A dog uses his mouth for many things. Among these would be to eat, to communicate with us and other animals, to gnaw, crush, and grind things. He also uses it to carry food and objects from one place to another. Needless to say, the mouth has a very significant function in your dog’s life.
To enlarge click on a image
When you notice that your dog has bad breath, it could be a sign of a health problem that needs to be addressed right away.
Periodontal, Disease or Gingivitis:
This is a condition brought about mostly by the accumulation of tartar in the mouth. It is a common disease that in fact, about 50-80% of dogs has it. Food particles left in the mouth after a meal will eventually decompose. As a result, bacteria will grow in numbers forming plaque and tartar.
When this happens, tartar will push the gums farther from the teeth, causing them to loosen as time passes by. Loosened teeth can expose root sockets, thereby infecting it. Infection then goes to the bloodstream, and then on to the liver, kidney, and eventually, the heart.
Possible Causes of Bad Breath in Dogs:
Broken, Decayed or Abscessed tooth.
Periodontal Disease.
Periodontitis (inflammation of the tissue surrounding the teeth)
Bone or foreign body stuck between the teeth.
Gastrointestinal disease including cancers and obstructions.
Sinus infections.
Kidney Disease.
Mouth tumors.
Firstly, ask yourself if there are any other symptoms associated with the bad breath. Does your dog seem to be in pain around the mouth area? Is there a reluctance to eat? Does your dog try to eat but drops the food once it gets into the mouth? Does your dog run to the food bowl eagerly then cannot eat. Is your dog pawing at the mouth? Is your dog drooling?
These could be signs of a bad, broken or abscessed tooth or gum disease. If possible, check your dog’s mouth for foreign bodies such as splinters of bones lodged between the teeth. Check to see if the gums look normal and that there are no signs of swelling or bleeding. An abscessed or damaged tooth may not be noticeable to you so if in doubt get your vet to check your dog’s mouth. Look for brown staining on the teeth, this could be a sign of plaque build-up.
Sometimes the food (or garbage) a dog eats can affect it’s breath but usually this is not long lasting. After a couple of hours the food has passed through the stomach and into the intestines.
Signs of Periodontal Disease or Gingivitis:
The following are tell-tale signs of the disease:
Change in eating habits.
Pawing (at the mouth)
Excessive drooling
Tenderness in the mouth
Oral bleeding
Inflammation and swelling (face, particularly around the eyes)
Nasal discharge
Sneezing
Bad breath
Of all the common symptoms, the most obvious would be bad breath.
There are four grades of gingivitis and periodontal disease:
Grade one: is demonstrated as inflammation of the gums.
Grade two: shows as inflammation, edema, gingival bleeding upon probing.
Grade three: includes inflammation, edema, gingival bleeding upon probing, pustular discharge with slight to moderate bone loss.
Grade four: inflammation, edema, gingival bleeding upon probing, pustular discharge with severe bone loss.
Click on image to Enlarge
As much as sixty percent of the disease is below the gum line meaning that owners rarely know how unhealthy their dog’s teeth and gums are until the vet points out problem areas. Radiography is used to demonstrate the loss of bone density and sharpness in grades three and four periodontal disease although earlier stages do not show any marked changes.
During a dental cleaning, the gums are probed for ‘pockets’. The normal space between the gum and the tooth is only a pocket of 2mm, anything deeper then that shows the beginning of periodontal disease. Each tooth is probed during the dental cleaning and any pockets are marked on a chart so they can be watched in the future.
Treatment for Grade one and two periodontal disease includes professional cleaning, hand scaling, polishing, irrigation and an application of fluoride.
Grade three dentals also include closed root planning and subgingival curettage of pockets and the application of perioceutic gel to the areas.
Grade four dental cleanings vary depending on how severe the bone loss is and how much healthy tissue remains. Often owners opt for removal of teeth from unhealthy gums as the cost of the required surgery and follow-up visits is prohibitive.
Treatment:
Once you suspect your dog has periodontal disease or Gingivitis, take him/her to the vet right away. He can clean your dog’s mouth and prescribe medication, possibly antibiotics.
Prevention:
Food has something to do with it. Studies show that a diet consisting mostly of canned meals (soft food) is never a good idea. Experts agree that dry food has a lowered risk, in terms of getting this disease. Another way to prevent periodontal disease is to have dental checkups once a year. You can also give your dog herbal supplements, of which Echinacea is the most recommended. This can be in the form of mouthwash or tea.
The most effective treatment is actually prevention. We brush our teeth once, twice and sometimes even three times a day – why not take a few minutes to brush your dog’s teeth? There are also doggy dental chews, toys, toothpaste and treats to help control plaque build up and prevent periodontal disease.
Brushing:
Brushing a dog’s teeth is vital to his health. Neglect of the teeth can lead to disease, tooth loss, dead teeth, and mouth pain. Between the recommended annual cleanings, dog owners should train their dogs to endure a good brushing.
Not all toothpastes are the same. Just because toothpaste can work for humans doesn’t mean that it is appropriate for dogs. Humans are trained to spit out their toothpaste. A dog who can be trained to spit out their toothpaste will have a spot on national television. It is safer to purchase toothpaste designed for dogs and be sure not to use more than the minimum amount to prevent over-ingestion of the paste. Mouthwash made for dogs is also available, which is recommended as a supplemental tooth care routine at least once a week.
To use mouthwash in between brushings, simply saturate a cotton ball with the appropriate mouth wash and wipe the dog’s teeth thoroughly. Some dogs believe this is a treat while others believe you are out to torture them. If you can train your dog as a puppy things will go much smoother. It is easier to train your pup to sit for a mouth cleaning than an older second hand dog.
If you’ve adopted an older dog, use caution the first time you attempt to clean his teeth this way. Stand behind him and off to one side in an effort to prevent any attempts to bite or bulk. Always reward teeth cleaning time with a nice little treat afterwards. If possible, treat your dog with something other than a food reward. If nothing other than food gets through to him, make it a small food reward since you did just clean his teeth. However, part of the process is training him to tolerate the cleaning so it may be a little bit of give and take for awhile.
The younger you start brushing a dog’s teeth, the easier it will be on both you and your pal as he gets older. Most vets recommend either a weekly or biweekly brushing. Some vets feel that this is a little excessive, and thus they recommend a monthly brushing exercise. When training your puppy, it’s okay to brush every three or four days, using toothpaste only occasionally. Sometimes, you have to repeat the behavior often and follow through with a reward in order to train him to tolerate the process.
Using a pea sized amount puppy approved toothpaste, you are going to want to train your dog to tolerate short incremental brushstrokes throughout the entire process. Give him a moment in between these increments to swallow, and adjust. Dogs don’t always close off the back of their throat the way humans do, so there may be a little coughing and sputtering. This just means that you should make your incremental brushes smaller. Get all the teeth to the very best of your ability.
It is much easier to brush your own teeth, so take your time and don’t get frustrated. Try to make it a good experience for him. Give him some soft, soothing remarks about his good behavior, even if you have to act quickly to catch him being good about it. Dogs don’t like the feeling of a toothbrush in their mouth. Of course, they would chew it to pieces if given the opportunity but won’t tolerate the feel of the brush in the hands of their humans. Go figure.
Special dog toothbrushes work better than discarded human brushes. Many dog brushes are designed to slip over your finger and the only action required of you is to feel around his teeth to the best of your ability. These brushes are easier than the bristled type and do almost the same quality job. However, if you can’t manipulate the bristled type, then it’s completely ineffective. That would make the type you slip over your finger much more effective.
You can begin the process by brushing just a few teeth and then gradually increase the time and amount of teeth brushed every few days. This can prevent the scenario of fighting with your dog in a test of wills, which is likely to make him completely intolerant of the process and make you resent the idea of doing it. If he makes it too much of a fight from the beginning, you will not be likely to continue for long. If you take your time and make it fun for your pup, he may actually begin to enjoy the process, or at least enjoy the lavish praise and rewards afterwards, not to mention your beaming approval of his behavior.
Brushing a dog’s teeth doesn’t need to be a nightmare for either one of you. It takes a bit of patience and it takes a bit of time to help him adjust. But the patience and time pay off by helping to avoid dead teeth, lost teeth, and gum diseases that he can develop from never having his mouth cared for. Anyone who has ever had a serious toothache knows exactly how bad mouth pain can be. Dental care for dogs is much better than the mouth pain.
If in doubt consult your Vet.
Recent Comments