My dog has bumps under her mouth that are swollen and full of pus and infection. They are hard to the touch. She also has what looks like ulcers on the roof of her mouth.

Hello- Thank you for your question. That is called chin dermatitis or chin acne. With the pus and swelling I would recommend taking her to your veterinarian so they can prescribe antibiotics for her. They can also examine her mouth to make sure all appears normal. Take care!

I think my dog has CUPS, I have been to the vet with him 4 times and although they prescribe antibiotics he gets a little better then reverts. He was doing really well, but the plaque (greenish) on his canine teeth have come back and he has the ulcers again. I was rinsing his mouth with listerine via vets advice, but then stopped, i just restarted yesterday

The best course of action in these cases (if it is chronic ulcerative paradental stomatitis) is a thorough dental cleaning, scale and polish as well as anti inflammatories, antibiotics (as required) and immunosuppressive therapy. Without examining Scruffy I cannot say whether he has chronic ulcerative paradental stomatitis or some other condition, your Veterinarian should review the case and adjust treatment as required. Regards Dr Callum Turner DVM http://veterinarymedicine.dvm360.com/dental-corner-diagnosing-and-treating-chronic-ulcerative-paradental-stomatitis

Our 3 yr old chi/mix, Cookie, had a hard time eating and wouldn’t play with her toys. I took her to the vet and they cleaned her teeth. She was back to her old self, playful and rambunctious. This lasted about a month and a half. Now she’s in pain again and smelly breath. Took her back to the vet and told him she had a sore on the inside of her upper lip. After a weird speech, he recommended x-rays and blood work, another $250! He says it’s not her teeth, not sure how he knows this when he wouldn’t look in her mouth. I want to know what the next best approach is for her. Not sure I trust this guy and may find a different vet.

There are various causes for sores, ulcers, blisters etc… to form on a dog’s mouth which may include infections, poisoning, autoimmune disease, stress, medication side effects, dental disease among others; dental issues shouldn’t spring up a month an a half after a full dental and there may be another underlying cause here, I would recommend getting a second opinion if you’re not happy with the response you received from your Veterinarian. Regards Dr Callum Turner DVM

Lately I have noticed my dog has really bad breath. I’ve had a look and I think two of his teeth may be suffering from plaque and was planning on taking him to the vet for a clean (we live remote and there is no vet nearby so need to plan ahead for this trip). I have today noticed what looks like an ulcer inside his lip that is rubbing on his front teeth. There also seems to be a cut/scratch on the outside of his lip in the same area. Are the teeth/bad breath issues and ulcer related? We will be taking him to the vet as soon as possible this week but is there anything we can do in the meantime to help him? He is still eating/drinking normal at this stage.

Thank you for your email. It wouldn't be likely that the plaque would be causing the ulcer or the scratch, but either might be causing the bad breath. I am concerned about what might be causing the ulcer. If he is eating and drinking and acting normally, you should be fine to see your veterinarian this week as planned, and have them examine his mouth. If he is not eating, seems lethargic, or is vomiting, it might be a good idea to make the trip sooner. Assuming that all is well otherwise, you can try to keep that area clean, but it is a difficult area to wash or clean, so you may just want to monitor the area and make sure that the ulcer isn't getting larger or causing him any pain, and try to keep any hard toys away from him in the meantime so that he isn't traumatizing the area and allow his mouth to heal. I hope that everything goes well for him.

My German Sheperd is 5 yrs old, he has just developed Furunculosis of his feet, took him to vet and he had irritation of gum that killed root of his tooth and a ulcer inside his cheek. He also had an elevated WBC and he recently had a gastritis/colitis. Can all of this be related to some type of autoimmune inflammatory condition that he should be on treatment for? He is a police dog and on every type of ground,pavement and surface you can think of. He puts nasty things in his mouth and such. He hasn't lost weight, but reluctant to bite or play with kong. They took out 2 teeth and did a bx of the cheek. But I'm afraid that we are treating one thing as one thing and not putting it all together

Thank you for your email. Unfortunately, without examining Sarg and seeing any lab work results that he might have, I can't comment on whether he has an immune disorder - this would be a great question for his veterinarian, as they have examined him, and will be able to comment on whether the signs are somehow related, or random. I hope that he is okay.