My dog's gum is bleeding badly from a tooth. What should I do?

Question

My dog is bleeding from gum underneath a tooth that will probably need extraction. He is on clyndamicin. The blood is getting everywhere in the house. I need the bleeding to stop!

C. Rathjens, DVM · Accepted Answer

The good news is that unless blood is streaming out of his mouth, he's unlikely to be in any danger from this blood loss. The bad news is that things in mouths bleed profusely and it's hard to get the bleeding to stop. You can't apply pressure easily or even a substance to stop the bleeding. While not life threatening, I would consider this an urgent situation. Confine him as best you can tonight to limit the damage (a crate, a carpet-less room) and call your vet first thing in the morning. They may be able to work him in to their surgery schedule as an emergency. At minimum, he should be evaluated tomorrow. If blood is actively dripping from his mouth, he's lethargic, or you just can not have him in the house being bloody anymore, I would recommend taking him to an emergency clinic for evaluation and monitoring before surgery tomorrow (probably still with your regular vet). They may be able to sedate him at an emergency clinic and apply pressure to the area while he's sedated to get it to stop. It will still likely start up again when he eats, which is why I think he needs that tooth out ASAP. While I wish I had a quick (or lower cost) fix, that's about all you can do in this situation. I hope that at least helps you make a plan and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

My dog's gum is bleeding badly from a tooth. What should I do?

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