Could my dog's infected loose tooth be causing her pain and illness?

I see what you mean from the pictures, it does look like where the tooth was is red. I would have Mystie seen by a vet for this problem tomorrow. Her mouth needs to be checked to see if the root of the tooth is still in her gums, and if she does have an infection, the vet can prescribe antibiotics for her. I'd soften her dry food tonight with warm water, and rinse out her mouth after she's done eating to make sure any food isn't caught where the tooth used to be in. Best of luck!

Your dog needs to be seen by a veterinarian right away. He could have an infected tooth/teeth and need extractions and a dental cleaning as soon as possible. Infected gums and teeth can introduce bacteria into the bloodstream that can adversely affect your dog's heart. This problem needs to be addressed now.

These are all signs of a pretty severe dental disease and infection. Pus in the mouth and foul odor are usually the tell-tale signs. I would suggest getting financial assistance b/c this can be a huge undertaking to get a pets teeth cleaned and diseased teeth extracted, but this is the only way to correct it once the teeth are this far gone. Here are some financial resources I am hopeful can help here--> i would first start with carecredit listed at the very bottom. Red Rover: https://redrover.org/find-financial-assistance-veterinary-care Best friends: http://bestfriends.org/resources/financial-aid-pets AVMA: https://www.avma.org/public/YourVet/Pages/Financial-assistance-for-veterinary-care-costs.aspx HSUS: http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/resources/tips/trouble_affording_veterinary_care.html PAWS: https://www.paws.org/cats-and-dogs/other-services/help-with-veterinary-bills/ Your dogs friend: http://yourdogsfriend.org/we-recommend/need-help-paying-vet-bills/ AFRP: https://www.animalfriendsrescue.org/financialassistance.html Speaking for Spot: http://speakingforspot.com/?p=Financial%20Assistance%20for%20Veterinary%20Care 3 options for financing include www.carecredit.com, www.scratchpay.com and www.vetbilling.com. The first two companies have low interest APR rates (starting at 5%) and allow you to pay for a vet bill over 6-24 months. The last company offer a billing option for veterinary clients through automatic bank account drafting on a predetermined date at the time of service. Care Credit checks your credit but Scratch Pay does not, making it a good choice for owners who may have been declined for Care Credit in the past. I wish you the very best in getting Dixie's dental disease resolved through a proper dental prophylaxis and removal of all diseased teeth. She will feel so much better after her procedure and also she will be healthier for it. Best wishes moving forward. Take care. : )

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Jolene. Unfortunately, the only way to tell for definitively if the tooth has been infected is to take an x-ray of her mouth. The area above her gumline does appear red. If it is possible to move her surgery sooner, that would be ideal. However, as long as she is eating, drinking and she does not experience a swelling of her muzzle, then you can likely wait. I hope this information helps!

If Hank has an infected tooth, that could certainly explain his symptoms. If the tooth is painful, he may not want to eat normally and may just not feel well. If the lump on the neck is a lymph node that is draining the infected tooth, that could also be related. So, I would recommend having your veterinarian examine Hank tomorrow to see what they think and to determine how to treat Hank. Good luck! I hope that was helpful and that Hank is feeling better soon. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

This it is an unlikely cause for vomiting and other possibilities should be ideally investigated. Dietary related episodes, gastrointestinal inflammation/infection and (given the age) more sinister causes like tumors must be considered. 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.

Having a lesion in the mouth with such inflamed gums and possibly a broken off tooth root is very painful and prone to damage the permanent tooth that will come up and also can cause serious general infection. You will need to have this examined by your vet who will need to remove the tooth. If thee tooth is "just hanging by a thread" the vet may be able to just lift it out without too much pain or he may have to sedate your dog to remove it and check for any root remnants. It is possible that the pain and insufficient processing of the food due to pain can cause diarrhea. Until you get to take her to the vet you can feed her some wet /canned food and make it soupy so she does not have to use her teeth.