My dog has painful rotten teeth. What if I can't afford vet help?

Poor Rusty! Unfortunately, there really isn't much you can do about this at home - there are no over-the-counter human pain medications that are safe for use in dogs, so your best option is to give him soft food until you're able to get him in to see the vet. He/she can take a closer look at his mouth, and can get him started on pain meds and antibiotics as well as scheduling a dental procedure to extract the painful tooth.

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.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This may be due to an infection of a tooth for example, a mass or even an allergic reaction. It is not possible to know with just a picture. However, it is not recommended to give a dog Advil as this is not used in veterinary medicine due to its possible toxicity especially without possibly an appropriate dose. There is not much you can do at home without going to a veterinarian. For that reason, I recommend you consider going to your veterinarian for further assessment and possible treatment. They will start with a physical examination and possibly diagnostics depending on what the issue seems to be. You can consider your local humane society as they sometimes offer more affordable veterinary care. Have a great day!

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.

Unfortunately no, there is nothing you can do for Peanut at home. This tooth will likely have to be removed, which can only be done by a vet because it has to be removed under sedation. In addition, she will need antibiotics, which can only be prescribed by a vet. I would take her into the vet first thing Monday. A rotten tooth will be very painful for her, and it should be removed as soon as possible.

Feed a soft diet until she sees the doctor. There is nothing OTC that can safely given for pain. Many OTC medications for humans are toxic to dogs or easily overdosed. That tooth may need to be extracted.

Poor thing! I can’t imagine breaking one of my teeth at the gumline. I understand that you are very concerned about her experiencing pain and I am certain that it is painful to have a broken tooth at the gumline. But here is the problem, most over-the-counter pain medications that would be strong enough to help her will interfere with tissue and blood clotting. Why does this matter? Because most likely your veterinarian will recommend either extraction of that tooth or restorative surgery for that tooth. Both procedures will involve anesthesia as well as tissue manipulation. So I cannot recommend you start any kind of pain medication right now at all. But never underestimate the power of simply petting and loving your dog during the six hour wait. Studies have shown that simply by safely and lovingly stroking and speaking to your pet can provide a lot of unexplained stress and pain relief. The time should pass by very quickly for you when your pet and then you will be able to get The pain treated with possible surgery and medications. I hope this has helped.