My Chihuahua has loose, rotting teeth. Can I pull them myself?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! You can consider applying for care credit which can help you cover these expenses or possibly contacting your local humane society which sometimes offers more affordable veterinary care. Good luck and have a great day!

Hi there and thank you for using pet coach to address your concern. This is an unfortunate situation. The recommendation would be to remove the tooth but with the concurrent heart disease it makes the decision difficult to put him under anesthesia. I will say, I have placed numerous pets with heart failure under anesthesia that did just fine. This just required an adjustment of the medications and careful attention to the heart monitor to catch any changes early. I would not suggest pulling the tooth at home. I would recommend continuing antibiotics every other month to prevent infection in the mouth. I might also consider speaking with a dental specialist about removing the tooth. Need Dental Specialists deal with many high-risk cases. I would also make sure that you are addressing the discomfort with some kind of anti-inflammatory. If Chico likes playing with toys, I would provide Chico with hard treats or toys to chew on. These Carter objects may help dislodge the already loose tooth. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any other questions. I am also available by phone or text based consultation.

I wouldn't recommend pulling it yourself, because so many things can go wrong with this scenario and we would be legally liable for any consequences that could ensue. Although there is a low risk of complications if it is truly a baby tooth. Pet formulated oral rinse from your local pet store is the only thing that should be used to clean a tooth root hole. Any brand will do. Instead, monitor it to see if it comes out on its own. You don't have to stop any of her playtime, continue things as normal and if it has not fallen out within 1 week, its best to take her to your vet to see if it can safely be pulled out. However, there is a good chance that it will fall out on its own. Best wishes with your pet Gracie moving forward. Take care.

Hi. Just as in humans, yes dental problems can be very painful. There aren't any ways with that much damage you can help at home, other then softening the food to help her eat. There are no safe human or over the counter pain medications unless directed by your veterinarian. A veterinarian would perform a full exam, recommend a dental under anesthesia and clean the teeth. While cleaning, they also check for loose teeth, bone loss, pockets, abscesses, x-rays, etc. to determine which teeth should be extracted for the patients health and comfort. Warning signs of dental disease are redness of gums, loose teeth, bad breath, pain, decreased appetite, chewing differently, and guarded of mouth. You'll need to watch his appetite, pain level, and quality of life.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! From your picture it appears to be a baby canine tooth. In small breed dogs sometimes the baby teeth can become retained and the puppy doesn’t lose them at all. I recommend removing the baby teeth that haven’t shed on their own when the puppy is spayed or neutered. My thoughts are that at least one Chacha’s baby canine teeth didn’t shed when it was supposed to. It was likely delayed. And it’s a GOOD thing it’s out now. If you are worried have your Vet take a look to see if any more baby teeth are present and discuss removing them at her spay. I hope this helps and have a great day!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! If they do fall off usually that will not affect eating that much. However, if they are loose that is usually indicative of an underlying dental issue so I would recommend that you have him evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Good luck!

Carnassial teeth have three roots, and unless all three roots are completely rotten and the tooth is only dangling by a piece of gum, I don't see any way you are going to accomplish this at home with no anesthesia, without serious risk to yourself and your dog. They often seem really loose, but require special equipment to extract safely even under anesthesia. Chances are if one tooth has issues, there are others as well and Millie really should have a complete oral exam done under general anesthesia so xrays can be taken of all the teeth, not just the one in question.