My dog's tooth fell out from decay. What are the risks? Antibiotics?

Hi there and thank you for using pet coach to address your concern. Judging from the pictures you provided, the tooth looks as though it was quite infected especially if it fell out on its own. A lot of times, teeth that are this infected that Fall out have also lost some of the root characteristics. By this I mean the roots will sometimes appear as though they are missing or very rounded and short as opposed to their healthier appearance. A lot of times these teeth will have a black discoloration if the tooth is dead or may appear black due to the Tartar and plaque that has grown on the surface of the tooth. Flushing with saline is fine and the hole where the tooth previously was should heal on its own now that the problematic tooth is out of the tooth socket. I would definitely consider keeping him on antibiotics and also do what we call Pulse antibiotic therapy. I did this with my own dog and would Place him on a course of antibiotics every other month at a high dose using clindamycin as my primary choice as it is very good for bone and dental infections. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please feel free to contact me if you have any other questions or concerns. I am also available by phone or text based consultation if needed.

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.

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’m sorry to hear about the tooth loss. It sounds like you are trying hard to maintain good oral health and you should continue this. Definitely try to brush the teeth every day, even twice a day if possible. Pet tooth paste helps but the main benefit is the physical brushing. They also make dental diets which can improve oral health. Some pets also go on pulse therapy antibiotics to help control bacterial populations in the mouth. Unfortunately despite best efforts, dental disease can progress resulting in a he tooth loss. A fair amount of dental disease is found under the gumline and so it is hard to address without a proper dental cleaning. You may ask your veterinarian if there is an option to have you pup cared for by a specialist who may be able to preform a dental cleaning. If this is an option. Best of luck and please feel free to post any additional questions.

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

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.

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!