Two teeth of my 11 year old lab. retriever are decaying. What would happen to my dog if I don't treat them?

My aging dog went through one surgery two years ago to remove a tumor. I don%26#039;t know if another full body anesthesia to remove the decaying teeth is appropriate. Also, the vet. is asking for 495 bucks for it and I%26#039;m tight with cash these days. As of now, my dog doesn%26#039;t seem to have the toothache yet.

Two teeth of my 11 year old lab. retriever are decaying. What would happen to my dog if I don%26#039;t treat them?
If you can%26#039;t take care of your animal give it to someone who can or put him down rather than have him suffer as he Will;l if not treated .Then don%26#039;t commit to something you can%26#039;t take care of.
Reply:Your dog could get an infection. The infection could spread to your dog%26#039;s brain and kill him/her. I would talk to your vet about being tight with cash your vet (a good vet) is usually understanding and willing to work out a payment plan. Whether your dog is in pain or not dont leave it untreated. If it were your child and you didnt have dental insurance would you let them go untreated because you were tight with money?
Reply:he will have a severe tooth ache and then they will rot and fall out. it will hurt him and can cause infection in his gum.
Reply:you might be able to get away with not treating it for a little bit, but once your dog start to have pain full teeth it can become vary ugly. wont be able to eat and may even attack out of pain and fear. I would try to get it taken care of, tell your vet how you don%26#039;t have the cash and ask for advice. Ask how long it could wait or if they could cut the price down abit. If you have a good vet they will tell you strait up the truth and not just being trying to sell you something that isn%26#039;t needed. You could even get another opinion of you really want. I don%26#039;t know how much it would cost for them to take a quick look but you could call and ask. I haven%26#039;t had a dog for a few years, prices have changed I bet.
Reply:if you don%26#039;t get that taken care of, your dog%26#039;s teeth will abcess and that will cause an infection and your dog will die. take it to a vet and have it taken care of
Reply:Your dog can get a terrible infection. Also heart disease has been linked to tooth decay. She can have the teeth pulled while still awake, with a shot of novocaine. It won%26#039;t hurt her. I had 2 of my teeth pulled fully awake as a kid, and it didn%26#039;t hurt.
Reply:Bad teeth can and do affect the major organs. You dog could die from this. The heart, the liver, the kidneys are all affected or can be affected by bad teeth. That is why preventative care is best, so it doesn%26#039;t get to this point. If you do not have the teeth taken care of, the dog will eventually not only have terrible pain from the rotting teeth, but will be worse off from what it will do to it%26#039;s major organs. Either find some vet, or the money to take care of the tooth problem or be prepared that it will die. A slow, miserable death.
Reply:Eventually, decay and infection will spread to the gums and jaws. Tooth decay can also lead to infections in the blood.


I%26#039;m surprised his Vet didn%26#039;t inform you better.


Maybe he doesn%26#039;t want it to look like he pressing you for money, or he doesn%26#039;t bother if he thinks you can%26#039;t afford it.





You may check other vets%26#039; prices or just keep an eye on him as he is pretty old.
Reply:it would be painful for the dog and the dog might get sick it cnt die from it though not unless you dont take care of it
Reply:get infected and fall out
Reply:Your dog can develop gingivitis, periodontal disease, which in turn can lead to infections to the rest of his body, which may lead to his death.





If you are short on cash, there is something you can do. Start by gradually changing his dog food to a dental health type of food. The dog food should also be dry, since that helps with decay. Also give him dental bones and chew toys to help break up the tartar and decay. You can also brush your dogs teeth which will also help a lot.





Usually you can find a vet who would be able to help you out like putting you on a payment plan to help cover the costs of the dental prophylaxis.





The anesthesia is also very safe, even for older dogs, and is definetly worth it to help with his teeth.





Good luck!
Reply:Hi,





I can completely understand how you feel regarding having your dear pet under another round of anesthesia. The results of not having canine dental care could result in an oral/gum abcess(s).





* Abcesses are terribly painful. Bone pain is one of the most painful for dogs and humans alike.





*The oral cavity has a large amount of mucousa/circulation which will allow the infection to travel quite quickly through the blood vessels to other organs.





* Beyond the pain, your dear pet may suffer from a septic infection, which will travel systemically throughout his/her entire body.


A septic infection if not treated right away will quickly turn to septic shock which could result in death.





*Older dogs have a more difficult time containing infection


than younger, more healthy dogs.





* I wouldn%26#039;t just hope that it goes away or that the teeth will just fall out. With decay, it will only get worse.





*** Ask for a consultation with your veterinarian. Discuss the situation and ask him/her to give you any possible alternatives to teeth extraction. Let him/her know that you wish to keep your pet happy %26amp; heathly but currently your financial situation is very tight. Let her/him offer a payment plan.


(You are NOT the 1st person to ask her/him for a payment plan!)





If They do not offer a payment plan, call other vets in your area and speak to the office staff and ask about their payment plans





.... Another suggestion .... If you live in a larger city, you might call a University that has a Veterinarian medical school and ask about what their school can offer.





.... MOST have a clinic where you can bring your pet for treatment where they are treated by their senior students under direct supervision. ....





*** GOOD LUCK *** You can tell you really love your pet ***
Reply:Call your local animal humane society for reference to a vet willing to work with your animals dental problem and your economic constraints. There are even groups who will fund people trying to act responsibly on their animals behalf but are financially limited. Don%26#039;t procrastinate or give up! You are your dog%26#039;s %26#039;mouth piece%26#039;. Your dog deserves the help and you do too! Treat your animal as you do yourself, perhaps even better since the animal is dependent on you!



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