​2021 Success Story Bentley

This handsome old man is Bentley, a 10-year-old black lab/hound mixed breed dog. 

His mom noticed that he had a lump on his head, so she decided to keep an eye on it. While she was keeping an eye on the bump, she then noticed his nose bleeding. 

Bentley’s mom says, “Bentley is my third child, I got him at 6-weeks-old and he goes everywhere with us. He is our everything!”

Seeing that bump, and now the nose bleed, Bentley’s mom decided her fur kid needed to go to the veterinarian. At the vet, they noticed that Bentley had a very infected tooth that was causing swelling and his nose bleeds.

Dogs can get all kinds of lumps and bumps, some serious, some not. The one that was causing Bentley’s discomfort was the tooth root abscess, caused by periodontal disease or a fractured tooth. An abscess is a pocket of infection that forms a hot, firm swelling anywhere in the body. A tooth root abscess in dogs has very specific signs:

• A soft swelling that comes up quickly
• Tenderness, pain and lethargy

Signs of periodontal disease include: 

• Bad breath
• Bleeding from the mouth.
• Drooling or dropping food from the mouth.
• Loose teeth or teeth that are discolored or covered in tartar.
• Loss of appetite or loss of weight (this combination can result from diseases of many organs, and early veterinary examination is important).
• Your pet shies away from you when you touch the mouth area.

If your pet is exhibiting some of these symptoms, they may need some dental work done. Please make an appointment with your veterinarian. Periodontal disease is the most common clinical condition in cats and dogs, yet it's completely preventable by keeping your fur kids’ teeth clean—aka, brush their teeth! 

Bentley’s mom is a single mom who owns her own business, that has not been busy since COVID-19 hit, so she applied to Fur Kids Foundation to help pay for Bentley’s emergency vet visit. Bentley had a handful of teeth removed, was put on some medication, and is expected to make a full recovery!

Fur Kids Foundation also encourages all pet parents to do annual dental exams with their dogs. Dental disease can impact your dog's heart, kidney, liver, lungs and even bladder; and poor dental health can lead to horrible infections. Not to mention pain for your dog. You can read more about this in this Dog Quality blog, Dental Health in Older Dogs.

About Fur Kids Foundation
Fur Kids Foundation is 100% run by dedicated volunteers who give their time to help the Foundation raise money with events, take applications, and spread the word about the good work the Foundation does in Campbell County, Wyoming. If you would like to help Fur Kids Foundation continue to help local families with animals afford emergency veterinary care, please consider making a tax-deductible donation via PayPal or signing up to become a volunteer. Read more Success Stories.

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