Dental care
How many times have you laughed and said "Get away dog
breath" as you push Rover away from breathing on you? You may laugh
about it, but poor dental health in dogs can have very dangerous consequences.
We humans know how important dental care is and we clean our
teeth up to three times a day, but, without our help, what can our dogs do?
Many owners just do not realise how important it is to keep their dog's teeth
and mouths healthy.
Dogs, like humans, suffer from plaque, tartar, gum disease
and tooth decay. After eating, dogs will get a build up of plaque, a sticky
bacterial film that forms in the mouth at the gum line. If it's not removed, the
plaque will harden into tartar above and below the gum line. This build up causes the
gums to become red and swollen, a condition known as gingivitis. If gingivitis is left untreated
it can lead to advanced gum disease. The gums will be red and swollen and probably bleeding.
They will begin to recede as the infection travels down into the root of the
tooth and the jawbone. Once the gums have receded the damage is irreversible and
the gums will not grow back. This is known as periodontal disease and results in
loss of bone and loss of teeth. At this advanced stage the bacteria from the
oral infection may now enter the bloodstream. This can lead to more serious
problems such as heart, liver and kidney disease. These conditions if left
untreated can eventually become life threatening. These problems can be
prevented by making sure you carry out a good dental care routine on your dog.
Puppies start off with 28 deciduous or "baby"
teeth. At around 16 weeks old (give or take a couple of weeks), the baby teeth
start to fall out and the permanent teeth grow in. At this point, your dog
will have 42 permanent teeth. Puppies need to chew on appropriate toys to
develop their jaws and as adults, dog need to chew to keep their teeth and gums
healthy and also help them cope with stress. The teeth should form a
"scissors" bite.
A good dental hygiene routine should be started as soon as
possible in a young puppy. You should regularly check your puppy's mouth
and teeth. You need to start of with very short sessions, just to get him
used to the sensation and also be very gentle. Use lots of praise and
encouragement while you are carrying out teeth cleaning. Not only will
this get him used to having his mouth and teeth touched, but you will be able to
spot any retained baby teeth or any misalignment problems with the jaw or
bite. Ask your vet to show you how to care for your puppy's teeth.
What to use to clean your dog's teeth
Most vets recommend that you brush your dog's teeth at least
twice a week. This is to help keep any plaque and tartar build up to a
minimum.
You can obtain toothpaste formulated for dogs and specially
designed toothbrushes from most good pet supply stores. Whatever you do,
don't use human toothpaste. Whilst we like the minty fresh breath that our
toothpaste gives us, dogs have a far more sensitive sense of taste and smell and
if you were to use your toothpaste on him, he'd probably never let you near his
teeth again!! So, remember, use a specialist dog toothpaste!
There are different kinds of toothbrush for dogs, from one
that looks similar to a regular human toothbrush to "finger"
toothbrushes - where they sit over your finger for better control. Have a
look at them and get what's best for you and your dog.
There are other products that claim to help keep plaque and tartar at
bay. These are Plaque Off™ (
Link to Plaque Off) and also "Simply Seaweed and Parsley™ from CSJ
(
Link to Simply Seaweed and Parsley)
Dental chews
We've probably all seen them. Dental chews for
dogs. These are handy if you don't have the time or patience to clean your
dogs teeth on a regular basis - although nothing will replace the thorough
cleaning that a toothbrush and paste will give.
You can also get toys which have rubber dimples on them which
help to clean the teeth and massage the gums. Just be aware of the wear
and tear on such toys. As soon as Rover starts to chew pieces off the toy,
it's time to replace it - much better than scooping multi-coloured poop and less
risk of an intestinal blockage!
Another good product is rope chew toys. When your dog
is chewing on these, he is getting a flossing action between the teeth from the
rope fibres. You can even rub some dog toothpaste onto the rope toy to
enhance the cleaning action.
Dogs which are fed on a dry "kibble" diet are
likely to have less plaque and tartar build up than a dog that is fed wet -
either way though, you should still follow a good dental care plan.
What should I be looking for?
By around 2 to 3 years of age, dogs can start to show signs
of poor dental hygiene. This is why you should be inspecting his mouth,
teeth and gums on a regular basis. A healthy mouth will not have any bad
smells or "dog breath", the teeth will look clean and the gums a nice
healthy pink colour and will be a close fit to the teeth.
Signs of oral problems will include bad breath, brown or
yellow spots or deposits on the teeth around the gum line - more so on the back
teeth. Gums may be red and swollen and perhaps bleed easily and there may
be loose or painful teeth (if you rub your finger along the gum line and your dog
flinches, then he's likely to have pain).
At the first sign of bad breath, you should give your
dog's mouth a thorough inspection.
Other signs that something in his mouth is bothering him is
being loathe to eat and drink (especially very cold water), weight loss, a
change in his chewing habits, pawing at his face and a general air of malaise.
What happens if my dog does have mouth problems?
First step is to book him into the vet for a check-up.
The vet will inspect his mouth and ascertain if he just needs his teeth cleaned
or if more extensive work is required.
Dental procedures in dogs requires to be carried out under a
general anaesthetic. If he just requires his teeth to be cleaned, the
procedure is much the same as it is in humans. His teeth will be scaled to
removed tartar and then they will be polished to smooth off the surface.
Rover can't rinse and spit, so his mouth will also be flushed out to remove
debris.
If your dog has a more serious oral condition, he may require
a course of antibiotics before the vet can carry out any work. You can ask
your vet to carry out some blood work to make sure that the infection hasn't
spread into your dog's system. If gum disease is severe or teeth are
decayed, then it may be necessary to extract some teeth.
Whatever action is required, Rover will feel a lot better for
having his mouth attended to.
Of course, pain and discomfort can be avoided if you ensure
that you carry out a good and regular dental regime on your dog. It will
also lessen the pain and discomfort to your bank account as doggy dentistry can
run into the hundreds of pounds!
Copyright © Dogs & Co 2009 unless otherwise stated
Updated July 2009
