Been Through The Toothy Wars

Poor Earl has been through the wars recently. It all started when we noticed a strange swelling on his face. The vet thought it was likely to be a tooth abscess, therefore we had him booked in for a confirming x-ray - which proved it was indeed a tooth abscess. A burst tooth abscess. Earl had a back tooth removed and is now on some medication temporarily. This couldn't have been a pleasant experience for him, and made him rather subdued. I feel for him - tooth pains are always hell. Earl is just so good at hiding pain - we could only tell when we found the lump on his poor little face that must have been in pain. And general bacteria is to blame. The vet advises we start giving Earl a daily carrot again - this slipped a little since we welcomed Ethel, I'm sad to tell you. And he also highly recommended brushing Earl's teeth using a special doggy toothbrush and toothpaste - which we will be doing with both dogs now just to be sure and safe. The sooner Ethel starts the better as well.

So there you have the problem we faced. Bacteria is mischief and much much more!

Flaked fish or chicken and rice were on the menu for one dog for the following couple of days. He enjoyed this I have to say - could I even stretch to saying it was a perk of the situation for him? He'd stretch to this for sure! His temporary medication has to also be added into his breakfast for a couple of days. Being a foodie, this wasn't hard for him at all!

The vet also recommended we keep Earl warm and rested for the course of the following couple of says especially - he shouldn't face much cold and would be feeling a little rough anyway. Which meant missing a couple of agility classes for him to recover - health before anything and I completely agree with this!

Another thing that we noticed straight away when he came home was a shaved/clipped area on his front leg. This was where the anaesthesia injection was injected into him before the x-ray and tooth extraction. This is completely normal!

The vet will usually send you home when you come to pick up your dog will a piece of paper stating the plans for the next few days, and what to look out for in your dog.

You will be advised to check the wound to make sure it is doing OK and healing properly.

The vet will often invite you back to the surgery or practice for a post-op check up to make sure everything is as it should be. If your dog takes part in any activities, you should ask when these can return to normal participation. You want your dog to heal completely and well before resuming to normal activities that may put strain on or pose a risk to the wound.

ANY lumps should be checked out straight away by a vet when you notice one!!! They could be anything!!

*This post is by no means veterinarian advice! It is simply a share of a personal experience. If you have any worries or queriers, see your own vet without hesitation.