My dog's gums look bad. Should I give her aspirin before the vet?

Hi, sorry to hear Jazzmine isn't feeling well. What you are seeing is a retained deciduous tooth. It's a baby tooth that has never fallen out. From the pictures I cannot tell if it is infected or not. She will likely need it removed. If she is going to the vet tomorrow, do not give her any medication as this may interfere with what the vet wants to give her. Aspirin can be harmful to dogs so I would not give this. Antibiotics may be needed but will take a few days to work and will not help her tonight. It is best to just wait for the vet appointment. Good luck with getting this resolved!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It is hard to tell from the pictures but it looks like Ginger may have broken her tooth. I recommend making an appointment with your vet when they open to take a look at it. Though she isn’t acting painful, it may become painful or infected. There isn’t anything you can do at home and no safe medications you can give for pain. If it is broken, she will likely need to undergo anesthesia to have the tooth removed. The vet that looks at it will be able to help more once a diagnosis is made. Good luck and kisses to Ginger!

Unfortunately, by law it is illegal for the experts at Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to give the dose information for any drug, including OTC drugs, without seeing the animal in person first. That's because doing so requires a veterinary client patient relationship which cannot be achieved via an internet forum. In addition, the experts cannot say for certain if a specific drug is safe for your cat. Tota has to see a vet for his dental problems, as he may need a dental cleaning, scaling, and polishing to treat his gum and jaw inflammation. The vet can also prescribe him safe medications to take to treat it as well. As for the acetyl salicylic acid, that is aspirin, and it is never recommended to give to cats. It causes internal bleeding and GI ulcers, and is not safe to give to Tota.

You can use a hot compress on the area to see if you can get the infection to drain. That should help relieve some of the pain. While I prefer to use specific dog pain medications you can give aspirin to help with the pain. I give it with a meal. There is a section on this website with information about common over the counter medications that you can give and the recommended dosage. The veterinarian will probably put Chico on antibiotics and schedule a dental cleaning with an extraction if needed. I’m glad you are taking him in soon as this is quite painful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Chico.

I don’t recommend starting any medications without first consulting your veterinarian. Treating your pet at home without having seen your vet first could mask symptoms that could lead to a quicker diagnosis should it become necessary for your pet to be examined. Arbitrary administration of antibiotics without knowing if it is appropriate for the condition is what creates antibiotic-resistant organisms. Absolutely DO NOT give your dog Tylenol, or any other human analgesic or NSAID. At best, they cause gastric bleeding, at worst they are toxic to liver and kidneys. Consult your veterinarian before giving your dog medications of any kind.

It sounds like Pause may be having some stomach upset or pain with the lip smacking you are seeing, and unfortunately over the counter pain medications like aspirin can cause stomach irritation. If you feel he is significantly painful, or if you notice him vomiting or attempting to vomit I'd recommend taking him to an emergency veterinarian tonight.

Poor Wednesday! Unfortunately, I am unable to prescribe any medication without examining Wednesday myself. I do not recommend giving her aspirin, as it may have some unwanted side effects in dogs such as damage to the kidneys, gastric ulcers, and bleeding issues when given in high doses. She should definitely be seen by a vet as soon as possible, especially because she is limping. Your vet can take x-rays to see where the trauma is, and perform blood work to make sure that Wednesday's organs are functioning properly to handle any pain medication, as well as place a cast or splint if necessary. You should try to keep her as calm and quiet, with as little activity as possible until she is examined by a vet. Good luck and I hope Wednesday feels better soon!