Archives
November 2006
11/30/06
11/29/06
11/28/06
11/27/06
11/17/06
11/16/06
They Call Him Yuck Mouth
11/15/06
11/14/06
11/13/06
11/10/06
11/9/06
11/7/06
11/6/06
11/3/06
11/2/06
Thursday, November 16, 2006
"I'm not having fun today."
Sumner woke up very bloody this morning. It was dripping from his mouth.
Now, that sounds really awful, but he has something called Gingival Hyperplasia, which causes his gums to "overgrow" into these lumpy stalactite-like masses. Unfortunately, there's not much that can be done about the lumps, since even if you have them removed, they can (and usually do) grow back. Sometimes a growth rips off, and he bleeds. Normally it doesn't take long for the bleeding to stop.
Today, however, was different. After a few hours of non-stop flow, I decided to really get up in his grill. Thankfully, he lets me do just about any type of body manipulation or physical examination, so even though his mouth was bothering him, he let me tilt his head all the way back, pull back his (voluminous) "lips" and explore his mouth. From what I could see, something bloody was happening near one of his back upper teeth...not typical at all.
Sumner's calm acceptance of my oral spelunking was inspiring. It's so important to be able to do basic health and wellness checks on your dog. Think about it - if Fido won't let you touch certain places on his body when he's calm and feels ok, do you think your vet will be able to when Fido is under the weather? With patience and a gentle hand you can help your dog overcome body sensitivities. If you know that your dog has "hot zones" (for many it's the head and ears), drop me a line - I'll try to help.
Sumner is at the vet now, awaiting sedation and some minor exploratory surgery. And I'm awaiting a major bill. Updates to follow.
dogsindeed at 5:43:00 PM EST Blog about this entry |
Add to del.icio.us | 
digg this
They Call Him Yuck Mouth
"I'm not having fun today."
Sumner woke up very bloody this morning. It was dripping from his mouth.
Now, that sounds really awful, but he has something called Gingival Hyperplasia, which causes his gums to "overgrow" into these lumpy stalactite-like masses. Unfortunately, there's not much that can be done about the lumps, since even if you have them removed, they can (and usually do) grow back. Sometimes a growth rips off, and he bleeds. Normally it doesn't take long for the bleeding to stop.
Today, however, was different. After a few hours of non-stop flow, I decided to really get up in his grill. Thankfully, he lets me do just about any type of body manipulation or physical examination, so even though his mouth was bothering him, he let me tilt his head all the way back, pull back his (voluminous) "lips" and explore his mouth. From what I could see, something bloody was happening near one of his back upper teeth...not typical at all.
Sumner's calm acceptance of my oral spelunking was inspiring. It's so important to be able to do basic health and wellness checks on your dog. Think about it - if Fido won't let you touch certain places on his body when he's calm and feels ok, do you think your vet will be able to when Fido is under the weather? With patience and a gentle hand you can help your dog overcome body sensitivities. If you know that your dog has "hot zones" (for many it's the head and ears), drop me a line - I'll try to help.
Sumner is at the vet now, awaiting sedation and some minor exploratory surgery. And I'm awaiting a major bill. Updates to follow.
dogsindeed at 5:43:00 PM EST Blog about this entry |
Add to del.icio.us | digg this
This entry has 3 comments: (Add your own)
-
oh that osunds so awful. I have never heard of that.
-
Poor Sumner! Give him some extra love from me. Hope he's feeling better fast and that your wallet doesn't take TOO big a hit.
-- Marian, AOL Pets
http://journals.aol.com/aolpets/TheAwwwwwFactor/
11/17/06 3:50 PM
Turns out the GH was to blame, and he had a mess o' overgrown gum tissue removed. His mouth looks amazing - it's like Extreme Mouth Makeover!
- Victoria