Recently, I took Phoebe, my nine-year-old Boxer, to the
vet. Like with most elderly dogs her teeth and gums were a
problem. Like many other people, I had been postponing the
inevitable dental procedures until a better time would arise.
However, this past week I could no longer postpone the care. While
refilling her water bowl, I noticed blood in the water. I
also noticed drops of blood on the floor near the food bowl.
I looked inside her mouth and saw several growths that were
beginning to cover her teeth. Apparently, she had bitten one of
these growths. At that point I knew that I had to take Phoebe to
the veterinarian. I took her to her local vet the following morning
and he diagnosed her as having Gingival Hyperplasia, which is an
overgrowth of the gum tissue. The only treatment for this condition
is surgical removal of the growths. I asked the doctor if he could
also perform the dental cleaning after removing the ...
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