Why is my senior dog not eating, crying, and has severe dental pain?

Question

I'm sending three pictures of my 17 year old Chihuahuas teeth and gums I haven't mon antibiotics I need to find some kind of pain reliever he's not eating well and he's crying a lot I can't afford to take him to the vet at this particular moment he was raised with a brother who passed away just a month or two ago and his dad passed away 6 years ago I'm afraid to anesthetize him he's too sore to eat much or touch his mouth so any advice you could give would be greatly appreciate. Pet's info: Dog | Chihuahua | Male | neutered | 16 years and 2 months old | 3.9 lbs

Laura Johnson VMD · Accepted Answer

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Grunt! Most of the time, despite how severe a dog's dental disease is, dogs still eat. Severe oral pain can cause a dog to stop eating, but it's isn't as common as we think. Grunt is an old guy and that worries me a lot. There are many reasons for a senior dog to not be eating well and be crying in pain: Kidney or liver disease, arthritis, neck or back pain, cancer and many other things. From your pictures he does have pretty bad teeth, but I can't be certain that is the cause of his symptoms. As for a pain reliever, giving him human medications without knowing why he isn't eating isn't advised. Human medications are not well tolerated in our animals and the dose ranges are very narrow. Some of these medications can hurt the liver and kidneys and since that is on the list as why he could be sick I can not advise you giving him any human medications. I recommend an exam by your Vet. If they think his teeth are the cause then they can prescribe safe medications for Grunt. I hope this helps and I wish Grunt the very best!

Why is my senior dog not eating, crying, and has severe dental pain?

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