Senior dog bad breath, drool, chattering jaw. Is anesthesia safe?

Poor Tango! It sounds like he has severe dental disease, which is painful for the dog in addition to causing bad breath. I would definitely recommend taking him to the vet for an exam as soon as possible, since he sounds quite uncomfortable. Many older dogs are able to have dental cleanings without any problems, if they are otherwise healthy - your veterinarian can help you decide is this would be safe for Tango or not. If it’s determined that anesthesia would be too risky for him, your veterinarian may be able to prescribe antibiotics and pain medication to help reduce the infection and make his mouth less painful.

There is no alternative at this stage other than a full dental assessment to remove the tartar and infection and relieve pain by extracting the loose and damaged teeth which would then allow the gums to heal. Contact your local humane society for advice on subsidised care if you cannot provide for his care. Toothpaste, rinses and dental chews will not be sufficient at this stage and it is not appropriate to ignore the current pain and infection you describe

This is a serious concern. Sonny likely also has lots of tartar on his teeth. The tartar as well as the area below the gum line is full of bacteria which are causing the severe gingivitis and the bad smell. The inflamed tissue will also facilitate that bacteria enter the blood stream and so can travel to the heart, causing heart disease, and to the kidneys causing kidney disease. This is also a highly painful process. The only way to remedy this is to have his teeth cleaned under anesthesia, removal of the tartar, cleaning below the gum line and removing any teeth that may be loose, infected or damaged. I suggest you schedule an appointment with your vet to assess the condition.

If the antibiotics have not made a difference, recheck with your veterinarian. Rex may have significant periodontal disease. A complete dental cleaning may be necessary. This will require anesthesia, so pre anesthetic blood work should be done to assess major organ function. This blood work can assess kidney function which can also be the cause of his condition.

Nasal discharge can be caused by many different things, including bad dental disease/infected teeth, bacterial or fungal sinus infection, a foreign object in the nasal cavity, or even nasal cancer. Your veterinarian, after performing a physical exam and obtaining the complete medical history, will be able to determine which of these causes are more likely. If a dental procedure and tooth extraction is recommended, your veterinarian will determine whether Spike is healthy to undergo the anesthesia. Just like in humans, anesthetic procedures are not without risk. However, as long as a good physical exam is done and pre-operative bloodwork indicates that he is healthy, he is not at a higher risk than any other dog. Oftentimes dogs vocalize during anesthesia recovery because of the effects of the medications or they are confused. Talk to your veterinarian about this concern and steps can be taken to ensure that he has a safe and minimally stressful recovery.

It is never safe to do a non-anesthetic dental, and it should never be preformed on a dog. I can understand your concern, but Daisy does need that loose tooth removed and her teeth cleaned. PetCoach has a great article about why you should never chose non-anesthetic dentals that discusses if anesthesia is safe, and what happens when a pet's mouth is cleaned under anesthesia. I will link the article below so hopefully some of your concerns will be alleviated. As for her breathing, dogs who have a short snout typically breathe better with an ET tube (endotracheal tube) which is used during a dental procedure. I would recommend having it done if your vet feels it's safe, as it will make Daisy so much more comfortable. https://www.petcoach.co/article/what-s-the-deal-with-anesthesia-free-dental-cleanings/0

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Buddy. My concern about his bad teeth is that they can become very painful causing him to have a loss of appetite. Without seeing him in person, I can't say what his anesthetic risk is, but if it's not bad, I would recommend having the dental work done. Have him seen by another vet for a second opinion. Best of luck.