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Detecting An Abscessed Tooth


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Murphy's started throwing up occasionally a couple of days ago, and then yesterday starting turning down meals. He is still eating (DH just reported he ate breakfast), but now we're wondering about a tooth abcess.

 

Background: I took him in 11 days ago for very swollen lymph nodes in the jaw and a goopy eye. 10 days of Cephloxin and eye ointment later, the lymph nodes still feel a little big but much, much smaller and his eye goop disapeared in 2 days.

 

Everyone who's looked at him says his teeth look great (dental 2 months ago) and there's no smell that I can detect, but I'm wondering if he does have a hidden abcess.

 

Is this something an xray would show? What else should I be asking about at this point. Patrick was injury prone as all get out, but didn't ever get sick so this is new.

Beth, Petey (8 September 2018- ), and Faith (22 March 2019). Godspeed Patrick (28 April 1999 - 5 August 2012), Murphy (23 June 2004 - 27 July 2013), Leo (1 May 2009 - 27 January 2020), and Henry (10 August 2010 - 7 August 2020), you were loved more than you can know.

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Guest Yankeegreyhound

When Sara had her abcess, the doctor could see it right when she looked in her mouth. She scraped the tooth a little and a ton of puss came out. I don't know if an x-ray would show more but if something is bothering him and it's not getting better, it couldn't hurt, right?

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I'm no expert, but I don't think vomiting is a symptom of an abscess tooth. Maybe if it was so bad there was bacteria entering the stomach? It sounds like a virus or something to me. I've been unlucky enough to get an eye/stomach virus before so I'm guessing its possible for dogs as well. I would try some Chicken and rice. Easy to eat and digest.

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Another lymph node is swollen, the one in his front armpit. All the liver values are sky high and they weren't 1.5 ago when the adoption group vetted him. The side xrays showed the stomach is pushed out of place, so possibly a very enlarged liver (virus? bacterial infection?) or something is wrong with the gall bladder or there is a large mass that isn't showing up on xray. Just about the only good news is the lungs are clear and none of the more internal lymph nodes appear to be enlarged.

 

He's had injected anti-nasua and acid reducing meds, he's on an antibotic which should help if there's a liver or gallbladder infection, and an anti-inflamatory drug that targets the liver as well as Prilozak (sp?) to help his stomach. DH is out buying chicken so I can make him chicken and rice.

 

As soon as our vet can get ahold of them in the am, we will hopefully get him right in to the specialty clinic for an ultrasound which should tell us more and then hopefully figure out what we're going to do. If they can't get him in tomorrow morning I'll take him down to U. of GA. All the vets here seem to discourage that, but I have to admit that DH is right and he's really not going to benefit from the 12 hour trip to U. of PA since the car makes him nervous on a good day.

 

I'm just heartsick, and I feel so guilty for moving here where the vet care just isn't that great and for not insisting on a blood panel 11 days ago, but that vet said it was clearly an infection. This vet has been good, but 11 days ago her colleague didn't measure the lymph nodes so we can't compare the swelling, other than knowing the third enlarged one is new. And I really don't like that my only option for seeing specialists is so difficult to get into.

 

Murphy is such a sweetie and he can't catch a break--he was bounced, then bounced again to a family that left him outside and didn't take care of him (he's gained 14 pounds and is still underweight). Now we have him and just want to love and spoil him and this happens.

 

Eta: no ability to do dental xrays here--I presume the specialty clinic could but it looks like we're rather beyond that now.

Edited by PatricksMom

Beth, Petey (8 September 2018- ), and Faith (22 March 2019). Godspeed Patrick (28 April 1999 - 5 August 2012), Murphy (23 June 2004 - 27 July 2013), Leo (1 May 2009 - 27 January 2020), and Henry (10 August 2010 - 7 August 2020), you were loved more than you can know.

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:hope Sending good thoughts for your sweet boy. Please keep us posted. :goodluck

Cynthia, & Cristiano, galgo
Always in my heart: Frostman
Newdawn Frost, Keno Jet Action & Chloe (NGA racing name unknown), Irys (galgo), Hannah (weim), Cruz (galgo), & Carly CW Your Charming

Princess http://www.greyhound-data.com/d?i=1018857

"It came to me that every time I lose a dog they take a piece of my heart with them. And every new dog who comes into my life, gifts me with a piece of their heart. If I live long enough, all the components of my heart will be dog, and I will become as generous and loving as they are." -- Unknown

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TBD was on the long list of possibilities she mentioned--it was a very long appointment, I'll ask more specific questions tomorrow after the ultrasound and we have a better idea what's going on.

Beth, Petey (8 September 2018- ), and Faith (22 March 2019). Godspeed Patrick (28 April 1999 - 5 August 2012), Murphy (23 June 2004 - 27 July 2013), Leo (1 May 2009 - 27 January 2020), and Henry (10 August 2010 - 7 August 2020), you were loved more than you can know.

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Sending prayers for your good boy.

Star aka Starz Ovation (Ronco x Oneco Maggie*, litter #48538), Coco aka Low Key (Kiowa Mon Manny x Party Hardy, litter # 59881), and mom in Illinois
We miss Reko Batman (Trouper Zeke x Marque Louisiana), 11/15/95-6/29/06, Rocco the thistledown whippet, 04/29/93-10/14/08, Reko Zema (Mo Kick x Reko Princess), 8/16/98-4/18/10, the most beautiful girl in the whole USA, my good egg Joseph aka Won by a Nose (Oneco Cufflink x Buy Back), 09/22/2003-03/01/2013, and our gentle sweet Gidget (Digitizer, Dodgem by Design x Sobe Mulberry), 1/29/2006-11/22/2014, gone much too soon. Never forgetting CJC's Buckshot, 1/2/07-10/25/10.

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Not yet about the needle aspiration--I asked but the vet felt that an actual biopsy would be much better and we may as well wait to see if they need to sedate/anesthesize him for anything else first.

 

He ate and throughly enjoyed his dinner of rice and boiled chicken (we're vegetarian so non-dog food meat is in short supply) so at least he's a happy boy.

Beth, Petey (8 September 2018- ), and Faith (22 March 2019). Godspeed Patrick (28 April 1999 - 5 August 2012), Murphy (23 June 2004 - 27 July 2013), Leo (1 May 2009 - 27 January 2020), and Henry (10 August 2010 - 7 August 2020), you were loved more than you can know.

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Passion had an abscess which they found on xrays

 

:grouphug

 

Hope they figure out what's going on.

gallery_2213_3086_11460.jpg

Kari and the pups.
Run free sweet Hana 9/21/08-9/12/10. Missing Sparks with every breath.
Passion 10/16/02-5/25/17

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Horrible, see my new thread.

Beth, Petey (8 September 2018- ), and Faith (22 March 2019). Godspeed Patrick (28 April 1999 - 5 August 2012), Murphy (23 June 2004 - 27 July 2013), Leo (1 May 2009 - 27 January 2020), and Henry (10 August 2010 - 7 August 2020), you were loved more than you can know.

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Beth, Petey (8 September 2018- ), and Faith (22 March 2019). Godspeed Patrick (28 April 1999 - 5 August 2012), Murphy (23 June 2004 - 27 July 2013), Leo (1 May 2009 - 27 January 2020), and Henry (10 August 2010 - 7 August 2020), you were loved more than you can know.

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