My senior dog has bad teeth, jaw pain, and is vomiting. What to do?

If you are sure it is her teeth, have her examined by your veterinarian. Periodontal disease can lead to systemic disease, bad breath or tooth loss if left untreated. If she has any degree of periodontal disease, she will require anesthesia for a dental cleaning and any periodontal treatment. Your vet should perform a complete exam and blood work to confirm your dog is a good anesthetic candidate. Periodontal disease typically does not present as you describe so a visit to your vet is highly recommended. The GI upset can be managed by withholding food for 12-24 hours. Allow small amounts of water or PediaLyte. Resume feeding a bland diet (1:1 ratio of plain boiled boneless chicken and plain white rice). Feed in small, frequent amounts waiting at least one hour between feedings. If the vomiting stops, transition slowly to the regular diet. If not, see your veterinarian.

This it is an unlikely cause for vomiting and other possibilities should be ideally investigated. Dietary related episodes, gastrointestinal inflammation/infection and (given the age) more sinister causes like tumors must be considered. Please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

I'm sorry Heinz isn't feeling well. My first step would be a through physical exam, which is very important in deciding what to do next. I would next recommend some combination of blood work, abdominal x-xays, symptomatic care, or even hospitalization if Heinz was ill enough. I would probably not worry about the dental disease at this point, but if he looks pretty healthy, would discuss doing the dental within a month or two since we already have the blood work run today. I know that's super general, since so much depends on additional information, but I hope it still helps a bit. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Based on what you are describing it is difficult to understand what exactly is going on with Jordan. Since he is still eating this is usually a good sign. Since he has bad teeth I would continue moistening his food to make it easier for him to eat. Feeding him small meals more frequently may help alleviate some G.I. distress. If he continues having abnormal behavior it could be a neurologic issue that is causing problems. Keep in mind that he is older and may have some geriatric issues going on. If it is a heart condition causing his problems unfortunately, there is not a lot for you to do for that at home. There are some heart medication is your veterinarian can prescribe that can help his heart pump more effectively. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.

I'm so sorry Peper isn't doing well at the moment! I work for a home euthanasia service, so this is a question I face with my clients regularly. It does sound like he has some dental problems, and you are correct that it is painful when a dog has loose teeth. The good news is that this isn't necessarily an issue that can't be fixed. Peper could have a dental cleaning, scaling, and polishing by the vet who can remove any loose or broken teeth, which would relieve his pain. Having those painful teeth out will greatly improve his quality of life and extend his life. I would have Peper seen by a vet tomorrow to discuss doing a dental procedure on him.

It sounds as Kiyah is suffering from a severe gastrointestinal condition, possibly an infection. it could also be due to ingestion of a foreign body material. i would recommend taking her to the vet the first chance you get, she will need to be checked first, if the vet thinks it's a simple gastrointestinal infection she will need an anti vomiting injection, antibiotics and a special food for a few days in order to get better. if the vet thinks it is more serious she will need a blood test and possibly an ultrasound in order to find out what is wrong.

Hi there and thank you for using pet coach to address your concern. It is difficult to say for sure what the problem is since I do not have the lab work in front of me. If she is having symptoms of pancreatitis she most likely needs medications to help relieve these symptoms along with initiating a low fat diet. I would also want to know why she is now developing pancreatitis and at her age, I would strongly recommend an abdominal ultrasound if she is not improving. Prescription diets like Hills low fat I/D might be the best for her long term. If you have not initiated a bland diet, please follow my guide below. If there is no improvement or she worsens, you should take her back to your veterinarian for a recheck, further diagnostics and treatment. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns. I am also available via consultation if needed. GENERAL INFORMATION A bland diet is a diet that is soft and highly digestible. It is low in fiber, fat and protein and is high in carbohydrates. Bland diets are generally composed of a single carbohydrate source and a single lean protein source. The most common bland diet is boiled rice and boiled lean chicken breast, without skin and bones. Since bland diets are low in fiber, stool production slows and defecation is less frequent. Bland diets are fed to rest the gastric system and to help promote normal stool formation. Animals that are physically sick should not be fed bland diets as a method of treatment. PRIOR TO FEEDING A BLAND DIET Pets should be fasted for 12 to 24 hours. Young animals should not be fasted for more than 12 hours. Fasting will allow the intestinal system to relax and minimize acid secretions that may irritate and inflame the intestinal lining. During the fast small amounts of water or ice chips may be provided. Never fast a sick animal, it may cause disease progression and death. BASIC BOILED RICE AND CHICKEN BLAND DIET RECIPE CARBOHYDRATE SOURCE: Boiled white rice LEAN PROTEIN SOURCE: Chicken breast, no skin and bones BOILED RICE: 1 part white rice with 3 parts water boiled for 20 – 25 minutes or until the rice is easily crushed. BOILED CHICKEN: De-fat chicken breast and boil in water for 10 – 15 minutes or until the chicken meat is easily pulled apart and cooked all way through. MIXING INSTRUCTIONS: Finely chop the lean protein and mix 2 cups carbohydrate source and ½ cup lean protein source. STORAGE INSTRUCTIONS: Bland diets can be premade and stored in the refrigerator for a maximum of 48 hours. The bland diet can be cooked in a batch and frozen in feeding sized portions to minimize preparation time. Thaw and warm the frozen diet prior to feeding. PERMITTED LEAN PROTEIN SUBSTITUTIONS Pork loin, egg whites, low fat cottage cheese. 7% low fat hamburger, plain low fat yogurt. PERMITTED CARBOHYDRATE SUBSTITUTIONS Boiled potatoes, boiled spaghetti, Minute rice. PERMITTED COMMERCIAL BLAND DIETS Science Prescription Diet I/D, Eukanuba Veterinary Diet Low Residue, Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Intestinal HE. FEEDING INSTRUCTIONS Estimate 25% of your animal’s diet and feed that amount of the bland diet every 6 – 8 hours. Smaller animals will require less and larger animals will require more adhering to the same carbohydrate to lean protein source ratio. The bland diet should be fed for 4 -5 days with no treats or other food sources until stools are firm. TRANSITION BACK TO A NORMAL DIET Never transition back to a regular diet rapidly. Transition back to the regular diet over a 1 week period. Start by adding 25% of the regular diet to 75% of the bland diet and feed that combination for 2 days. If stools continue to be firm then continue substituting the regular diet in 25% increments and feeding the combination in 2 day time intervals until the diet is 100% regular diet. Minimize treats for 1 week after moving the diet back to 100% regular diet.