My dog had a tooth removed. What to expect for eating and recovery?

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. He may experience mild bleeding from the gum and the gum may become swollen and sore for up to 24hrs. You can give him soft food for a day or two as picking up dry kibbles may cause some discomfort. In general, dogs tolerate losing teeth very well, so I do not think there is much to worry about.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Bailey. Not eating can be a sign of pain in a dog. I would start giving her the medication and see if her appetite improves. If not, then she will need to see a veterinarian to determine the cause of her decreased appetite. You can try adding warm water to her dry kibble or you can offer warmed canned food. I hope this information helps!

Poor Matilda! It's not unusual for dogs to be a bit depressed and sore for a few days after major dental work like this - just like people! She should feel a bit better each day, and should be back to normal by 7-10 days after the procedure. Make sure to feed her soft food in the meantime so that she can eat without hurting her mouth. If you have any concerns about how she's healing, you can always check with the vet who did her dental to make sure that everything is going as expected :)

Hi. I'm sorry for Bella's mouth troubles. Unfortunately Yorkies tend to be predisposed to dental disease. If Bella's remaining teeth are loose or diseased, they should be extracted by your vet. She will feel so much better! My sister in law adopted a little yorkie that I rescue who needed all of his teeth removed due to periodontal disease once he was first found. He eats like a champ and gained weight after his teeth were extracted because he could finally eat without pain. Some dogs may reguire canned or soft food after a full mouth extraction but some still prefer their hard kibble (small bites) Once she is healed from the extractions, usually there is no further oral disease, though her mouth should still be checked at her annual veterinary visits. Good luck to Bella, but I'm sure she'll feel better after her procedure.

The loxicam is an anti-inflammatory medication. While it helps with pain it also helps swelling around the extraction areas and promotes healing that way. The antibiotics prevent infection but do not have any effect on inflammation from the procedure. As Bella is doing well so far I would recommend giving the loxicam to help healing. However if she has any issues afterwards such as vomiting, diarrhea and/or decreased appetite stop this medication as rarely it can have adverse effects on the liver/kidneys.

I'm sorry to hear that! If its a large cheek tooth, or a canine tooth, try to get her in sooner than Saturday if at all possible. If its an incisor (one of the small teeth in the front) its probably fine to wait that long. In the meantime, offer her soft food, or moisten her dry food with water or chicken broth. You can use a dog oral rinse if you want to be proactive about it, but I don't think its entirely necessary. Whether or not specific treatment will be needed depends on what tooth it was and the extent of damage at the gumline. If there is a concern that the root fractured, or if the defect is quite large, surgery may be needed. If she seems to be painful or isn't eating anything, take her in as soon as you can. Good luck with her! Thanks for asking Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

I see what you mean from the pictures, it does look like where the tooth was is red. I would have Mystie seen by a vet for this problem tomorrow. Her mouth needs to be checked to see if the root of the tooth is still in her gums, and if she does have an infection, the vet can prescribe antibiotics for her. I'd soften her dry food tonight with warm water, and rinse out her mouth after she's done eating to make sure any food isn't caught where the tooth used to be in. Best of luck!