My dog has bad breath and hair in his teeth. Is it a dental issue?

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Riddick. Thank also for providing pictures, they are very helpful. I see some swelling of his gums around those moles and a fair amount of plaque. Daily brushing will not correct this. He does need to see a vet for a dental cleaning, polishing, and scaling. I'd give his vet a call in the morning to make him an appointment. I hope this helps!

Rex urgently needs to be seen by your veterinarian for an exam. You likely will need to schedule a dental cleaning under anesthesia. He likely has a very painful tooth root abscess. The vet will remove all tartar, and also clean under the gingiva wich will also remove bacteria which are causing infection and bad breath. He will also remove all rotten and infected teeth. This should greatly increase your dog's quality of life and will help prevent heart and kidney disease. He will also be able to eat properly without a toothache! Please make an appointment on Monday!

I am sorry it is really hard to tell by the pictures what is going on with the teeth. Small and medium size dogs are affected with dental disease more often than large breed dogs. I would recommend taking Genesis to a vet for a good oral exam. It is important that Genesis needs a dental cleaning (like people) to remove all the dental tartar and bacteria from the teeth. The odor is caused by the tartar and bacteria in the mouth and will resolve with a cleaning. Once the teeth are cleaned I would recommend brushing the teeth daily with dog tooth paste to prevent slower build up of tartar in the future. Hope that helps

This sounds like severe dental disease with gum loss and loose teeth. The chattering of the jaw is a sign of pain and you should have him assessed by your vet as soon as possible to remove any further damaged teeth and clean the rest of them

What you read is TYPICALLY true- but I have seen exceptions- mostly in very severe dental disease, patients with suppressed immune systems, and patients with very crowded teeth. However, based on Teddy’s listed breed, age, and size, I’m guessing he doesn’t fall into those categories. I don’t think it’s likely an urgent matter, but do bring it up to your vet the next time you go.

Poor Gracie! From what I can see in the photos, it does look like she has severe periodontal disease. I can't tell for sure if she will need extractions or not, as we usually have to check each tooth with a probe during the dental cleaning under anesthesia to evaluate whether it is healthy or not. I do think that Gracie definitely needs a dental procedure to get rid of the tartar and evaluate her teeth more closely, so I would recommend scheduling this with your veterinarian when you are able to. He/she can give you a better idea of what she may need during the procedure after checking her mouth in person.

AT that age, dental disease is common. The odor and discolorations indicate an infection due to gingivitis and tartar build up. The only way to have that removed is the have her teeth cleaned at your vet. They can clean around the gums and polish teeth similar to how ours are done. They will remove any damaged or infected teeth. You will likely need antibiotics to go along with this to further treat the infection and continue with brushing to help prevent this again