The Story of My Dog
We have had a 5 pound Yorkshire Terrier for about 12 years now. When Butch (we have other names for him, too) was 3 years old he became very sick. We took him to the vet and were told that Butch had a severe infection, maybe in his kidneys, and that he would soon die. Well, after a course of antibiotics, Butch was able to get his teeth cleaned and they took a few bad teeth out. Butch was a new dog. Where do you think that infection was coming from? Every now and then Butch's breath would get worse than ever and he would seem sick again. We would get his teeth professionally cleaned and as usual, they would take the bad teeth out and yes, he would be better again. Recently, it happened again but, he must have just lost that bad tooth. His breath went from "I can smell him from across the room" to "why doesn't Butch smell any more?". And Butch, now at 12, is as healthy as ever.
The moral of the story? Easy. Butch is only 5 pounds so a tooth infection might affect him more than it might affect us. But, a tooth or gum infection might take its toll on us all the same. It is true, though rare, that a tooth infection can kill us. We also know that gingivitis alone probably takes years off one's life. Ask your dentist or hygienist if you have any questions. And Butch? I think that he is running out of teeth. That is another story.
Dr. Russell Marchese Jr. -- 585-343-2711. Like us on Facebook for more information.
