Old dog's bad breath, painful jaw, dropping food. Is vet safe for him?

Question

Why does Tango have extremely bad breath? Tango is very old and has had bad breath for a very long time his teeth are brownish/greenish and when I give the slightest touch to his left side of the jaw it is very uncomfortable for him. He has a habit of dropping his food while chewing or is that normal ? My mom says he has bad teeth but doesn’t want to take him to the vet because she’s scared he might die from the anesthetics if he needs surgery. What should I do? Pet's info: Dog | Chihuahua | Male | unneutered | 7 lbs

Jennifer Summerfield, DVM CPDT-KA · Accepted Answer

Poor Tango! It sounds like he has severe dental disease, which is painful for the dog in addition to causing bad breath. I would definitely recommend taking him to the vet for an exam as soon as possible, since he sounds quite uncomfortable. Many older dogs are able to have dental cleanings without any problems, if they are otherwise healthy - your veterinarian can help you decide is this would be safe for Tango or not. If it’s determined that anesthesia would be too risky for him, your veterinarian may be able to prescribe antibiotics and pain medication to help reduce the infection and make his mouth less painful.

Old dog's bad breath, painful jaw, dropping food. Is vet safe for him?

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