GREENSBORO, NC… Everyone knows how bad a toothache can be. It can bring grown men to their knees. Now imagine having 24 abscessed teeth. You would rather be shot than live with that kind of pain. That is what our sweet Gwen had been living with for most of her life. I have seen a lot of dental disease in rescue, but nothing even close to how bad Gwen’s mouth was.
 

The vets believe Gwen is somewhere between 7–10 years old, but no one knows for sure because her mouth was in such terrible shape. When I first agreed to take her, I thought she was a tiny five-pound stray that just needed a vet visit and some groceries. I drove to Columbia, SC to pick her up, and from the moment I put this gentle little soul in my car I knew something was very wrong. The smell from her mouth was overwhelming — I had to roll the windows down the whole drive. She was coughing and sneezing and clearly felt awful, so she went straight to the veterinary hospital.
 

For the next five days poor Gwen was incredibly sick with a bad upper respiratory infection and terrible abscesses in her mouth. She was basically one big infection. What many people don’t realize is dental disease isn’t just about bad teeth. The bacteria spreads through the bloodstream and can damage vital organs. I honestly don’t know how Gwen was still alive. Eating had to be incredibly painful, yet this little girl would still wag her tail. Seeing that tiny wag when she felt so bad just about broke my heart.
 

It took weeks to get Gwen stable enough for anesthesia so the surgeons could finally help her. Once she was strong enough, she went into surgery for hours. In the end 24 teeth had to be removed, leaving her with only six. She was swollen and sore at first, but once those infected teeth and abscesses were gone you could tell she finally felt relief. We are still battling a sinus infection from all the bacteria that had spread, but Gwen already feels so much better.
 

Sweet doesn’t even begin to describe this girl. After everything she had endured, she still trusted, still wagged her tail, and still believed someone would help her. Thankfully she was right.
 

Now we need a little help for Gwen. Her medical bills are huge and rescues like ours simply cannot do this without donations. Please consider donating if you can. Dogs like Gwen would never get this kind of care without a rescue willing to step in and give them a chance.