Why is my very old dog's mouth bleeding? Could it be a dental issue?

Unless you are able to examine Razzoo's mouth and can identify normal tissue vs diseased tissue (and find the obvious cause), I recommend to have Razzoo examined today by the veterinarian. Blood can indicate a wound, something stuck in the tissue, a diseased tooth, a ruptured oral tumor or even a bleeding disorder. It is very important to diagnose the appropriate cause of the bleeding. Best of luck.

You should take him to your vets without delay. If he is bleeding a lot you vet will have to put your dog under general anaesthesia to stop the bleed. Also, it is important to find out why he is bleeding. It could be due to a problem in the mouth (large wound or cut on the tongue, bleeding mass etc) but it could be a problem with blood clotting.

Oh my. At this age your pet shouldn't have too much dental disease to cause bleeding gums. This is definitely not normal and I worry that Abdul may either have a bleeding disorder (which can only be diagnosed and treated through your vet) or there may be multiple cuts in the mouth from something sharp your pet recently chewed on. I would highly recommend taking Abdul in to your vet to have them examine the mouth asap since a bleeding disorder is a possibility here. If there are cuts in the mouth that is causing this, then an oral rinse and oral pet friendly anti-inflammatory medicaiton will likely be prescribed. I hope that you get some resolve for Abdul soon for his very strange sudden bleeding gum disorder. Best wishes and take care.

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your question. There could several causes of this. I would suspect a toxin that was ingested or a systemic disease that is causing abnormal bleeding into the surrounding tissues of the body. It is difficult to say for sure just based on these clinical signs. If you have any other questions or concerns please feel free to contact me and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Hi. She would need a full oral exam to know for sure. But some possibilities include: dental disease, infected tooth, ulcers in the mouth, foreign material stuck in mouth, or in the tongue. Check her mouth very closely, and call your veterinarian first thing in the morning. Good luck.

Thank you for providing such good pictures. It looks like Lars has broken part of his tooth and what you are seeing is the pulp cavity. The pulp cavity is the center of the tooth where the nerves and blood supply run. The problem with having the pulp cavity exposed is that the area will be painful, and bacteria can now get into the tooth. In order to prevent infection, either the tooth needs to be extracted or a root canal needs to be performed. If your vet doesn't perform these procedures, they can refer you to a veterinary dentist who does. But have your vet evaluate Lars and give you their recommendation. I would also recommend discussing Lars' chewing habits, so you can try to figure out what caused this, so he doesn't break any other teeth. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Rat bites do have the potential to cause illness and fever. If you notice fresh blood from the mouth, even after rinsing the mouth with water, then chances are the rat bit Lilly somewhere inside the mouth that isn't readily visible. An ER visit is needed if the bleeding doesn't stop and is profuse, requiring cauterization. However, a regular vet visit on tomorrow is needed, even if the bleeding stops for tonight, because if the rat did bite Lilly then a prophylactic treatment with antibiotics should be considered to prevent an infection from festering.