Dilemma over dog's tooth op

LONG IN THE TOOTH: Is dog too old for anaesthetic?

- DR DAVID GRANT

My 16-year-old crossbreed dog has an infection of one of his cheek teeth.

The infection is draining from a small area below his right eye. It responds to a course of antibiotics but then comes back.

My vet has advised that the dog's best option is to remove the infected tooth. I am concerned about the anaesthetic in an old dog, and whether he will be in pain after the operation. Please advise.

This is a common condition known as a malar abscess. It is caused by an infection of the upper fourth premolar (carnassial) tooth.

The carnassial is a large tooth with three roots and any abscess that forms cannot drain downwards.

Instead, the infection tracks upwards infecting the soft tissues just below the eye, eventually breaking out through the skin.

If abscesses have good drainage they usually clear up quickly once drainage is established, but with malar abscesses, natural drainage is not possible.