diane allen Posted March 1, 2004 Report Share Posted March 1, 2004 My Lucy, who just turned 8, came to me at age 3.5 years with really bad teeth - bottom canines worn about half down, top ones only slightly better, and lower incisors almost non-existent. I'm guessing (from the teeth and observed behavior) that she spent a lot of her first 3 years playing with rocks and sticks. Poor baby. She recently had a root canal on one lower canine and the four central lower incisors all pulled. Vet (who only does dental work) said that the canine and incisors were all badly abcessed. She showed little sign of discomfort before the surgery, and my regular vet even thought the canine was OK (though he was ready to pull the incisors). I didn't think of this when I was at the office (which, BTW, is 8 hours away), but later: she has an incontinence problem, currently under good control with hormones (DES). I've had her tested a number of times for bladder or UT infections; sometimes there will be a minor indication of such, and sometimes nothing (which may also be a result of the delay getting her to the vet/test). Now I'm wondering if her abcessed teeth could have pre-disposed her to bladder or UT infections. Is this possible?! It makes sense, but....dunno the physiology there. Time will tell, of course - if she has fewer now, I'll be convinced! As a sidelight, the vet said that I'd probably notice a big difference in her - she'd likely sleep less and be more responsive. At that point, I asked if he could put the teeth back in! LOL! (She, if anything, has been calmer - but its only been a week, and she's just off the Carprofen...) The other thing he said is, because she has stitches in the lower incisor location, she should have nothing but food and water in her mouth for 2-3 weeks. OHMIGOD. This dog's mouth is her world. We've survived one week, but its been TOUGH on both of us. She couldn't figure out what was wrong as we played a little agility this weekend - if she did it right, WHY didn't she get her toy?! Anybody have experience with infected mouths infecting other body parts?! diane Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StillTerry Posted March 1, 2004 Report Share Posted March 1, 2004 Although AKC Doc will need to confirm this, I have always been told that infected teeth could cause infection to the heart. It makes sense to me because people with heart problems and/or artificial valves need to take antibiotics prior and after dental work. Also had a friend whose dog got had an infected tooth and then got infection in the incision from the tooth removal ......and co-incidentally was diagnosed with a heart problem about a month later. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cgt Posted March 1, 2004 Report Share Posted March 1, 2004 "... AKC Doc ..." Yikes. Is it possible to have a Freudian slip while typing? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackacre Posted March 1, 2004 Report Share Posted March 1, 2004 Oh yes. Many years ago my friend received a couple of hideous cut glass bowls from her soon to be mother-in-law on the occasion of her marriage. When it came to writing thank you notes, she wrote: " Thank you very much for the beautiful bowels . . . " A. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cgt Posted March 1, 2004 Report Share Posted March 1, 2004 Hey! I got those bowels for Christmas. Isn't there a theory that you are only, like, 6 people distant from possibly getting re-gifted by anyone in the world? charlie Ooops. Waaaaay off topic...... Hmmm..... did the bowels have Border Collies on them? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StillTerry Posted March 1, 2004 Report Share Posted March 1, 2004 My sincerest apologies to AK Doc. Not a Freudian slip but just another of my senior moments. Was in a hurry when I ran spell check (or maybe a daze). Must have hit "change" versus "ignore" when the initials popped up. Darn, if I had half a brain, I would still be a half wit! Don't look for any encores. Just slinking off the boards for the night. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackacre Posted March 1, 2004 Report Share Posted March 1, 2004 No, but I may have gotten your hideous silver candlesticks at my wedding, with, ummmmm, border collies on them, that's right. My (gloriously) ex-mother-in-law tried to repossess them on the occasion of the first post-divorce Christmas. That would be NOT, I said, ever so politely. Hideous, yes, mine forever also, I fear. A. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cgt Posted March 1, 2004 Report Share Posted March 1, 2004 Ahem. Sorry, Diane. charlie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK dog doc Posted March 1, 2004 Report Share Posted March 1, 2004 On bad teeth and infections in anatomically distant sites - yes, this is possible, both because bad teeth seed bacteria into the bloodstream, and beacuse an infection anywhere ties up the immune system a bit and renders the rest of the system a bit more vulnerable. Terry, the thing about the cardiac infections is true, and poses some risk if there's a lot of infection with routine dental work in dogs. This because they're prone to a benign valvular change called "endocardiosis" (NOT to be confused with endocarditis, which is a potentially life-threatening infection... just like AK is not to be confused with AKC, but no worries! - I knew what you meant and would NEVER so insult you as to presume that you actually think of me in the same category as That Organisation. You are clearly too refined for that.) But still, thanks for your shudders on my behalf, Charlie... At any rate, endocardiosis makes the valve leaflets a little bumpy and that makes them more prone to infections, such as can occur following dental work if there's a lot of infection in the mouth. I generally put these dogs on antibiotics (preferably before the dental for 2 or 3 days, if possible, and continuing after). Bad mouths do hurt, so there's every chance that you'll have a perkier BC on the other end of it... alas for your peace and quiet, Diane! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oreo's mom Posted March 2, 2004 Report Share Posted March 2, 2004 Hey, AK dog doc, just an aside... I've missed your posts. Have you been on vacation "outside"? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diane allen Posted March 2, 2004 Author Report Share Posted March 2, 2004 Wow - how much fun can we have with slips? Oh, never mind... Thanks, Doc, as I suspected. Thankfully, no heart problems evident - yet. Hopefully not ever now! ) Actually, though she's just off her pain pills and "confined" due to the stitches, if anything, she actually seems calmer. Might that be a result too?! Maybe the pain (if there was any) was just setting her off. Now if the dental work would just solve her noise phobia.... Thanks for the diversions too! diane Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK dog doc Posted March 3, 2004 Report Share Posted March 3, 2004 Dianne, if having teeth pulled would solve phobias, *I'd* go get some extracted! It is possible that pain could result in displacement behaviors - restlessness, anxiety, etc - and once the pain was removed there would be less of that energy to displace, so maybe that's part of it...? Not sure. I can relate, though, that when I did a dental on my 13 year old terrier mix - who might reasonably be expected to take a few days to recover, at her age - she was like a 2 year old the very next day - racing wildly around, springing into the air, teasing me into playing with her even though I was supposed to be studying, eyes a-sparkle with mischeif... man, I miss that dog sometimes. Oreo's mom, thanks for saying you missed me! I only WISH I was on vacation (Outside or not)... it was partly getting over bronchitis (which took 3 weeks), partly being on call (which only SEEMS like 3 weeks), and partly that I didn't think I had anything very useful to add for a while. There are so many people on the boards who are knowledgeable and experienced and/or just have good common sense or kindness to offer that anything I had to add would have seemed superfluous. But you notice I've stuck my big fat nose back in now, so I must be feeling better! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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