Teeth ache

About 4 weeks ago, I awoke to a toothache that got progressively worse.  Twenty-four hours and a root canal later, I felt much better.  So what does this have to do with a dog?  Well, meet Milo.  He is a sweet happy, boy that was returned almost three weeks ago.  He came to us with what I called "swamp breath" and a brand new toothbrush and an unopened tube of doggie toothpaste.  Knowing that teeth can improve with brushing, I slowly got Milo to let me brush his teeth, but getting him to let me even touch his mouth was a challenge.  2 weeks later, he allowed me to lift his jowls and the picture with my thumb in it is what I found.  If you look closely, you will see that it looks almost like part of his gum was missing.  I immediately called the vet and made an appointment for a dental. This problem was so much worse than I imagined.  Imagine if the roots of your teeth were exposed (yes, the part where the nerves are)...How long would you live like that?  How long would you allow your dog to live like that and would you expect him to be sweet and gentle when he was in so much pain?

 Lucky for us, Milo remained sweet and cuddly (even with Ginger).  Yesterday, Milo went to get his teeth "cleaned."  Unfortunately for Milo his teeth cleaning resulted in 16 teeth extracted.  I am going to warn you, the upcoming pictures are a little disgusting, but if it causes just one person to remember to brush their pup's teeth, I am willing to post these.  If your pup's comfort is not enough to get you to brush his/her teeth, maybe knowing that a tube of doggie toothpaste will cost you less than $5 but a situation like Milo's could cost you over $1000!!

Note the roots of his top teeth (not to mention the terrible icky stuff all over them).  The picture on the left is of his top teeth and the one on the right is showing his bottom teeth.

Milo is now back home and resting peacefully.  He is on some pain killers for the next few days and getting to eat soft food but this will allow Milo to live without pain.  Milo has a pending forever home, but his adoption fee will not nearly cover the extensive dental work he just had done.  Any donations will be helpful and can be given to Greyhound Rescue, Inc.  All donations are tax deductible as well!  I thought I would give you one more pic of Milo in his very drugged state.  He is still a little freaked out this morning and hanging out in his man cave (aka crate) to feel a bit more secure, but he has been coming out and eating a little.  I am pretty sure we will see the silly boy back soon!