There are cases where your dog needs to undergo tooth extraction. This is necessary to promote your canine’s overall health. However, this also means that you need to do the right aftercare.
Various gum and dental problems would lead to the need for teeth to be pulled out to avoid infection. If this is the case with your canine, it would be better to get the procedure done right away. However, you need to know that you have to act on the needs of your buddy right after the extraction.
Dog teeth extraction recovery is a crucial stage. During this period, your dog would have special needs that you have to address. We would be going over the necessary steps that you have to take right after you leave the vet’s clinic.
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Why Tooth Extraction Is Necessary
Just like in humans, dogs can suffer from diseases affecting the gums and teeth. Dental diseases may lead to complications affecting your pet’s overall health. Your dog’s heart, liver, lungs, and kidney may suffer.
Aside from severe complications, dental diseases are also the leading cause of bad breath and loss of appetite in dogs. Poor oral health would lead to having an irritable canine. Given these circumstances, you need to address the problem right away to promote your canine’s well-being.
Expect Your Dog to Feel Pain
When your dog needs to undergo teeth extraction, it’s rare for the procedure to last overnight. Unless all the teeth need to be pulled out or the animal is old and frail, this situation happens rarely.
You just have to drop the animal at your vet’s clinic and leave it there. You can ask your vet to give you a call when you can pick up your pet or ask in advance. After that, taking care of your pet would be all up to you.
When your buddy just had a tooth extracted, it’s normal for your canine to be in pain. Just think about the last time you had an appointment with your dentist to get a tooth pulled out. The pain may not be life threatening, but your pet may show discomfort.
It’s normal for your pet to have a sore mouth for the next two to three days after the tooth extraction. However, it’s normal for the soreness to stay for up to five days.
Do not be alarmed if you see a bit of blood in the food bowl and every time your pet takes a drink of water. However, the amount of blood should not be too much. If you notice that there is excessive bleeding, you need to take the animal back to the vet right away since this is indicates hemorrhage which is dangerous for any animal.
Dogs May Need Pain Relievers and Antibiotics
When you have a dog that just had a tooth pulled out, it may be necessary to give them pain relievers. When the anesthesia wears off, your dog is bound to feel the pain. It only makes sense to have pain relievers at your disposal.
Often, vets will give you instructions on how to care for your canine after the surgery. Be sure to follow instructions on how much antibiotics to give your dog.
For the first night after the extraction, keeping your dog indoors would be advisable. You also need to anticipate that your animal would not be back to its old self at least for the first few days since the anesthetic is still affecting its system. This is not a cause for alarm, so do not worry when your dog seems to be less active than it usually is.
What to Feed Your Dog after Teeth Extraction
Your canine could have stomach issues after teeth extraction. Hence, fetching your dog from the vet’s clinic, plan its meal well ahead of time.
As much as possible, give it a bland meal first. Feeding your dog with chicken or white fish would be a good choice of food. It would also be good to increase the amount of water that you give your canine.
Dry food is the better choice if you want your dog to have healthy teeth but for the time being, you can feed your canine with canned food. If you plan to stick to giving it regular dog food, decrease the size to half right after teeth extraction. You can feed it with normal portions after a few days.
If your pet had all of its teeth removed, canned food may be the best choice for the first few days.
Right after the surgery, try to take away some of the toys or the hard stuff that it has been chewing on. Also, try to limit any active play for the next three days or so.
Pay Attention to Your Pet
While it is understandable that your canine would not be back to its old mischievous self, right away but this doesn’t mean that you have to be complacent. There are instances where dogs suffer from complications after tooth extraction. So, be extra attentive to any signs that could indicate that something is wrong with your pet.
The most common signs of complications after a tooth extraction include excessive swelling which should subside by the end of the fifth day. If your dog shows a sudden change in appetite or habits, that could also be alarming. Heavy bleeding is another red flag as well as drooling.
While some of this may be normal, ask your vet when you should be alarmed. Dogs, unlike people, could not tell you that it is suffering although they can act it out.
After the extraction, going for a checkup is a must. Your vet could request that you bring your dog back to the cleaning 7 to 10 days after the procedure to make sure that everything is fine.
Maintain Proper Oral Hygiene
The first thing that landed your dog in the vet’s office for a tooth extraction is poor oral health. Now that your canine is past the pain, you should make sure that you will maintain proper oral health from now on.
After an extraction, it is a good idea to rinse your dog’s mouth with a chlorhexidine solution. Go for a 0.2 percent solution and rinse your dog’s mouth once or twice a day depending on your vet’s recommendation.
Final Thoughts
While this is a good suggestion, always ask for your vet’s opinion. Your dog’s doctor might have better suggestions or it is possible that such solution is not ideal for your canines.
Tooth problems more common in dogs than you might think. In fact, 80 percent of canines develop one form of periodontal disease or another when it reaches age 2.
Although most cases are not life threatening, you need to take the necessary measures to safeguard your canine’s oral health.
Always remember that dogs are not too different from humans. Right after their tooth has been pulled out; dog teeth extraction recovery time is necessary. During this period, your four-legged buddy would require your care to get better.
As a responsible owner, you should also look out for warning signs that could indicate problems. By knowing what needs to be done and when to be alarmed, you can ensure that your dog will recover from a tooth extraction without any problems.