Dog chewed bottle cap, gum bled. Is infection a concern? Vet needed?

From the photo I thought the hard tan piece was a piece of the bristle. If you’ve removed the bristle then It most likely is damaged skin with a small amount of infection. Like a scab I expect this to come off on its own once the underlying tissue has fully healed. I’m not overly concerned about it now, but certainly check it daily to make sure it’s healing. Luckily injuries in the mouth heal great due to good blood supply. Thanks for clarifying the photo.

Yikes! I'm so glad you were there to stop this from becoming a much worse situation! His mouth should heal just fine. Offer some soft food as hard food may be a bit painful for the next couple of days, other than that you don't need to change anything. If it hasn't healed well within 4-5 days, take him to the vet. Keep an eye on the other dog as well; while you were able to get them untangled quickly when he was choking, sometimes dogs can develop whats called "non-cardiogenic pulmonary edema" after a choking incident, even a brief one. If he starts to cough, seems to be breathing faster than normally or is labored at all in his breathing, take him to the vet. Oxygen therapy may be needed, these guys usually recover but they do often need to spend some time in an oxygen cage. He very well may be fine and not develop these symptoms at all, but it is something you need to watch out for over the next 12-24 hours. Thank you for asking Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Haiku’s gums will likely be fine with no therapy, however daily brushing with an enzymatic (chicken or fish flavored) toothbrush is recommend for optimum oral health. If the bleeding has not resolved completely by tomorrow or if Haiku appears to be painful when eating/starts to drool, scheduling an oral examination with your veterinarian is recommended to make sure that a piece of toy is not still lodged in his gums and that gel foam and/or suture is not required. Wishing you and Haiku the best!

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Ziggy. Oh no, that's not good! I would wait some more. He's not showing any signs of a problem, and since he's otherwise acting normally, there's no need to rush him into a vet. Now if he does start showing signs of a problem, then I would take him into a vet right away. It may be this has already passed without problem. If there was internal damage, you would see signs of a problem such as a loss of appetite, lethargy, and blood in his poop. If it would make you feel better to have him checked out, that's certainly ok, but it's also fine to keep an eye on him for now. I hope this helps!

That is probably due to the contact between the gum and the canine which is affected by tartar. There is moderate gengivitis as well. A check up and descale and polish of the teeth and an antiseptic mouth gel/solution (one designed specifically for dogs) would be ideal to resolve the condition. I would recommend to ask and discuss it with your local veterinarian. Please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

I would bring him to your vet to have him sedated and his mouth examined. Your vet may also recommend a dental X-ray to make sure no teeth have been cracked by biting the pipe which may need to be removed to prevent a tooth root or gum infection.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It is not possible to know the full extent of this just based on pictures though this does look like significant gingivitis and dental disease. Sometimes this is due to pure inflammation secondary to dental disease and sometimes there may be an infection. I recommend you have her evaluated by a veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Good luck!