My dog's tooth is loose and gums are red. Is monitoring enough?

Truly your dog needs to have dental cleaning under anesthesia to evaluate these teeth and clean up all the tartar and around the gumline. Unfortunately most of the time loose teeth need to be removed and it also sounds like your dog could have some gingival recession that needs to be evaluated. I would make an appointment with your vet for an oral exam and most likely they will want you to schedule a dental procedure. Brushing teeth at home is great and will slow buildup of tartar, but it isn't going to fix the problems that Tiger has right now.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Lucky! If he has a visibly loose tooth and he is rubbing that side of his face it is very possible that he is in pain. But he also could have a skin infection or is experiencing an allergic reaction and him attacking that side of his face has nothing to do with the tooth. I think it is best to have him examined by your Vet. Have the raw skin addressed, his mouth evaluated and set up a dental procedure. When he is under anesthesia they can evaluated his gums and all his teeth and remove all that are infected. I hope this helps and I wish Lucky the very best!

The canine tooth looks like it might have a little evidence of gingivitis but it can be difficult to tell from a picture. I also would not prescribe antibiotics for dental disease in most situations - if the tooth is infected removing it is the best treatment option. Even though the tooth probably will fall out there may be other diseased teeth since it can be difficult to evaluate the extent of disease without sedation - you may want to ask your vet about a dental cleaning or if your vet does not do this procedure see another vet.

Active chewing on a bone may well loosen and encourage it to fall out without resorting to anaesthesia and extraction. There are many oral tooth gels which help to improve hygiene and reduce the risks of infection for the remaining teeth but would be unlikely to help a loose, infected tooth

Good on your for recognizing that loose tooth may affect dogs the same way as they do humans. You are absolutely correct it will affect them the same way, and I would have Mercee seen by a vet tomorrow. The tooth likely needs to be pulled, which the vet can do, and she will likely need a dental cleaning, scaling, and polishing. Like humans, dogs need dental care and cleanings, and they can and do get periodontal disease. Definitely have her seen by a vet for this issue. Great job for picking up on this!

Hello. Suzy will really benefit from a professional cleaning. I would locate a veterinary dentist in your area & have this done as soon as possible. Bad teeth like this can lead to a deteriorating health as bacteria are constantly showering her blood stream because of the infection in her mouth. Go to https://www.avdc-dms.org or talk to your veterinarian about scheduling a procedure. Thanks for contacting PetCoach.

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!