Dogs are one of the most common types of pets found across the world, and it is not hard to see why. Their infectious enthusiasm and joyful demeanour is hard to ignore and leads to owners being very protective of them. While it is easy to protect them from more obvious dangers, it is vital that you stay vigilant against the more insidious health problems. A lot of these occur in the mouth of your dog, and perhaps none are as severe as a root abscess which can form at any time and for very little reason.
What Is A Root Abscess?
Dogs use their mouths for a lot more than just chewing food, including to clean themself, carry objects and move items out of their path. This gives them a much higher chance of their teeth breaking or getting damaged. If the enamel on your dog's teeth is broken or its structural integrity is damaged in any way, bacteria will start to invade the weaker layers beneath. This can lead to a build-up of bacteria at the root of the tooth, the tooth dying and an abscess of pus forming.
Is It Really That Dangerous?
Any dental injury should be taken very seriously when it comes to pets. Not only will it affect their diet and therefore weaken them, but it is also hard to tell just how painful it is for them. Obviously, dogs cannot communicate effectively and often show no signs of discomfort until the tooth abscess is very far along. By this point, it can be hard to treat the problem without invasive surgery to stop the infection spreading into the bone and other areas. If this infection spreads to the blood, which it can, it can be fatal. That is why visiting your local veterinary dentistry clinic is a crucial part of your routine dog check-ups.
What Are The Treatment Options?
Your veterinary dentistry will be able to fully diagnose your pet better than any advice online, but there are a few options. If you catch the infection early enough, then your veterinary dentistry will suggest trying to stop the spread and save the tooth through non-invasive measures. This is preferable because, as mentioned above, dogs really need their teeth far more than humans do. However, sometimes the infection has spread too far and is at risk of becoming life-threatening. In this case, the only option for your veterinary dentistry clinic is to remove the tooth and any of the infected bone. This is a painful procedure for your pup to go through, but it is very survivable with good post-operative care.
Talk with the staff at a local veterinary dentistry for more information.
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