My dog's jaw pain improved with antibiotics. Is it a dental abscess?

I'm sorry to hear that. Giving antibiotics will only be a temporary fix. If she has an abscessed tooth, it is because the tooth is the problem. I'm not sure why your veterinarian thought 8 years was too old, but perhaps Sadie has other medical problems I am not aware of. Antibiotics could temporarily help, but unfortunately, I would suspect once the antibiotics were stopped, it will open back up and start draining again. I recommend trying to save up, or searching online to see if there happens to be a low cost income based clinic in your area, so that the tooth can be removed. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

If it is tooth pain I would consider antibiotics as it may be an underlying infection. I would recommend dental xrays if a veterinarian has that available. They are better to evaluate the teeth then a skull xray as it focuses on each spot individually. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

If Sid does have a tooth root abscess, he will likely need to have the tooth extracted. This will require anesthesia. At the same time, the rest of the teeth can be evaluated and xrayed and then cleaned to prevent or slow the progression of periodontal disease. Antibiotics alone may not be sufficient to resolve the condition. Even though he is a senior pet, a complete physical exam along with blood work will allow your veterinarian to tailor the anesthetic protocol for maximum safety. Medicating Sid without the advice of your veterinarian would not be recommended. Inappropriate antibiotic use may lead to resistant bacteria and may complicate any underlying condition.

It certain is possible that Kita had a very severe infection in her mouth and the antibiotics helped, and I'm glad that she seems better than she has in a long time. Without having a biopsy, a malignant tumor can't be ruled out completely, but I would keep an eye on her mouth for now. If the redness doesn't go away, or if her cheek becomes swollen again and she develops ulcers, then I would take her back into the vet for a biopsy.

Poor Kashmir! That does look like quite a nasty abscess. Unfortunately, in some cases if there is a large amount of pus collected in the abscess itself, drainage is required in order to resolve the infection - antibiotics only may not be enough. If he has been on medication for three days now without any significant improvement, I would recommend taking him back to your vet tomorrow morning for a recheck exam. At this point, it may be best to consider sedation so that the abscess can be flushed and drained.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Chico. I'm sorry to hear he is having these problems. You are correct in that a tooth root abscess is likely given his history of periodontal disease. The only way to clear the infection would be surgical extraction of the tooth under anesthesia. I understand your hesitation to do so given the risk of his underlying disease. In this case, he will likely need frequent if not chronic antibiotic therapy. I don't like to use antibiotics unless absolutely necessary, but his infection will continue to recur and be a chronic source of pain for him. I hope this information helps!

It should resolve with the treatment described. If not, recheck with your veterinarian. If it is an abscess, it may need to be lanced and drained. You should also confirm the entire tooth and roots has been removed. A bit of tooth root left behind may cause infection.