My old dog has a rotten tooth. The vet suggested pulling it, but we'd have to put him out. Any other options?

I have bought him a bone to chew but he won't chew it. I don't want him to be in pain.

My old dog has a rotten tooth. The vet suggested pulling it, but we'd have to put him out. Any other options?
Vets do not usually make suggestions like this if there is another solution. Infection is infection no matter whee in the body it is. The problem with teeth is they do not ever heal them self. by ignoring this you run the risk of the infection going systemic and killing your dog probably coronary will be first effected. If your vet has suggested you put him under to do this procedure then he feels he can handle it. While he is under get a complete dental checkup to avoid this problem in the future and follow with good diet to reduce calculus formation on teeth
Reply:Would you want to chew a bone with an infected tooth.He probably needs a complete dental not just an extraction.Medically he'll feel better as well as be more comfortable.
Reply:Omg, gross, I was just drinking a glass of milk when I read that!
Reply:You need to get the tooth removed. If it becomes infected, the infection can go into the dog's system. Heart disease is one of the major illnesses caused by rotting teeth / infections.





Discuss with the vet the dog's overall health, and if he can take the anesthesia. You should at least have the dog on antibiotics.
Reply:You need to have the tooth removed and here is why. That tooth can get infected and that infection could spread to other teeth or, worse yet, get into your dog's blood stream. If that happens, it becomes systemic and it is possible for your dog to lose his life. I always worry about anesthesia. But remember - this is YOUR dog. The vet works for YOU to provide a service. So ask your vet what kind of anesthesia he/she uses. Ask lots of questions. The newest types of anesthesia are much safer than in the past. Your dog should wake up with a couple of minutes as soon as the anesthesia is turned off. While it is still possible for there to be complications, they are relatively rare these days. Kudos to you for taking your dog to the vet. Hope this helps a little.
Reply:I think you should not be selfish and let your dog get his infected tooth pulled out and he will be happy . how are they going to put him out through IV or gas . the I v is safer and they can control it better so dont be worried and get that dirty tooth out of his mouth . good luck .
Reply:put him out you diot. Would you want them to to pull your tooth while you were fully concious?
Reply:Short and sweet...if the vet recommend it being pulled...do so. Since it is an older dog, I'd recommend doing some bloodwork to ensure his organs can process the anesthesia. Ask your vet about it.
Reply:If the tooth is still in place and hard for the vet to move, then you should take your vets advice and have the vet give the dog anesthesia to pull it. You can ask the vet about sedation without the gas machine. Depending on if the vet thinks he call pull the tooth without a lot of manipulation or not. Have you ever seen a tooth pulled on a dog?? Be nice to the dog, and do what the vet thinks is best. If he is an old dog, remember that the vet will probably want to do a lot of geriatric testing first to make sure he will do OK with the anesthesia.
Reply:He's in a huge amount of pain, why would you hesitate? Bones and teeth brushing at this stage will do absolutely nothing to help him, those are tools to be used to keep teeth clean to start with. And softening the food or feeding canned food will actually cause the teeth to get worse by coating them with more slime.





Abandoning the situation and not having the teeth properly cleaned and the bad teeth removed will not only cause your dog to continue to suffer excruciating pain, but the infection can and will spread to the jawbone, heart valves, kidneys, and if left long enough it can even spread to other bones and joints. Believe me, the risks of NOT cleaning the teeth are much greater than the anesthesia.
Reply:He needs to have the tooth out. As he is old, have them do labs first, the vet will probably suggest it anyway. Poor dental health leads to other health problems, including heart disease. They know what they are doing, tooth extractions are not that tough. With a sore tooth I'm surprised he's even eating! Get it out, have the rest of his teeth cleaned. Do you brush his teeth? Get regular cleanings? It's all part of health care. Good luck...
Reply:He does not want to chew because it hurts. Let the vet extract the tooth. A good and experienced vet will give him the right injection for the time he needs for the extraction, taking in account the age and the weight of the dog. The wound usually heals very fast, because there will also be an antibiotic treatment for a week. And if the dog will not wake up, this happens very seldom, then this is what should be.
Reply:I just went through the same thing with my old Rat Terrier girl. She is 14, almost 15, and we dreaded the thought of having to put her under anesthetic....but it had to be done for her health as well as her comfort.





Talk with your vet about your concerns, and although I'm sure he is aware of it, I'm sure he will take extra care because of his age. He will only put her under just enough so he feels no pain and cannot move around during the procedure, and should clean the rest of his teth at that time too, to make certain you won't run into the problem with other teeth.





My Molly girl came through with flying colors, and is much happier now....and even eats her crunchy biscuits when coming in from going potty. ; ) She is on antibiotics as well, just to make sure none of the infection lingers.......very important to follow through with that as well.





Best wishes to you and your old timer!



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