My senior dog has painful loose teeth and heart issues. What can I do?

Question

We have a 9 year old, mini-Schnauzer. He has a severe under bite and his front bottom teeth have gotten progressively bad over the years. He has not lost any, yet, but they are loose and I can tell he's uncomfortable. Our vet says that if we pull them, his lower jaw will become unstable. But I hate seeing him in distress. Is there anything we can do? I should mention, while he has no outward symptoms, a recent xray shows the very earliest stages of congestive heart enlargement. Pet's info: Dog | Miniature Schnauzer | Male | neutered | 12 lbs

Sara Farmer, DVM · Accepted Answer

It sounds like there are some anesthetic concerns and that your vet does not feel comfortable removing the incisors. You may want to ask about referral to a veterinary dentist if available in your area. Ideally Frodo should also have an echocardiogram performed by a cardiologist first to determine the extent of his heart disease and assess his risk under anesthesia. This website lists board certified dentists but there may also be a veterinarian in your area who limits practice to dentistry. https://www.avdc.org

My senior dog has painful loose teeth and heart issues. What can I do?

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