My senior dog has painful teeth, but still enjoys life. What to do?

Question

My dog is over 12 years old, it seems like its almost time to put him down but its difficult to decide because he still seems to enjoy life, he has a hard time eating because he has lost most of his teeth. He seems to be in a lot of pain when he eats if a tooth is loose, right now one of his back teeth seems to be falling out and it looks like he's in pain but as soon as he's done eating he's ok again, which is why I don't know what to decide. Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Small (up to 22lb) | Male | unneutered | 12 years and 7 months old | 15 lbs

Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS · Accepted Answer

I'm so sorry Peper isn't doing well at the moment! I work for a home euthanasia service, so this is a question I face with my clients regularly. It does sound like he has some dental problems, and you are correct that it is painful when a dog has loose teeth. The good news is that this isn't necessarily an issue that can't be fixed. Peper could have a dental cleaning, scaling, and polishing by the vet who can remove any loose or broken teeth, which would relieve his pain. Having those painful teeth out will greatly improve his quality of life and extend his life. I would have Peper seen by a vet tomorrow to discuss doing a dental procedure on him.

My senior dog has painful teeth, but still enjoys life. What to do?

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