Puppy Forum and Dog Forums banner

umm........ wtf is this???

2K views 10 replies 9 participants last post by  TxRider 
#1 · (Edited)





EWWWWWWW!!!!!!

I am attending a pet grooming school and this sweet little old (12 yr old) poodle had this all over her teeth. I first noticed her horrid breath and decided to take a look. ICK..... it still gives me shivers. Its the grossest shades of green, brown, and yellow, hard as a rock, and sometimes has really rough and raised surfaces. I have seen it a few times on dogs but would like to know what the heck this stuff is. My instructors tell me it is plaque and tartar build up that could have been prevented if the dogs had been fed hard food more often, or had had things to chew on. What is the treatment for this??? Can chew toys and kibbles be the only thing causing this? Can the introduction of them help improve the condition??? YUCK!
 
See less See more
2
#2 ·
Ugh, those teeth are awful. Yes, normal maintenance would have helped if done regularly, but at this point that dog really needs a professional dental cleaning done by a vet. Nothing else would do much good.
 
#3 ·
Wow... I really really suggest you tell the owners that they get the dog to the vet for a cleaning... (chances are they will have to pull out all of the teeth just by looking at those pics).

They are basically rotting out of his mouth... he/she could get periodontal disease... which is a terrible and dangerous disease.
It starts in the mouth when the teeth get so bad like that by neglecting ROUTINE care of a dogs mouth.

The disease poisons the blood and attacks the vital organs.
I had seen this many times while working at 2 different Vet Offices... when people bring their older dogs in asking "WHY DOES HIS BREATH STINK?!" or because the dog has suddenly become sick.

Keeping up with a dogs dental work and care is SOOOO EASY... it's just ridiculous that the majority of people do not do it.

It's wonderful that you care about the dog! Just follow through with it and tell the owners what could be going on... and that it causes pain for the dog and can even kill it. (It should be considered animal cruelty as well...)
Good Luck!
Nessa
 
#4 ·
Bleeghhh that dog is in serious need of a veterinary dental cleaning! Small dogs are so prone to tooth problems. It is important to start brushing a dog's teeth daily, especially small dogs, from an early age, with yearly dental cleanings once they reach a certain age.
 
#7 ·
Well, it's definitely oral disease but keep in mind, @ 12 yrs, there si not much that the owners can do about this, medically. I'd say the risks of anestesia coupled with the small size of the dog would be potentially life threatening, especially if there is an undiagnosed kidney or heart problem going on.

BTW, renal disease can cause already bad teeth to get in that state. It was probably a bad mouth made worse by the normal process of aging. The owner should probably be advised to stop feeding canned food if they are in the habit of doing this. There are kibbles out there designed to clean the teeth, and also giving bones would healp scrape some of the tartar off. But the best thing that can be done is for the owner to get a $5 veterinary tooth scaler and little by little, scrape the teeth themselves. I have been using a scaler on my dogs and it has made drastic difference in the older ones. It's dirt cheap and very safe, unlike dental scalings done under anestesia.
 
#9 ·
IMO that dog needs a dental 12 years old or not. With a blood panel done an informed decision can be made. Sassy has kidney disease and came through the cleaning just fine with only fluids to support her.

And IF the dog is willing to chew raw bones can knock the nasty stuff off the teeth. If the gums hurt she won't want to chew. Sassy couldn't chew when her gums hurt they are now healthy and she can clean off a beef rib just fine at 15.5 years old.
 
#10 ·
The thing that I have seen with dogs that have that much advanced build up of plaque and tarter... is that they might not want to chew things anymore or have hard food. It can be super painful for them... like for us when we have a bad cavity... rotten teeth.

After a VERY thorough cleaning this dog might be able to go back and chew on things comfortably... (if he's uncomfy now) but from the looks of his teeth... they might need to be pulled.

I really hope this dog gets some help.
Nessa
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top