Guest TooManyDogs Posted March 1, 2008 Share Posted March 1, 2008 I recently received a senior foster (11 yo) who was found wandering and returned to the original rescue group. They refused to return him to his owners because of neglect; among other things, seven teeth had to be extracted. He was given a dental, but his breath knocks me out! What do I need to do/use to take care of whatever is still going on with his mouth? In addition, this fellow has a strange walk. The best I can describe it is that he has loose hips (not that sway some of the sassier females have), as though he was almost walking on tip-toe. It's not a stiff walk or bunny-hop like with arthritis and it's not an LS walk. He doesn't have any trouble jumping on the bed or sofa, and certainly doesn't seem to be in pain. But the walk doesn't look right. It can only be observed from the rear, when he's walking away from you. I gave him a massage around the hip area and he didn't react negatively, and he still has fairly good muscle tone for an older dog. Has anyone ever seen this before or know what it might be? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest VanillaBean Posted March 1, 2008 Share Posted March 1, 2008 I can only comment on the mouth stinkyness. I have an IG who I thought had teeth rotting out in his head. Took him in for a dental. He didn't have any problems with his teeth, but an infection around the teeth. He had to be on antibiotics for quite awhile to get rid of it. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guinness_the_greyt Posted March 1, 2008 Share Posted March 1, 2008 Spirit my new brood has a silly walk also... She has made huge improvements now that we walk twice everyday... (thanks to Diane/Burpdog for that advice) I think she may continue to always have the silly walk.... my concern with her was she was falling down all the time. Are his gums red around the teeth or where the teeth used to be? I'm thinking antibiotics also... My friends grey had a gum disease and had to have dentals yearly (then every 6 months when she got older) her breath was heinous... and her gums hurt her pretty bad! His terrible teeth may be due to gum disease! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaliforniaGreys Posted March 1, 2008 Share Posted March 1, 2008 My oldest has had problems with her gums which eventually effects the teeth, and her breath was the worst. My vet recommended wiping her gums daily with Biotene after brushing. The redness in her gums is totally gone and her breath is 100% better. And I'm sure she's more comfortable. Someone here made mention once that Biotene contained something that was harmful to dogs, but after a call to UC Davis and of course my own vet, I was told that Biotene is safe and to continue to use it.It's made a world of difference. Can't comment about the strange walk as I've had no experience with it. Thank you for taking this boy in and loving and caring for him. Quote Missing my little Misty who took a huge piece of my heart with her on 5/2/09, and Ekko, on 6/28/12 For the sick, the lost, and the homeless Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ss556 Posted March 1, 2008 Share Posted March 1, 2008 Alan doesn't have the best teeth, but not the worst either according to the vet. No dentals for him because of his health issues, so he is on antibiotics now, for 5 days, every month. This is because of the stinky breath as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shel0306 Posted March 1, 2008 Share Posted March 1, 2008 Is Biotene a mouthwash or paste? Have not heard of that but would like to try it on my own Grey who has some pretty bad teeth and breath. Is this something you can get at a drugstore? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaliforniaGreys Posted March 2, 2008 Share Posted March 2, 2008 Is Biotene a mouthwash or paste? Have not heard of that but would like to try it on my own Grey who has some pretty bad teeth and breath. Is this something you can get at a drugstore? Biotene is a mouthwash for people and available at any drug store...Walgreens....CVS....I know there are others here on gt that use it. My vet has me pour a little on some gauze( after brushing) and rub it on the gums.I've been using it for at least 2 months now and keep seeing improvement Quote Missing my little Misty who took a huge piece of my heart with her on 5/2/09, and Ekko, on 6/28/12 For the sick, the lost, and the homeless Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greytlady94 Posted March 2, 2008 Share Posted March 2, 2008 Stinky breath can be from teeth and gums but also can be from the stomach. For Biotene I order the gel and the mouthwash for dogs and it doesn't have the Xylitol in it. Biotene mouthwash Biotene gel Quote Greyhound angels at the bridge- Casey, Charlie, Maggie, Molly, Renie, Lucy & Teddy. Beagle angels Peanut and Charlie. And to all the 4 legged Bridge souls who have touched my heart, thank you. When a greyhound looks into you eyes it seems they touch your very soul. "A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more then he loves himself". Josh Billings Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest houndlover Posted March 2, 2008 Share Posted March 2, 2008 I agree with Greytlady94. Stinky breath can be teeth, gums, an infection in the mouth or a digestive issue. Daisy had her teeth cleaned about 9 months ago and her breath was back to being really stinky a couple of weeks after her dental. Daisy has a very, very sensitive stomach and the vet said her bad breath was probably due to digestive issues. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silverfish Posted March 2, 2008 Share Posted March 2, 2008 I can relate to both issues. Jack has that gunky saliva that leads to rapid plaque formation and frequent gingival infections. He's lost most of his teeth due to gum problems, not tooth problems. He has teeth with enormous, solid roots. We have him checked out and because he's an old guy with an ongoing problem, the vet doesn't want to keep putting him under, but gives him a course of antibiotic when he needs it and that keeps things under control. Also, he has a little bit of a stomach issue and I think some of the smell is coming from there. As to the funny walk, Jack walks as if his hind legs are too short to reach the ground properly. Have a look at your foster's conformation. Does he have very straight hind legs, like Jack? Jack appears to be standing on tip toe, too. He has quite straight knees and little upright feet, and he's a little short below the hock. He's cute, but it does give him an odd walk and an even odder gallop. Quote The plural of anecdote is not dataBrambleberry Greyhounds My Etsy Shop Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ozgirl2 Posted March 2, 2008 Share Posted March 2, 2008 That's true - I've seen Jack gallop - it's VERY cute!! Quote Jeannine with Merlin, the crazed tabby cat and his sister, Jasmine, the brat-cat With Angel Cody(Roving Gemini), and Weenie the tortie waiting at the Bridge Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silverfish Posted March 2, 2008 Share Posted March 2, 2008 It is, isn't it, Jeannine? Actually, looking at that pic of him again, there's another thing I notice. His pelvis has quite a tilt on it. Renie's back is much flatter at that point, more level. I'd think with that tilt, Jack won't be able to get the forward extension thing going as well as most greyhounds do - you know how they use the lower part of their back to increase their leg length? Anyway, if your foster doesn't look as if he has any conformation quirks that might explain the odd gait, it would be worth getting him checked out, but a lot of the time odd walks are just little quirks that they have due to their shape. Quote The plural of anecdote is not dataBrambleberry Greyhounds My Etsy Shop Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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