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My dog has a draining mouth abscess. Could it be cancer or a tooth issue?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Labrador Retriever | Male | 11 years and 3 months old | 80 lbs

My dog has like a abcess on the top side of his mouth it's keeps filling den draining can it be cancer

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2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Leigh, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on June 19th, 2017

It is possible that it is associated with some type of cancer, especially if you can see a mass. It could also be caused by a tooth infection. Your vet could do a dental cleaning with x-rays to evaluate his teeth and see if any are infected teeth that need to be extracted. He may need to stay on an antibiotic for an extended period of time to clear the infection. Your vet could also culture the drainage to make sure he is on the correct antibiotic.

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    Answered By Emily, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on

    With Bear's age something like this could be cancer but a tooth root abscess is possible as well. The best way to tell the difference is to do a dental X-rays to assess the tooth roots and bone. Depending on those results Bear could just need a tooth extraction and antibiotics but he could also need further surgery if it is looking more like cancer. Even if you would not pursue surgery for cancer I recommend you have your veterinarian look at this as sometimes antibiotics and pain medication will help Bear feel better. Do not give any human medications as they can be very toxic to dogs.

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