Kidney Problem Vs. Mouth/Tooth Problem

Hey guys..messina seems to have a bit of an issue...

Her breath has been quite stinky for the past month and a half or so..maybe longer...but its been really noticeable for over a month... so I took her to the vet to check it out, and the doc said it must be some sort of infection...he gave me pills, and I just finished the last one yesterday...the stink is still there...the doc said her dental hygiene is fantastic...so he told me if the pills don't work...we'll have to give her anesthesia and they'll dig around in her mouth to see what's going on...

Now...I'm VERY scared and nervous when it comes to any sort of chemicals/drugs/anesthetics being put into my dog'd body...is anesthesia supposed to shorten a dog's life? That's what I heard although it might be a rumor..anyone have more to say?

Now...one more thing..I talked to someone today and they told me that if a dog has really bad breath it might also be a kidney problem..that's when I got REALLY freaked out...does anyone think this might be a possibility? My dog has a great appetite..she's not drinking more than she normally would, and I don't see her urinating more than usual...are there other symptoms of kidney problems that I should watch for?....she's 4 years old and the doc never even brought it up when I was in the clinic..so maybe I'm over worried?

Anyways...I called today and am waiting for a call back from the vet to tell messina's current status to the vet...and that the pills won't work..I brought up the kidney thing in my message..I dunno if that was such a brighto idea..but oh well..anyways...what do you guys think I should do and what do you think it might be?

If its kidney problems then I'll do testing..it'll cost me alot of bucks but heck I don't want anything bad to happen to her...the anesthesia/mouth checkup will cost a 100 bux anyways...but I just need some advice..thanx guys :(

:( anyone? I'm worried sick.

First off Relax and take a deep breath! I know the anxiety you are feeling about Messina right now as I just had a situation with Copper on the weekend(no big deal, a nail problem). Let me tell you, I was freaking!! I now know I was stressing out way more than necessary which is how you feel right now!

If your vet wants to put Messina under anesthetic, request a blood test first. This will let them know whether or not there is anything going on in her system that the anesthetic might affect her negatively. I've never heard anesthetic shortening a dog's life span before, but once or twice shouldn't hurt her!

As for the kidney problem, I don't know much about that but I don't think it's all that bad to mention it to your vet!

Have you switched food or has she been eating anything new that could cause this? Do you have a cat? If so, is it possible she's been eating cat poo? This would cause bad breath for sure!

Please keep us posted as to what's going on!! We're here to help! :grouphug:

Honestly, I've never heard that bad breath signals a kidney problem. Loki (our cat) has been dealing with chronic kidney failure for five years now, and his breath is fine. :confused:

Dogs in renal failure can have a very distinct odor to their breath. Almost acidic smelling.

Hey guys..well I have some calming news..lol for myself at least..

I just got a call from my vet and she told me not to worry..she said that when they checked inside her mouth, her teeth were very clean and everything seemed fine...she said that the dog is also too young to have any kidney problems, and that bad breath due to kidney problems is one of the last symptoms I would be noticing....increased urination, vomiting, and alot of drinking would come up way before that..as well as lost appetite..and messina definately has a happy appetite lol..

The doc didn't even recommend blood tests..and she said there is no point in doing an anesthetic on her to check her mouth, because if there was an abcess, there would at least be a bit of swelling or discomfort...and messina seems fine...she said to wait a month, and if I feel the need, I can come back and do another checkup..I'm really happy she was being honest with me and not rushing me into all these tests just to rip my money out of my pockets like some of the vets I've known... :fingerscr

Anyways..that's my little update..I'm feeling much better and more relaxed now...and messina's breath doesn't seem to be as bad as I thought...her teeth look good..and well...I'm just a panic freak when it comes to my baby...if anything comes up..lol you guys will be the first to know ;) thanx for all the help!

Good to hear YOU are doing better!!! LOL :grouphug: Worrying too much can shorten your life span!!