It started with a soft whimper...
Buddy, my sweet eight year old lab, stopped chewing his favorite toy a few days ago.
I thought he was bored, but that night, I saw him pawing at his face, and he let out a low, painful cry.
I ran to comfort him, but when I lifted his lip up, I froze.
His gums were swollen and blood red. His teeth looked coated in something dark, almost black.
My heart sank. I felt a wave of guilt wash over me.
How had I not noticed this earlier?
How long had he been suffering in silence?
The next morning, I got him into the vet as soon as I could.
“He has advanced dental disease,” the vet said, scanning the X-rays. “We’ll need to perform a deep repair under anesthesia—it’s going to be extensive.”
She laid out the costs. My stomach dropped. Over $2,000, plus the risks of anesthesia for a dog his age.
That wasn’t even the worst part.
The vet explained that if we didn’t act fast, the infection would spread — affecting his kidneys, his heart, even his life.