My dog's abscessed tooth is draining. Can I use OTC antibiotics?

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Sabrina! Sabrina needs the tooth extracted in order to eliminate the infection permanently. Antibiotics are just a bandaid. Once they are stopped the infection will return. Clindamycin and Clavamox are good choices for oral infections. I hope this helps and I wish Sabrina the best!

I wouldn't say that you can rule out an abscess, on the contrary, if it got better after antibiotic treatment, it's likely to be a tooth abscess. the antibiotic may solve the problem but you cannot know in advance, you need to finish the antibiotic course and wait a few weeks to see if it comes back or not. if it comes back he will need a dental procedure, and by the way he is nowhere too old for anesthesia, a few weeks ago one of my oldest patients, a cat 23 years of age, went through a small procedure under general anesthesia without any issues.

If Sid does have a tooth root abscess, he will likely need to have the tooth extracted. This will require anesthesia. At the same time, the rest of the teeth can be evaluated and xrayed and then cleaned to prevent or slow the progression of periodontal disease. Antibiotics alone may not be sufficient to resolve the condition. Even though he is a senior pet, a complete physical exam along with blood work will allow your veterinarian to tailor the anesthetic protocol for maximum safety. Medicating Sid without the advice of your veterinarian would not be recommended. Inappropriate antibiotic use may lead to resistant bacteria and may complicate any underlying condition.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Chico. I'm sorry to hear he is having these problems. You are correct in that a tooth root abscess is likely given his history of periodontal disease. The only way to clear the infection would be surgical extraction of the tooth under anesthesia. I understand your hesitation to do so given the risk of his underlying disease. In this case, he will likely need frequent if not chronic antibiotic therapy. I don't like to use antibiotics unless absolutely necessary, but his infection will continue to recur and be a chronic source of pain for him. I hope this information helps!

I have done long term antibiotic therapy in select cases of dental disease. It can be effective. However I have also seen patients Marquis's age handle anesthesia and tooth extraction well too. If possible sometimes a referral to a veterinarian experienced with geriatric dental disease is helpful as they may be able to address the tooth itself safely and then antibiotics are not needed long term.

The canine tooth looks like it might have a little evidence of gingivitis but it can be difficult to tell from a picture. I also would not prescribe antibiotics for dental disease in most situations - if the tooth is infected removing it is the best treatment option. Even though the tooth probably will fall out there may be other diseased teeth since it can be difficult to evaluate the extent of disease without sedation - you may want to ask your vet about a dental cleaning or if your vet does not do this procedure see another vet.

Hello. I am sorry for your concerns about Freyja. It does look like she has a tooth root abscess, most likely involving the 4th upper premolar. Antibiotics usually clears the infection very nicely, but often the tooth needs to be removed. As long as Freyja is eating well & is in no significant discomfort, you can wait to have her seen. Placing a warm compress over the area should help with drainage. I would do this for 10 minutes 2-3 times a day. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.