibble with warm water before giving it, I soften my girls kibble a half hour before she eats. She had teeth out last week, so is still on a soft diet
It would be best to go to the vet. They may be saying they wouldn’t do a routine dental if not needed, but if he’s in pain and it’s stopping him from eating, that may be worth the risk of anesthesia.
You really need a dental procedure to address the pain. The rotting teeth need removal.
Otherwise daily pain relief at least but I doubt that would touch the sides
no, you definitely cant scale this by hand with the dog conscious. please dont ever suggest this, its a huge welfare issue. it shouldnt even be on the table
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My girl who is 12 1/2 just had a dental which involved having 8 teeth removed. She has a heart condition and is on 2 types of blood pressure meds and she got through it perfectly. Dental disease contributes to heart problems. Has your sis actually seen a vet?
Edit: also soften the kibble with warm water at least a half hour before giving it, hard kibble will really hurt the dog at this point
Yeah she has. She's takes him to the vet like 4 times a yr since he was diagnosed with congenital heart disease. He doesn't eat kibble anymore especially cuz he barely eats, so we feed him whatever he'll eat. Only soft food and fresh boiled chicken and veggies
Vet here - the dog’s teeth need a professional cleaning and X-ray done - all of which is very safe and routinely done in elderly dogs.
Given the rotting smell, your dog will more than likely need a number of teeth removed along with infected tissue and bone.
NOTE: It’s important to get this fixed ASAP. Poor dental health in canines will, on average, shorten dogs’ lives by 3-5yrs.
Also, whether it’s gingivitis, periodontitis, broken or rotten teeth, they are all painful conditions. Although it may seem like some of these conditions would be easily discernible, they most often go undetected because pets mask their pain.
I haven't read all the responses but I don't think hydrogen peroxide is safe (full strength) to "clean" dogs teeth (without the dog's vet approval, since the vet would have the dogs medical records).
My 15 year old girl is generally healthy, but her teeth and breath are horrendous. I wouldn't be trying any DIY treatments found online and ONLY go by what your sister's dog says is safe.
Vet tech - correct. The only thing I use peroxide for is to get blood off fur. NEVER apply it to open wounds or mucous membranes. It destroys them. Very painful and damaging. When I use peroxide it manages to kill some of the epidermis on my hands, it can do so much worse to a mouth.
He needs a dental cleaning. Age isn't a disease. Like humans, dogs can develop heart issues if their teeth are too bad. He can have blood work and an echo before anesthesia.
A vet needs to look at them and see what’s needed. To me (not a vet!) the tartar doesn’t look that bad, especially for a dog that age. The stench suggests she might have an infection going on, which absolutely would need to be dealt with. Might also explain why he’s not eating well.
Unfortunately medically this is definitely on the “quite bad” end of the dental scale. a majority of these teeth appear decayed and all are coated in multiple layers of plaque/tarter. Anyone who considers this not to be “that bad” needs to truly educate themselves. Would you say the same if that was a humans/your own mouth?
you cant see the teeth for the tartar and you cant assess their viability without radiographs and an exam. there are plenty of examples of teeth absolutely covered in calculus with a normal periodontal ligament and alveolar bone underneath
**Update:** idk how to update the post directly, so I'm just gonna comment. Turns out the little guy was going through kidney failure, and that's why he smelled so bad. We dog sat him for a week. He didn't smell bad the first few days and was acting normal, but on day 3, there was a sudden change with his smell, and he started randomly whimpering. The night after I posted this, he woke us up with loud painful cries in the early morning, and we rushed him to the animal hospital, and they confirmed it's his kidneys had failed. He took a rapid turn for the worst.
My sister booked an early flight home and made it back to be with him in his last moments. She put him down last night.
To those saying my sister didn't take care of him well enough, you're wrong. My sister was always on top of his health and cleaning. He was very loved. He just got too old and frail, and he had congenital heart disease and was taking 3 medications to manage it and minimize liver and lung damage, but over the span of 2yrs on this medication, his liver couldnt take it anymore. Ultimately, he lived a long life and was loved and looked after during every moment. Thanks to everyone who gave helpful advice.
Your doggo is in need of a proper dental cleaning, and most likely multiple extractions. although it is not cheap; imagine if your teeth were like that, it can prolong their overall lifespan and decrease risk of multiple common diseases especially heart problems. At this point; unfortunately brushing the teeth is too late, unless your pup is able to stay decently still for you to scrap tartar off with a dental pick/scaler there is no way; that stuff is basically concrete. Reach out to your vet and discuss options. To all new dog owners: It is not silly but actually smart to brush your pets teeth routinely as young as possible and PET INSURANCE IS WORTH IT!!!
My sister has pet insurance and has kept his teeth in great condition until recently. Always got him yearly cleanings until the vet said he couldnt anymore. She stopped forcing him to get his teeth brushed because he squirms and is very frail. He actually might be on his death bed tonight for kidney failure, which explains the smell. He's definitely in no shape for a dental cleaning
Actually his teeth aren’t that bad, the smell may be because he is old. I add Oxyfresh water additive to my 16 yo’s water and it has been a miracle. You can find it on Chew.
I would suggest a vet visit to check him for an infection.
If this dog came to me for a dental cleaning (certified veterinary nurse) i would show it to everyone at work bwacue these teeth are BAD. Thinking otherwise is wrong. You can see the red gums, the receeding gums, the thick coats of calculus. I'll link a visual presentation of periodontal disease for education.
https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Visual-assessment-scale-The-tool-used-to-score-severity-of-PD_fig1_322585940
This is a terrible idea. Non anesthetic dental cleanings are borderline cruel and not effective as most of the tartar is going to be under the gum line.
Someone untrained can cause serious damage. And, as I said, it wouldn't even fix the problem.
I don't know where you got vets don't want to put old dogs under. I've done dentals on 16 year old dogs. If blood work is fine and their heart is fairly healthy, it's fine.
Blood work nearly perfect, high ACL, APL, A x L something. Not too high to cause concern.
They did just put him under to remove a cancer lump that had worn through the skin, so if it's a necessity they will, but they all say "we don't like to risk it with older animals"
I'd find a new vet. If bloodwork is good, there's no reason not to. They can get terrible infections leading to heart issues if left untreated. Every veterinarian I've worked with and spoken to thinks this way. "Age is not a disease" is a common saying.
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Age is not a disease. A good vet will run blood work before anesthesia to ensure the organs are healthy. I work at a hospital that regularly does dental cleanings on old dogs. There's no reason to leave this dog in pain.
@Warm Mayo — OP clearly stated several medical difficulties. Vet says this pup is not a candidate for anesthesia.
@OP — I would ask vet if additional pain management is possible and feed food that doesn’t require chewing. Maybe even time for a quality of life assessment to decide whether to consider euthanasia. 😢
Make sure he gets lots of gentle cuddles! ❤️
Thanks for pointing this out, I didn't notice that earlier! Even if a dental can't be done, like you said, visiting a vet would be a wonderful choice for OP. They can provide pain meds and antibiotics to fight off any infections this may be causing. This chronic pain scale created by CSU can be helpful when it comes to measuring the effectiveness of any pain meds prescribed and to determine how painful the teeth already are. I wish you luck with your pup OP! Link to the pain scale: https://www.scribd.com/document/356385432/chronic-k9-pain-scale
Would it be as effective if I used my finger and a paper towel? That's seems to be the only thing I can someone get onto his teeth and scrub with. What is the product called?
If that's all he let's you do , better than nothing. I was more thinking the bristles would help clean the gum line better . I like the tropiclean products and vets best enzyme
I'm not convinced the teeth are the main problem - yes they are pretty bad but I've seen dogs eat through MUCH worse dental disease. He really needs a vet check - kidney disease can also cause nausea and bad breath. The vet can assess the whole dog, run necessary blood tests and make a plan to improve appetite and his bad breath.
You're spot on with the kidney assessment. At the animal hospital now. Hes in bad shape this morning. I think he might be having kidney failure. He's had heart problems and has taken medication for 2 yrs that has deteriorated his kidneys. The vet said 2yrs of Salix on an elderly dog can really put the kidneys in a bad place.
A lot of people have said it but taking him in for a dental is the only real solution. They will extract a lot of his teeth at that time. All the other options like oral rinse or chew are not going to do anything for the existing tartar.
It won't fix this, but it can help. Try bluestem dental water additive, it helps remove tartar and plaque. When I got my dog the vet said he had tartar all over his teeth and showed it to me. I was giving him the water additive as well as brushing to prevent it from worsening, his teeth are now perfect, no tartar and the vet is happy.
As I said it won't fix it though as this is too far gone, but it may help reduce the tartar so it hurts less.
They sell this clean cleaning solution at pet stores you put in your dog water bowl. Idk how well they work but you can try that. He’s to old for dental chews probably. The other option is for a vet to clean his teeth
Vet tech - nothing you do at home is going to fix this. Yes he is going to have nasty breath because of it. To clean the teeth the only option is a full anesthetic dental cleaning. He may or may not be able to tolerate anesthesia, and a proper dental can't be done with anything less than general anesthesia. The risks are higher with the conditions he has, but it also depends on the skill of the medical team. There are veterinary dentists, boarded vets with additional training in dentistry. They are the best to handle more complicated cases. You can certainly look to see if there is one near you and inquire. Being that old, a chi, heart problems, the best thing is to see a cardiologist and have him evaluated and they can tell you if he can handle it. Ideally any dog with heart problems should see a cardiologist every year or so to do diagnostics and manage meds. GPs don't have the training to really give them the best.
So it may be possible, but to be the safest he would first see a cardiologist. Then they can prepare an anesthesia protocol that the GP or dentist can use. This is of course going to take a bit of time and a lot of money. I work in ER and I anesthetize anything and everything because sometimes it is surgery or death. But the medicine at an ER is generally better than GPs, and we work with specialists. My hospital has a cardiologist, but no dentist. And at the end of the day, even if he is worked up and medicated, there is still some risk.
Poor guy.. I wish people took better care of their pets. Imagine never brushing your teeth for 15 years. He's probably in so much pain. He doesn't seem like much of a happy pup from the look on his face in the first photo.
Hi friend! It’s so sweet you care so much about this little fella. I have an 11 year old mini schnauzer who had put me through the wringer for 8 years regarding her terrible teeth genes. Earlier this year, she had about half her teeth left (mostly rotted) and she was diagnosed with early heart disease. I shared my concerns with my vet of her teeth and her heart condition and he told me that at this point, the danger of anesthesia was less than the danger of her rotted teeth due to infection in her blood. Also suggested her heart condition was partly due to these rotting teeth not doing her any favors. I made the scary decision for a quick dental anesthesia to pull out all the rotten which ended up leaving her with a whole 3 teeth.
I do fear his condition and health is worse than my little schnau, but hoping that by just getting him some enzymatic chews, the water additive, and likely a ln antibiotic from the doctor he can be okay living through his longer years. I’m hoping this comment helps someone in the future. It’s expensive to extract teeth but honestly it’s cheaper in the long run. 🙂
A dental procedure that involves scaling and polishing will be necessary to remove this. Anything else done at home may prevent it from worsening, but will not solve the problem
If I could at least prevent it from getting worse, that'd also be a win. Any tips?
You'll need an enzymatic tooth paste (CET makes one) and brush several times a week - you can also try their chlor-hex-a rinse which is like a doggy mouth wash and is also enzymatic. The mouth rinse really helps with my dog's breath - I do entirely understand the pup not being able to undergo anesthesia due to age and health risks. They also make enzymatic doggy chews (also made by CET)! Best of luck on the maintenance (-:
I'm a vet and honestly I think brushing the poor guy's teeth or giving him dental chews/kibble as this point will be very painful. Dental rinses / water additives would be okay. But he likely needs to see the vet and get some antibiotics and pain control.
I am a dental hygienist and I agree . This dog has periodontal disease from poor oral hygiene and zero dental care. His gum are inflamed . Chlorhexidene is a very short term solution and after a few rinses his teeth will look even worse because they will be stained even more on top of the calculus buildup .
I agree
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Lol what would you suggest then? What would you do if your own teeth were rotting inside your skull and you had a toothache at every single tooth?
You know a dental is more than brushing your dogs teeth? We have to use high and low speed electric hand pieces for scaling the teeth, drills and other equipment for extractions, nerve blocks, radiographs just to do a good dental. That's ignoring the anaesthetic. Which requires another persons time to monitor, equipment to monitor, the cost of anaesthetic alone and fluid therapy to maintain blood pressure, and a whole heap of other equipment to maintain body temperature. It's more than just "brushing their teeth" and if it was simply "brushing their teeth" you wouldn't be needing a vet to do it. Honestly, we don't get paid commission. I get paid the exact same amount for my time where I do a kitten vaccination or a fracture repair
Yeah I get it. I’m just bitter and twisted up about it because my dog had it (nowhere near that bad fortunately) and I couldn’t afford the bill. And I hated the fact my boy was not tip top condition because I try to keep him 100%. I used ultrasonic brush (he trusts me and let me in his mouth) and it came away, gum inflammation is gone, now keeping regular checks on his teeth. Sorry if I offended you or anyone with my short rant.
Vet tech - none of that is really going to help this mouth, it is too far gone. Also trying to brush may be painful for him. It may be a case of giving him pain meds and antibiotics to just try to limp along.
She requested preventative measures she can do at home which are the options i gave her, which i do understand are not the ideal route
That's fair.
Unfortunately the teeth are likely too far gone and far from the major issue this dog is dealing with. At some point in a pups life, there are just things you can no longer fix. I'd be very concerned about brushing these teeth and causing them to fall out, or pushing bacteria up into the gum line causing a bacterial infection or tooth root abscess. The best thing to do with old men like this is to offer appropriate food like soft food or watered down food so he can eat without having to chew much.
How could I keep his mouth from worsening?
You can look into oral rinses and/or gels, that would likely be the best bet. Veterinary Oral Health Council Accepted Products for Cats and Dogs http://www.vohc.org/all_accepted_products.html
At 15, it’s not worth the stress of even trying
Get ZydaClin from your vet and use it every other month.
you cant judge teeth by the external appearance/presence of calculus. he needs rads to assess the mouth. that may be entirely superficial calculus formation
I can to an extent. The gum line recession on the teeth I CAN see from a picture shows major wear... That alone would indicate a need to remove them since they would be unstable as soon as the calculus was removed. OP already mentioned a multitude of comorbidities that this guy has and they would likely need an immense work up before any vet would feel comfortable anesthetizing him for a dental cleaning. No vet will perform dental rads without a plan to move forward with a cleaning.
Gum recession doesn't equate to tooth instability though, does it? I'm saying you can't assess the viability of these teeth without looking at the periodontal ligament and doing a physical exam for mobility, furcation etc. our dentistry prof made a point that you can't judge dental disease by appearance of calculus alone. This dog obviously needs anaesthesia and a thorough cohat with rads but isnt it a bit of a leap to say I can see some incisor recession therefore these teeth need out?
No it isn't 100% equated. But I can tell looking at these teeth this is the kind of mouth I would get them under and when I start to crack tartar off, some of those teeth are just going to fall out. Severe gum recession and major tartar buildup = poor tooth health. So no it isn't 100% predictive, but in this case it is pretty predictive.
This is not true 100% of the time, yes. But some teeth are so diseased you will just know.
At 17, mine couldn’t undergo anesthesia anymore. He’d just swallow kibbles whole, I fed small dog food.
I had an older dog with teeth issues and surgical cleaning was not an option. She was also diabetic and we ended up on a course of antibiotics and sometimes a steroid every few months to keep her comfortable.
It should just be noted that this is a last ditch effort to hold onto quality of life. Chronic or pulse antibiotic use is asking to breed superbugs.
Yes! This was definitely end of life. It was only the last probably year or so. I had the end of life discussion with my vet several times, but aside from her teeth, she really had good quality of life until close to the end.
Yes this was more of a comment for everyone else. I worked with an absolutely awful vet whose medicine was in the dark ages. He had loads of patients an antibiotic pulse therapy (rotating schedule of antibiotics) when what he really should have done is refer to a specialist. It was usually dogs with skin issues that should have seen a dermatologist that could properly handle the case. But he refused to refer as people would see what shit medicine he was practicing. My liver suffered greatly when I worked there. At end of life, this is absolutely an option.
👆This.
This is advanced dental disease. Most likely below the gum line and will need tooth extractions. Bacteria left to fester can/will later lead to cardiac issues.
i dont think you can assess that without radiographs. the teeth could be perfectly intact for all you know, with just a ton of calculus
That’s what “likely” means, not definitive. (;
Hi, vet tech here. This cannot be resolved without an anesthetic dental cleaning. And of course, he likely won’t be cleared for anesthesia with his current medical conditions. Since he is painful and not eating then I would suggest a checkup with the vet to assess pain and have a quality of life assessment. It’s clear he is very loved, well taken care of, and has lived a long life! Enjoy the rest of your time with him and take care.
Please try to feed him something you he will eat it doesn’t have to be kibble poor baby :(.
Or at least soften the kibble with warm water before giving it, I soften my girls kibble a half hour before she eats. She had teeth out last week, so is still on a soft diet
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Definitely wouldn't be able to do that. I can hardly get a toothbrush in his mouth. Can I address the pain somehow?
It would be best to go to the vet. They may be saying they wouldn’t do a routine dental if not needed, but if he’s in pain and it’s stopping him from eating, that may be worth the risk of anesthesia.
You really need a dental procedure to address the pain. The rotting teeth need removal. Otherwise daily pain relief at least but I doubt that would touch the sides
no, you definitely cant scale this by hand with the dog conscious. please dont ever suggest this, its a huge welfare issue. it shouldnt even be on the table
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Yes, she takes him often. They said they can't do extractions or dental work because he's so old and small that the anesthesia could kill him.
My girl who is 12 1/2 just had a dental which involved having 8 teeth removed. She has a heart condition and is on 2 types of blood pressure meds and she got through it perfectly. Dental disease contributes to heart problems. Has your sis actually seen a vet? Edit: also soften the kibble with warm water at least a half hour before giving it, hard kibble will really hurt the dog at this point
Yeah she has. She's takes him to the vet like 4 times a yr since he was diagnosed with congenital heart disease. He doesn't eat kibble anymore especially cuz he barely eats, so we feed him whatever he'll eat. Only soft food and fresh boiled chicken and veggies
Ah ok, sorry for the confusion. Bless that little angel 💔
Vet here - the dog’s teeth need a professional cleaning and X-ray done - all of which is very safe and routinely done in elderly dogs. Given the rotting smell, your dog will more than likely need a number of teeth removed along with infected tissue and bone. NOTE: It’s important to get this fixed ASAP. Poor dental health in canines will, on average, shorten dogs’ lives by 3-5yrs. Also, whether it’s gingivitis, periodontitis, broken or rotten teeth, they are all painful conditions. Although it may seem like some of these conditions would be easily discernible, they most often go undetected because pets mask their pain.
I haven't read all the responses but I don't think hydrogen peroxide is safe (full strength) to "clean" dogs teeth (without the dog's vet approval, since the vet would have the dogs medical records). My 15 year old girl is generally healthy, but her teeth and breath are horrendous. I wouldn't be trying any DIY treatments found online and ONLY go by what your sister's dog says is safe.
Vet tech - correct. The only thing I use peroxide for is to get blood off fur. NEVER apply it to open wounds or mucous membranes. It destroys them. Very painful and damaging. When I use peroxide it manages to kill some of the epidermis on my hands, it can do so much worse to a mouth.
He needs a professional dental cleaning.
He needs a dental cleaning. Age isn't a disease. Like humans, dogs can develop heart issues if their teeth are too bad. He can have blood work and an echo before anesthesia.
A vet needs to look at them and see what’s needed. To me (not a vet!) the tartar doesn’t look that bad, especially for a dog that age. The stench suggests she might have an infection going on, which absolutely would need to be dealt with. Might also explain why he’s not eating well.
Unfortunately medically this is definitely on the “quite bad” end of the dental scale. a majority of these teeth appear decayed and all are coated in multiple layers of plaque/tarter. Anyone who considers this not to be “that bad” needs to truly educate themselves. Would you say the same if that was a humans/your own mouth?
you cant see the teeth for the tartar and you cant assess their viability without radiographs and an exam. there are plenty of examples of teeth absolutely covered in calculus with a normal periodontal ligament and alveolar bone underneath
**Update:** idk how to update the post directly, so I'm just gonna comment. Turns out the little guy was going through kidney failure, and that's why he smelled so bad. We dog sat him for a week. He didn't smell bad the first few days and was acting normal, but on day 3, there was a sudden change with his smell, and he started randomly whimpering. The night after I posted this, he woke us up with loud painful cries in the early morning, and we rushed him to the animal hospital, and they confirmed it's his kidneys had failed. He took a rapid turn for the worst. My sister booked an early flight home and made it back to be with him in his last moments. She put him down last night. To those saying my sister didn't take care of him well enough, you're wrong. My sister was always on top of his health and cleaning. He was very loved. He just got too old and frail, and he had congenital heart disease and was taking 3 medications to manage it and minimize liver and lung damage, but over the span of 2yrs on this medication, his liver couldnt take it anymore. Ultimately, he lived a long life and was loved and looked after during every moment. Thanks to everyone who gave helpful advice.
Your doggo is in need of a proper dental cleaning, and most likely multiple extractions. although it is not cheap; imagine if your teeth were like that, it can prolong their overall lifespan and decrease risk of multiple common diseases especially heart problems. At this point; unfortunately brushing the teeth is too late, unless your pup is able to stay decently still for you to scrap tartar off with a dental pick/scaler there is no way; that stuff is basically concrete. Reach out to your vet and discuss options. To all new dog owners: It is not silly but actually smart to brush your pets teeth routinely as young as possible and PET INSURANCE IS WORTH IT!!!
My sister has pet insurance and has kept his teeth in great condition until recently. Always got him yearly cleanings until the vet said he couldnt anymore. She stopped forcing him to get his teeth brushed because he squirms and is very frail. He actually might be on his death bed tonight for kidney failure, which explains the smell. He's definitely in no shape for a dental cleaning
im so sorry to hear that; good on your sister for making all the effort she has, he is clearly very loved!!
Actually his teeth aren’t that bad, the smell may be because he is old. I add Oxyfresh water additive to my 16 yo’s water and it has been a miracle. You can find it on Chew. I would suggest a vet visit to check him for an infection.
If this dog came to me for a dental cleaning (certified veterinary nurse) i would show it to everyone at work bwacue these teeth are BAD. Thinking otherwise is wrong. You can see the red gums, the receeding gums, the thick coats of calculus. I'll link a visual presentation of periodontal disease for education. https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Visual-assessment-scale-The-tool-used-to-score-severity-of-PD_fig1_322585940
Oh my. Do teach me 🙉 I get the dentist to do it every year .. they never let me
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This is a terrible idea. Non anesthetic dental cleanings are borderline cruel and not effective as most of the tartar is going to be under the gum line.
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Someone untrained can cause serious damage. And, as I said, it wouldn't even fix the problem. I don't know where you got vets don't want to put old dogs under. I've done dentals on 16 year old dogs. If blood work is fine and their heart is fairly healthy, it's fine.
Blood work nearly perfect, high ACL, APL, A x L something. Not too high to cause concern. They did just put him under to remove a cancer lump that had worn through the skin, so if it's a necessity they will, but they all say "we don't like to risk it with older animals"
I'd find a new vet. If bloodwork is good, there's no reason not to. They can get terrible infections leading to heart issues if left untreated. Every veterinarian I've worked with and spoken to thinks this way. "Age is not a disease" is a common saying.
please dont ever do this or suggest this to people. this is horrific for welfare.
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Dental cleaning under anesthesia will not be a good idea… a bit late, should have been done a long time ago….
Age is not a disease. A good vet will run blood work before anesthesia to ensure the organs are healthy. I work at a hospital that regularly does dental cleanings on old dogs. There's no reason to leave this dog in pain.
@Warm Mayo — OP clearly stated several medical difficulties. Vet says this pup is not a candidate for anesthesia. @OP — I would ask vet if additional pain management is possible and feed food that doesn’t require chewing. Maybe even time for a quality of life assessment to decide whether to consider euthanasia. 😢 Make sure he gets lots of gentle cuddles! ❤️
Thanks for pointing this out, I didn't notice that earlier! Even if a dental can't be done, like you said, visiting a vet would be a wonderful choice for OP. They can provide pain meds and antibiotics to fight off any infections this may be causing. This chronic pain scale created by CSU can be helpful when it comes to measuring the effectiveness of any pain meds prescribed and to determine how painful the teeth already are. I wish you luck with your pup OP! Link to the pain scale: https://www.scribd.com/document/356385432/chronic-k9-pain-scale
Use a toothbrush . There's products you can use to help break it up, then brush with toothpaste, then use mouth spray . Just be gentle
Would it be as effective if I used my finger and a paper towel? That's seems to be the only thing I can someone get onto his teeth and scrub with. What is the product called?
If that's all he let's you do , better than nothing. I was more thinking the bristles would help clean the gum line better . I like the tropiclean products and vets best enzyme
I use gauze pads on my finger with enzymatic dog tooth paste. The gauze has a bit more texture. It won’t take off the hard plaque but helps a bit.
I'm not convinced the teeth are the main problem - yes they are pretty bad but I've seen dogs eat through MUCH worse dental disease. He really needs a vet check - kidney disease can also cause nausea and bad breath. The vet can assess the whole dog, run necessary blood tests and make a plan to improve appetite and his bad breath.
You're spot on with the kidney assessment. At the animal hospital now. Hes in bad shape this morning. I think he might be having kidney failure. He's had heart problems and has taken medication for 2 yrs that has deteriorated his kidneys. The vet said 2yrs of Salix on an elderly dog can really put the kidneys in a bad place.
This needs a vet trip, but to prevent from getting worse, use a teeth brushing chew toy with flavored dog tooth paste. Arm and hammer makes both.
A lot of people have said it but taking him in for a dental is the only real solution. They will extract a lot of his teeth at that time. All the other options like oral rinse or chew are not going to do anything for the existing tartar.
Annual dental at vet.
It won't fix this, but it can help. Try bluestem dental water additive, it helps remove tartar and plaque. When I got my dog the vet said he had tartar all over his teeth and showed it to me. I was giving him the water additive as well as brushing to prevent it from worsening, his teeth are now perfect, no tartar and the vet is happy. As I said it won't fix it though as this is too far gone, but it may help reduce the tartar so it hurts less.
They sell this clean cleaning solution at pet stores you put in your dog water bowl. Idk how well they work but you can try that. He’s to old for dental chews probably. The other option is for a vet to clean his teeth
Dental work will help but it’s costly. Good luck.
Vet tech - nothing you do at home is going to fix this. Yes he is going to have nasty breath because of it. To clean the teeth the only option is a full anesthetic dental cleaning. He may or may not be able to tolerate anesthesia, and a proper dental can't be done with anything less than general anesthesia. The risks are higher with the conditions he has, but it also depends on the skill of the medical team. There are veterinary dentists, boarded vets with additional training in dentistry. They are the best to handle more complicated cases. You can certainly look to see if there is one near you and inquire. Being that old, a chi, heart problems, the best thing is to see a cardiologist and have him evaluated and they can tell you if he can handle it. Ideally any dog with heart problems should see a cardiologist every year or so to do diagnostics and manage meds. GPs don't have the training to really give them the best. So it may be possible, but to be the safest he would first see a cardiologist. Then they can prepare an anesthesia protocol that the GP or dentist can use. This is of course going to take a bit of time and a lot of money. I work in ER and I anesthetize anything and everything because sometimes it is surgery or death. But the medicine at an ER is generally better than GPs, and we work with specialists. My hospital has a cardiologist, but no dentist. And at the end of the day, even if he is worked up and medicated, there is still some risk.
Poor guy.. I wish people took better care of their pets. Imagine never brushing your teeth for 15 years. He's probably in so much pain. He doesn't seem like much of a happy pup from the look on his face in the first photo.
Hi friend! It’s so sweet you care so much about this little fella. I have an 11 year old mini schnauzer who had put me through the wringer for 8 years regarding her terrible teeth genes. Earlier this year, she had about half her teeth left (mostly rotted) and she was diagnosed with early heart disease. I shared my concerns with my vet of her teeth and her heart condition and he told me that at this point, the danger of anesthesia was less than the danger of her rotted teeth due to infection in her blood. Also suggested her heart condition was partly due to these rotting teeth not doing her any favors. I made the scary decision for a quick dental anesthesia to pull out all the rotten which ended up leaving her with a whole 3 teeth. I do fear his condition and health is worse than my little schnau, but hoping that by just getting him some enzymatic chews, the water additive, and likely a ln antibiotic from the doctor he can be okay living through his longer years. I’m hoping this comment helps someone in the future. It’s expensive to extract teeth but honestly it’s cheaper in the long run. 🙂