Prying open your dog’s mouth to check for dog dental disease certainly isn’t one of life’s greatest moments, but if you love your dog, it’s something you need to do from time to time. Statistics show that a dog with good teeth is happier, plays more and will live longer.

Signs Of Dog Dental Disease

If your dog has bad breath – or doggy breath – it may well have a dog dental diseases. Other sure signs of a poor dog dental health are red or swollen gums, a yellow-brown crust of tartar around the dog’s gum line and pain or bleeding when you touch the dog’s gums or mouth.

If your dog’s eating habits have changed or if you notice the dog pawing at is mouth, these are additional signs that the dog could have a dental disease and requires dog dental care. Last but not least, be sure to also watch for fractured, missing or discolored teeth. During your examination of your dog’s mouth, if you find the dog has bumps or masses within its mouth, get it to your vet ASAP as this can be a serious problem requiring immediate attention.

How To Prevent Dog Dental Disease

The best way for preventing a dental disease in your dog is to start a program of routine teeth brushing as early as possible in your dog’s life. This gets your dog used to the feeling of having their teeth brushed. Do not use human toothpaste!! Toothpaste made for humans contain additives that will make your dog sick if swallowed. Instead, buy enzymatic toothpaste made especially for dogs.

If you have an older dog that won’t permit you to brush their teeth, there are other things you can do to prevent them from developing a dental disease. For example, if you’re feeding your dog canned dog food, you can switch to a dry, crunchy food. Dry food is better than soft food because it works to scrape the teeth while the dog chews it. Soft food will attach to the teeth making a dental problem more likely and the need for regular teeth brushing even more necessary!

Second, make sure the dog has something to chew on. This can be a bone, preferably a synthetic bone such as a Nylabone, chew treats or a chew toy. Chew treats include rawhide bones and pig’s ears. You can also purchase special dental treats such as Greenies. When the dog chews on these items, food particles, plaque and tarter are scraped from the teeth helping your dog avoid a dental disease and other dental problems.

A third way to prevent dog dental disease is to use an oral rinse made especially for dogs.

Do not use dental rinses for humans. They can make your dog sick just like human toothpaste.

Effects Of Dog Dental Disease On The Rest Of The Body

In addition to causing your dog pain and, quite possibly its teeth, having a dog dental disease can have an even more harmful effect on your dog. When dogs develop tartar, this causes infections in the dog’s gums – just as it does for us. These infections will often cause the dog’s gums to become irritated and even bleed. When the gums bleed, the bacteria that cause the plaque have a direct path – via the blood - to other parts of the dog’s body. The bacteria alone will not kill your dog, but they do stress its immune system. Over time, as the bacterial load worsens and the immune system becomes progressively compromised, the dog will weaken and can develop kidney or liver disease.

Dog Breeds That Are More Susceptible To Dental Disease

A dog’s susceptibility to periodontal disease is based on several factors, not the least of which is age. Older dogs are more likely to develop a dental disease due to the lack of dental care over a large number of years can cause irreversible damage.

The dog’s breed also affects its susceptibility to periodontal disease. Short and broad-headed breeds such as pugs, bulldogs and boxers are particularly susceptible to developing periodontal disease. This is due to their “pushed in” faces which often hampers a mechanical cleaning of the teeth as the dog eats. Toy breeds with their smaller, crowded jaws, are also more susceptible to periodontal disease. On the other hand, breeds such as Dobermans and collies, with their longer jaws, are more resistant to dog dental disease.

As you have read, dental diseases can create real problems for your dog. Preventing dog dental disease is fairly simple. Remember to brush and inspect your dog’s teeth regularly; feed it a dry, crunchy food and give it something tough to chew on. Your dog and its teeth will thank you!

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