Any amount of blood coming from your dog’s mouth should be investigated by a veterinarian. You should make a quick appointment with your vet or veterinary dentist if your dog’s mouth is bleeding from time to time. Here are a few potential causes of your dog’s mouth bleeding and what you can do to stop it.
Gingivitis
The same bloody bone or chew toy may indicate a more serious problem if your dog is eight months old or older. The gingiva might get inflamed when you chew, especially if you already have gingivitis.
Dogs frequently get gingivitis, which is a sign of periodontal disease. The best practice for canine dental health is once daily brushing, but since most dogs don’t receive this care, plaque and calculus can quickly accumulate on their enamel. Plaque and calculus both contain dangerous bacteria that cause oral tissues to become infected and swollen.
The gums turn red and inflamed and bleed readily when these bacteria enter the gingival sulcus (the area between the gingiva and the tooth). This frequently means that periodontal care is necessary because the bone enclosing the tooth roots has started to become infected.
It might be a good idea to arrange a routine appointment with your usual veterinarian or veterinary dentist to have them examine your dog’s mouth, teeth, and gums if you observe red, bleeding gums when they are not serious or chronic.
Oral Lacerations
Additionally, there are a number of distressing causes for your dog’s lips to bleed. Blood spots on a chew toy are not the only sign of oral injuries; you could also detect bloody saliva or see blood trickling from the mouth.
Dogs like to chew, and as they are naturally curious animals, they frequently observe their surroundings with their mouths. Because of this, it happens frequently for dogs to lacerate their mouths on toys or other sharp objects, which can result in significant bleeding.
Because oral tissues bleed profusely when pierced or cut, even a little injury can result in a significant amount of blood loss. Please take your dog as quickly as possible to your normal vet or a veterinary emergency clinic for an appointment if your dog’s mouth is oozing blood or if it has been doing so for many minutes without stopping.
Avoid trying to force the mouth open or manipulating it excessively because doing so could dislodge any clot that has started to develop and aggravate or restart the bleeding.
Foreign Materials
Sometimes when a dog is chewing on a stick or other object—retrievers are the typical example—or even sprinting with a stick in their mouth, a piece will push into the oral tissues or palate and become lodged. If oral foreign bodies are not treated, they may eventually continue to cause bleeding.
On rare occasions, a dog’s oral foreign body goes undetected in the mouth for weeks or even months until a vet notices it while performing an exam. An oral foreign body should be removed right away to avoid infection and tissue damage.
It’s recommended to refrain from attempting to remove any foreign objects from your dog’s mouth if you suspect they may be there. Your veterinarian should examine and remove oral foreign bodies while you are asleep. A potential oral foreign body would be a justification for urgent veterinarian attention.
Tooth Luxation
A luxated (dislocated) tooth, frequently the canine (fang) tooth, may be another cause of the bleeding from trauma in your dog’s mouth. When a dog’s tooth becomes lodged in a fence, during a dog fight, or even just while engaging in friendly play with another dog, tooth luxation can occur.
Because the tooth luxates and causes gingival lacerations, these wounds frequently bleed profusely. An urgent veterinarian appointment is required if you discover blood from your dog’s mouth and a tooth that is pointing in an unusual manner.
A luxated tooth can be treated in a variety of ways, but frequently, the tooth can be saved by being replaced in the alveolus (socket) and wearing a splint. However, a luxated tooth will always have its blood supply disrupted, necessitating root canal treatment. Extraction of the tooth is also a viable choice if splinting and a root canal are not an economical or desirable option for you. Although keeping a tooth alive is preferred, as long as the patient is pain-free and has a good bite, we have succeeded.
Oral Tumors
We detest seeing blood from the oral cavity, and one of the causes is an oral tumor. Oral melanoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and fibrosarcoma are the three most prevalent malignant (cancerous) oral tumors in dogs.
These tumors can occasionally be accompanied by swelling that is apparent from the outside. Other times, the tumor can be difficult to detect in daily life since it is located on the tongue or the back of the mouth. The most frequent symptoms in these situations include trouble eating or a decrease in appetite, considerable halitosis, or bloody or blood-tinged saliva from the mouth, especially if it is on one side.
The best course of action if you see these signs is to make an appointment with your vet so they can examine your dog’s mouth more closely. To assess what they need to see, they might even need to sedate your pet.
Be patient if your veterinarian does discover a tumor. In addition to the previously listed malignant lesions, dogs frequently develop a variety of benign oral cancers. Your veterinarian will take an incisional biopsy (only a tiny portion) of the mass as the first step and send it to a pathologist for analysis.
Your veterinarian may discuss treatment choices and information on prognosis with you after you are clear on the sort of tumor you are dealing with. You can then decide together on the best course of action for your pet. Due to the fact that we are also oral surgeons, your veterinarian may advise visiting a board-certified veterinary dentist. If that’s the case, please come see us!
Is it typical for a dog’s teeth to bleed?
Similar to how human infants and young children gain new teeth during their development, your puppy is teething. Your dog first develops a set of baby teeth, similar to humans (also called primary or deciduous, meaning they fall out). These teeth are commonly referred to as “needle teeth” because of how sharp and pointed they are.
Dogs start out with 28 baby teeth and eventually have 42 permanent teeth. Deciduous may end up on the ground, but most likely, your puppy will swallow the teeth unharmed while he is eating. It is common for some bleeding to happen while teeth fall out or are being lost, but the amount is minimal, and owners typically don’t notice it unless a chew toy develops a slight crimson stain.
Why is everything being attacked?
It’s common for puppies to chew on humans, furniture, and other anything that are in their reach, even valuables that belong to you. A dog’s mouth serves as its primary tool for touching and gripping objects, which helps it learn about the world around it.
Breeds like retrievers, which are known to be “mouthy,” exhibit this inclination the most. Additionally, chewing appears to ease discomfort that is thought to be related to teething.
When will my dog’s baby teeth fall out?
Puppies start teething at 3 weeks, and by 6 weeks, all of their deciduous teeth will have come through. The canine teeth (the fangs) and the incisors (the teeth at the front of the mouth) erupt first, then the premolars. Dogs don’t have any baby teeth, either. The deciduous teeth start to fall out and the permanent teeth start to erupt at about 12 weeks. Normally, all permanent teeth have erupted and all baby teeth have fallen out by the time a child is 6 months old.
Are there any common dental problems in young dogs?
There are very rare instances of deciduous teeth having issues. It is uncommon for a puppy to have a tooth issue severe enough to need advanced treatment or a referral to a veterinary dentist. Some breeds have a propensity to keep some of their deciduous teeth, especially smaller breeds and brachycephalic (short-nosed) breeds. Although it can occur anywhere, the upper canine teeth are the most common location. Retained baby teeth can be uncomfortable and contribute to malocclusion (bad bite caused by mismatched teeth). They also put pets at risk for later dental issues. Food particles can become wedged in between the permanent teeth, the gums, and the retained baby teeth, which can cause periodontal disease. The remaining deciduous teeth must be extracted. It is typically a quick process that takes place when the pet is neutered or spayed.
What are acceptable chew toys, and which ones should be avoided?
Dogs have a propensity to chew almost anything, hence almost anything has been discovered to be problematic. This applies to rawhide, pigs’ ears, or other animal parts given to dogs as chew toys, as well as to bones, plastic toys, tennis balls, and other items (some dog owners swear by the “bully stick,” which is a bull’s dried or fried severed penis). Some of these things have punctured or obstructed the intestines, which frequently necessitate surgery and can be fatal. Other objects have blocked the neck, which has resulted in dogs asphyxiating.
Despite these facts, keep in mind that millions of dogs have been gnawing on objects for decades, most of them without incident. As a result, even though the risk seems low, it cannot be completely removed as it is with other hobbies. When your puppy starts chewing, keep an eye on him and ask your physician about the safest chew toys for your puppy. Even while your puppy is chewing on toys that are suggested, you should keep an eye on him because no toy is completely risk-free.
Even when your puppy is chewing on toys that are approved, you should keep an eye on him because no toy is completely safe.
Be mindful that some items, even though they are safe for ingestion or inhalation, may nevertheless be bad for your dog’s teeth. The majority of veterinary dentists advise against letting pups and senior dogs chew on hard objects. That would apply to nylon-made items as well as to bones and antlers. This advice is sometimes summed up by veterinary dentists as “Don’t let your dog chew anything that won’t bend.”
What should I do about my puppy’s chewing behaviors that I don’t like?
Rewarding undesirable behavior is something you should never do, and neither should others. If your puppy is biting your hands or any other part of your body, yell in a puppy-like voice, take your hand away, and go play somewhere else.
“Don’t encourage behavior you don’t desire, and don’t encourage it in others.”
The ideal approach to educate puppies not to chew has not been determined. Some techniques could even seem incompatible with one another because what may be appropriate for one dog may not be for another. For a tailored recommendation, ask your veterinarian.
Puppies are inherently active and inquisitive, so try to channel that energy by giving them plenty of exercise, training, and alternative feeding methods like puzzle toys. Keep tempting items out of your puppy’s reach, such as clothing, shoes, and kid’s toys. Likewise, offer a plenty of secure chew toys. Rotate the chew toys you have out at once to keep them “fresh.” Keep an eye on your puppy to prevent him from getting a chance to gnaw on something inappropriate.
My children like playing rough with the puppy, and they say that they don’t mind the occasional scratch or gentle bite. Is this okay?
No! By allowing this activity, you are teaching your pet that hands are appropriate toys that can be used anyway you like. When your kids continue playing after getting bit or scratched, your dog not only learns that this behavior is acceptable but is also rewarded for it.
Will my dog ever stop chewing everything?
Around 18 months of age, excessive chewing behavior seems to stop, although depending on the dog, it may persist to some extent throughout the rest of his or her life. Keep in mind that chewing, licking, and mouthing are common actions for dogs as a means of exploration and learning, as well as a means of transporting objects from one location to another. Ask your veterinarian for suggestions on behavior modification if chewing is excessive or violent.
Should I brush my dog’s teeth?
It’s a good idea to get your puppy acclimated to putting things other than food or a chew toy in his or her mouth. Additionally, you want to be able to look inside your dog’s mouth or collect anything from there without worrying about your hand getting hurt. In addition, teaching your dog to tolerate tooth cleaning at a young age can set you on a course that will help prevent many of the problems, as dental issues are among the most prevalent (and expensive) issues found in dogs.
Purchase a toothbrush and dog-friendly toothpaste (human toothpaste is not appropriate for dogs and can make them sick). Allow your dog to sniff and lick the brush as you first introduce the brush and paste softly. Do not, however, press the issue. Ask your doctor to show a technique for brushing and to offer tips on how to train your dog to accept the practice. Most dogs may be trained to accept or even enjoy getting their teeth cleaned every day. Consult the handout “Brushing Your Dog’s Teeth” for more details.
How can I stop my dog’s gums from bleeding?
A: Millie, my 6-year-old greyhound, has bright red gums that bleed and a foul-smelling mouth. She won’t let me give her a tooth brush. She runs away when I try to touch her lips or gums, and while she will eat kibble, she clearly prefers soft food. For a few weeks after I gave her a dental cleaning, everything appeared perfect. But after about four weeks, her gums returned to their pre-cleaning state. Please assist!
She might have CUPS, also known as chronic ulcerative paradental stomatitis. In greyhounds, this condition is widespread (and is seen as well in huskies, Maltese and Cavalier King Charles spaniels). Gums that are red, inflammatory, and frequently bleeding are symptoms. Contact or “kissing” ulcers are one characteristic that is frequently observed. These ulcers develop on the gum tissue where it comes into touch with tartar or plaque-covered tooth surfaces.
Inflammation of the gums around the teeth, a sign of periodontal disease in most dogs, is uncommon in CUPS, as is the distribution and degree of inflammation. Dogs frequently drool and may undereat as a result of the extreme oral inflammation, which can cause weight loss. The immune system is supposed to become extremely sensitive to plaque and bacteria on the teeth when this issue arises.
The preferred course of therapy includes routine dental cleanings (often every six to twelve months), dental extractions when necessary, pain medication, and at-home care. Because the mouth hurts, patients frequently avoid taking care of themselves at home. In addition to giving these animals oral antibiotics and painkillers, the aim of the tooth cleaning is to reduce inflammation. Plaque and bacteria can be reduced by using rinses, water additives, and oral sealants (applied once a week at home). When the mouth is less sore and the inflammation has subsided, we also try to begin brushing. In order to prevent plaque and tartar accumulation from returning following the dental cleaning, we will also assist you in establishing a regular and rigorous home care routine. These individuals have the ability to significantly increase their comfort and quality of life with routine home care and dental cleanings under anaesthetic.
