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Pet Article
DOG BREATH!
By making sure that your pet's teeth and gums are healthy will also help ensure that your pet
stays healthy overall. Here are some tips on keeping your animal's oral and overall health
in good shape.
Bad breath is a bad sign. One thing that people often do not realize is that bad
breath is not normal on our pets. If your pet has breath that is very unpleasant,
this could be a sign of gum disease. Whilst some pets can have a distinctive odor to their
breath, it should never be foul smelling.
Dental problems can cause eating problems. With a severe gum disease, your pet may have a
decreased appetite and may display behavioral changes. For example, your pet may have
trouble chewing, may chew on one side, or may pick up a piece of food and then drop it.
A pet that has eaten dry chow all its life may suddenly want only soft food and may
start refusing treats. Pets with gum disease may also paw at its mouth or may rub its
head on the ground. Excessive salivation or bleeding may also be observed.
Diet can also affect dental disease. Soft food diets and semi-moist diets are more likely
to promote gum disease than is dry food. These foods tend to stick to teeth and promote
plaque formation.
There are also prescription dental diets designed to reduce plaque and calculus
build up. These foods maintain their structure when the animal bites into them. The
chewing action rubs the food particles roughly across the teeth, removing plaque and
calculus with each bite.
Remember that diet alone will not prevent all dental problems. In some cases, people assume
that they don't need to do anything for their pet's oral health because they only feed dry food
and don't give them any treats, but this is not necessarily true. Once it is mixed with
saliva even dry food can stick to the teeth.
When oral problems develop, get your pet treated. The best way to stop inflammation of
the gums, if it occurs, is a thorough cleaning. A veterinarian can remove the
plaque and calculus that is present on the visible portion of each tooth, as well as
performing a deep clean under the gum line.
Some pets will not allow their mouths to be held open for a thorough cleaning, and therefore
a general anesthetic may be required. While the animal is asleep, an instrument called an
ultrasonic scaler is used to gently remove plaque and calculus, which makes the teeth white
and shiny again. This procedure is followed by a polishing to smooth irregular surfaces in
the tooth enamel that can hold food particles and other debris that can promote gum disease.
Anesthetics used today are very safe and therefore people with older pets can still receive
dental treatment. Whilst the age at which a pet will first need professional dental cleaning
may very from pet to pet, routine dental care should always begin when the animal is very
young.
Good dental health should start at home. Routine brushing of the teeth can reduce the amount
of plaque and tartar that build up on the teeth and cause gum disease. It is best to
start this type of routine when your pet is young, but even older pets can gradually
get used to it if you simply rub a soft cloth across the teeth. After your pet has
become accustomed to that, you can start using a finger brush available from your
veterinarian. Toothpastes for animals also come in flavors such as chicken and
malt flavors.
The best defense against dental disease is prevention. A thorough oral exam should be
performed every time your pet receives its yearly vaccinations. Remember, pets age
much faster than humans do, so dental problems can develop quickly. One year of an
animal's life is the equivalent to 5 or 7 in human years. Requesting that a thorough oral
exam be performed annually can help ensure that dental problems are recognized before
they become serious.
If you have questions regarding dental care, please contact your local veterinarian.
Mark Woodcock
1 Flea Control
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