My dog has gingivitis. What's the best way to feed him with sore gums?

This could be due to gingivitis or other periodontal conditions. Have Diesel physically examined by your veterinarian. A complete dental cleaning may be indicated. If he will allow, daily brushing would slow the progression of dental disease. Use a pet approved toothpaste and toothbrush.

Erin should see a vet for her gingivitis. It likely isn't safe for you to try to brush her teeth if she hates it when anyone touches her mouth, so the cleaning should be done by a vet. The vet can sedate her to examined and clean her teeth. As you've seen with your other day, it's important to have gingivitis removed and the teeth cleaned or there is the risk of tooth loss.

If Rocky is comfortable eating his food in this manner, this is absolutely fine. Another less labor intensive option would be to simply soak whole kibbles in warm water for 10 minutes prior to feeding him, then mixing the mushy kibble together. If Rocky begins to show signs of oral pain (picking up food then dropping it, pawing at the mouth, drooling), he may need to have his food softened further and need additional evaluation. If you haven't already had his dental issues addressed with his vet, that's another good place to start. I hope that all goes well!

If dental cleaning is no option then ask your vet to prescribe antibiotics for the gingivitis, and pain medicine such as carprofen. The antibiotics will kill the bacteria that cause the painful gingivitis and the carprofen will take pain away from the dental condition as well as some of her musculoskeletal problems. However, if there is a tooth root abscess, then the tooth needs to come out right away, as this is seriously painful and can cause sepsis with can actually be life-threatening.

If his gums are red and swollen than he may have stomatitis and gingivitis. You can start brushing his teeth with a canine tooth paste and see if that helps. You could also try some chews, like Virbac C.E.T. Enzymatic Oral Hygiene Chews. Depending on the condition of his gums and teeth, he may need to have his teeth cleaned and have any diseased ones extracted, as well as need an antibiotic and anti-inflammatory. Have your vet examine his mouth to decide the best way to treat his problem.

Hello, sorry to hear about Vega. What you are seeing seems to be gingivitis which is associated with periodontal disease. To improve this, you can brush your dog's teeth daily and provide dental care products from your local pet stores (dental treats, dental chews, etc). Eventually however, Vega should have an oral exam by your veterinarian to assess if a dental cleaning needs to be performed as well. Hope this helps and best of luck.

I'm sorry to hear that Tobias has inflamed gums! Without being able to examine him or at least see a photo of the problem, it's hard to say what might be causing this. He may have an infected tooth, a growth of some kind, or generalized periodontal disease. Most of these problems will require veterinary attention to address properly, so I would recommend having him examined by a vet as soon as you are able to so that the problem can be treated. In the meantime, you can try using an over-the-counter dental rinse for dogs if you like - Vetoquinol Dentahex rinse is a good choice for general oral health. This will not treat the underlying problem that is causing the inflammation, but may help to make Tobias a bit more comfortable until you are able to see the vet.