# Dog pawing mouth after drinking water



## mcdavis (May 1, 2012)

For the past few days Hamish, who's 14, has been pawing at both sides of his mouth after drinking water (I give him fresh tap water daily so it's probably at room temperature when he drinks it), and also opening his mouth as if he's in pain. He stops after a few minutes, so I'm wondering if his teeth have suddenly got sensitive, or if he's knocked a tooth, or something else , and if so what I can do to help - any thoughts greatly appreciated.
If it doesn't improve in a few more days I'm thinking of taking him to the vets, although having his teeth examined is probably not going to be easy without anaesthetic (and given his age I'd be very reluctant to have him anaesthetised).


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## hanksimon (Mar 18, 2009)

If you have not brushed his teeth, tooth pain sounds possible.

The Vet may want to do bloodwork for anesthesia, may want to do Xrays, may want to extract or work on a tooth ... if you don't want to do these things, ask the Vet about alternatives... What ever the case, you do need to get the problem diagnosed...


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## spotted nikes (Feb 7, 2008)

If you need to have him anesthetized for a dental, get a presurgery blood workup first. It will identify if his organs are healthy enough to be put under.


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## mcdavis (May 1, 2012)

hanksimon said:


> If you have not brushed his teeth, tooth pain sounds possible.


I've tried from time to time to clean his teeth, but he didn't come to live with us until he was 8 and he'd not had his teeth cleaned before, so he isn't very cooperative. I also tried Greenies, but they made him sick, and Hills TD biscuits which he loved but I can't find in the local stores.
I'm going to give it a few days before calling the vet as he's not had any problems today, however any suggestions on brushing the teeth of a very reluctant dog would be helpful.


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## hanksimon (Mar 18, 2009)

If his teeth have never been brushed, he probably has some mouth problems. You may be able to tell from a bad smell. 

However, one possible way to start brushing is simply get a bowl of water, wet your hand, and gently rub the outside gumlines. Be very careful around his molars for your sake. Even gentle dogs (and people) will sometimes chomp down on something between their teeth, and can do damage with the molars .... just don't get your fingers between the teeth


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## spotted nikes (Feb 7, 2008)

Do not use people toothaste...it's toxic to dogs.
You can also use a wet washcloth.


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## georgiapeach (Mar 17, 2012)

Hamish (love the name, btw!) probably needs a proper dental. I agree - let the vet do pre-op bloodwork to make sure he's healthy enough to do the procedure safely. My newly adopted rescue will likely need the same thing - her mouth's a mess. I'm currently brushing her teeth daily with PetzLife Oral Care Gel. Maddie's not too happy about it, but I give her no choice. Hopefully, this will help enough to avoid a dental, but if not, she'll have to have one. Dogs can get serious health problems if their teeth/gums are unhealthy. If Hamish needs some teeth extracted, he'll definitely feel better after he heals, than he does now if his teeth are rotten.


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## mcdavis (May 1, 2012)

Interestingly his breath doesn't smell bad at all - maybe because he had a number of teeth removed when he was 8. He recovered really quickly - ate his usual dry food the same day! It's just now that he's so much older, and after 2 months of upset stomach (caused by a bad bag of Blue Longevity), I'm worried about any type of op.
Will try to rub his gums and also try the wet washcloth option - here's hoping I'll still have all my fingers afterwards :fear:


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## Greater Swiss (Jun 7, 2011)

Didn't someone here also suggest using one of those exfoliating gloves for brushing their dog's teeth? It might be less cumbersome than a wet washcloth. Just a thought. 
Good luck, here's hoping you keep all of your fingers


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