Loose, infected dog tooth, heart disease. Can I pull it at home?

Question

My dog has a loose upper molar that frequently gets infected so I am back and forth to the vet every month or so to get antibiotics. However, my dog cannot have a dental because he also suffers with dilated cardiomyopathy and my vet has said that it is very risky to put his heart under that sort of stress and that it would be unlikely that he would pull through. Can I pull the tooth at home? I've been wobbling it and it's very loose now and I flush with saline. Is there anything else I can do? Pet's info: Dog | Chihuahua | Male | unneutered | 9 years and 2 months old | 8 lbs

Daniel Fonza, DVM · Accepted Answer

Hi there and thank you for using pet coach to address your concern. This is an unfortunate situation. The recommendation would be to remove the tooth but with the concurrent heart disease it makes the decision difficult to put him under anesthesia. I will say, I have placed numerous pets with heart failure under anesthesia that did just fine. This just required an adjustment of the medications and careful attention to the heart monitor to catch any changes early. I would not suggest pulling the tooth at home. I would recommend continuing antibiotics every other month to prevent infection in the mouth. I might also consider speaking with a dental specialist about removing the tooth. Need Dental Specialists deal with many high-risk cases. I would also make sure that you are addressing the discomfort with some kind of anti-inflammatory. If Chico likes playing with toys, I would provide Chico with hard treats or toys to chew on. These Carter objects may help dislodge the already loose tooth. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any other questions. I am also available by phone or text based consultation.

Loose, infected dog tooth, heart disease. Can I pull it at home?

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