Problem with Vet Visit

My Jack Russell is back from the vet. He had sedation and a little general anaesthetic. Had two molars out . They were very loose. Has had a jaw bone biopsy in case of cancer in the bone. Results next week.

At home now he is taking an interest but won't take food yet or his pain killers tablets, or antibiotic tabs. At least only one side of his mouth is sore.

I've had a few unsatisfactory visits to the vet re. my cat. Problem solved when I changed to another practice. Vets are costly. And pets are family. Demand proper attention !

Tooth decay, gum disease can cause bad breath in humans. Doubt dogs are any different. May be the problem and dog would need anaesthetic for Vet to exam and treat.

Caleo

Thanks for the tip Nansnanny. Powdered apple cider vinegar may do the trick. Anyway he has to have no food on Thursday before the examination under sedation

The actual smell is not ammonia, or faeces, or fox, or urine, it smells like decomposition of a dead body.

Whatever it is he has a sore mouth as he no longer enjoys his dental chews.

It sounds like he/she may have a bad tooth or gum infection. Fingers crossed for tomorrow

Is your dog dribbling? There may be a problem with his teeth. Hope Vet can diagnose tomorrow

In your place I would write a polite letter relating your conversation with the receptionist as you have done here, and the fact that no nurse was present to help restrain the dog. You could likewise mention your suprise at the vet not calling in a nurse or another vet who could actually smell.

I hope the examination today, has made a diagnosis and treatment possible.

I once sent my dog with husband to the vets with a bad eye & he came back & said - she doesn't know about eyes, we have to make an appointment with one of her colleagues - & a bottle of eardrops (there was nothing wrong with his ears).& they charged a full consultation fee! We're with different, reputedly more expensive but actually much more genuine, surgery now who have been brilliant.

Your dog has probably got a (perhaps a few) bad tooth. My cat had the same horrible smell coming from his mouth, and he had to have quite a few teeth out (he was a stray I took in). I hope our dog gets on ok tomorrow. He'll feel much more comfortable in a couple of days

My dogs are aged 6 and 4.
They have a small raw marrow bone once or twice a week. I stay in the area to make sure no splinters etc after half hour the bones are removed. For treats they have dried fish skins, lambs feet or a bonio
Both just had their six month vet check / vet very pleased with health and teeth
I’ve often felt guilty for not using a tooth brush but our method is working

Iam64

Not wanting to upset anyone But, denta chews are not useful as teeth cleaners, plus they’re full of sugar a

On the subject of chews I recommended ostrich bones on here recently because they’re porous and don’t break the teeth. However, someone posted on Facebook that their dog died after chewing on an ostrich bone when the shards perforated her stomach. I’m still going to give her a knuckle bone for a short time under supervision because it has cleared all of the plaque off her teeth and at her last check up the vet who said she would need to have a complete dental under anaesthetic said her teeth were fine.Going back to the OP I think that, given that it was explained that the dog might bite, I feel that it should have been advised straight away that the dog needed to be sedated, because there’s no way that a vet can examine a nervous dogs mouth properly to ascertain the problem. So I would hope that the vet doesn’t add on another consultation fee. It does seem wrong to book a dog with smelly breath in with a vet that can’t smell, especially as it wasn’t an emergency although I suppose she would be able to diagnose gum disease just by looking. I think if someone else was taking my dog to the vets I’d send them with a list of the questions that I would want to ask if I was there.

Not wanting to upset anyone But, denta chews are not useful as teeth cleaners, plus they’re full of sugar a

My terrier isn't happy about anyone looking in his mouth but I noticed that he had smelly breath and signs of tartar so he was booked in for a tooth clean, which is always done under GA. Vet's had a special offer on so it was at a reduced price and included X rays, they asked me to agree to extraction if they found any issues with his teeth as they could be dealt with whilst he was under anaesthetic. He had two teeth taken out. I absolutely trust my vet. I hope you have given permission to have teeth cleaned and extractions done if necessary as a) it's better for the dog to only have one GA and b) it's a much cheaper option.

Wishing your Lovely dog all the love in the world & you peace of mind.
I'm sure everything will be absolutely fine. XXX 💞

Thanks for all your advice. I decided to go ahead with tomorrow's exam under sedation.

It is very difficult to judge real health of teeth/mouth just having a quick look. My dog had quick vet mouth check in July. I then noticed his breath smelling in Oct. Decided to book a tooth clean as he is 9yrs old. Vet rang me after he was sedated for the clean and advised dental xrays. Xrays then showed issues under gum line plus significant bone loss. He had 17 teeth removed! He didnt ever show he was in pain. My dog was back to normal the next day. My pocket was £600 lighter but luckily Pet Plan has refunded £500 (ordinary cleans would not be covered though). Im sorry about your dog finding vet visits so stressful - my other dog is the same often being seen in car park/car due to this.

Namsnanny

Thanks for the tip Nansnanny. Powdered apple cider vinegar may do the trick. Anyway he has to have no food on Thursday before the examination under sedation

The actual smell is not ammonia, or faeces, or fox, or urine, it smells like decomposition of a dead body.

Whatever it is he has a sore mouth as he no longer enjoys his dental chews.

I agree with Iam64 I hope it's not a serious problem with your dog Caleo

Have you tried mixing powdered Apple Cider Vinegar into his food?
It is supposed to help dry up sinus catarrh, which is the most common cause for bad breath.
Just a thought.

An examination under anaesthetic sounds like a thorough vet. I wouldn’t worry about the sense of smell to be honest
. Hope your dog is ok