I got her when she was 9 years old. She had 19 teeth pulled by the rescue I got her from. She’s 13 now and her teeth were terrible despite regular vet visits, yearly dental cleanings, and a healthy diet. She also has a pretty bad heart murmur, which makes anesthesia dangerous.

Shortly before she was due for her next cleaning, her mouth got badly infected. (I won’t go into details, but it was pretty gruesome.) I talked it over with the vet and we decided it would be best to remove them all, so she wouldn’t have to go under anesthesia again.

After the procedure, the vet said she only had 9 teeth left and her gums were almost too infected to stitch closed. She said removing them was the right call.