Mary Allen
Is it just a bit of plaque? – Do you think so too? But you shouldn’t! Untreated dental disease in dogs can have serious consequences. You should therefore take care of his teeth so that he can chew properly until the end of his life. Serious dental disease in dogs can even lead to tooth loss.
Dental Disease in Dogs – the Dog’s Teeth
Puppies are born toothless. As with us humans, dogs initially have a set of milk teeth. By about the 6th week it is fully developed. This first bit stays on until 4-7 months of age, depending on the size of the dog. Then there is a change of teeth. The milk teeth are pushed out by the permanent teeth. As a rule, the change of teeth in dogs runs smoothly. Nevertheless, you should check the dog’s teeth regularly. If you find any abnormalities, you should definitely take the puppy to the vet.
When fully formed, the dog has approximately 42 teeth: 12 incisors, 4 canines, 12 upper molars and 14 lower molars.
What are Dental Diseases in Dogs?
Dogs mainly suffer from periodontal diseases, i.e. diseases of the gums or the periodontium. The most common dental diseases in dogs include plaque, tartar, gingivitis and periodontitis. Tooth decay is not that common in dogs.
How do I know if my dog has a toothache?
Pain in dogs is often expressed as depression. Whining or squeaking also indicate pain. If you have a toothache, you can also pay attention to your eating habits. For example, the dog chews more carefully or appears to have no appetite. Chewing on just one side or tilting your head are also serious indications.
Symptoms of Dental Disease in Dogs
Most of the time, your dog doesn’t show that he’s in pain. Therefore, you should check your dog’s mouth regularly. Sometimes you can recognize problems by the following symptoms:
- Bad breath in your dog
- decreased feed intake and loss of appetite
- careful chewing
- Dog howls when biting
- The dog puts something in his mouth and drops it straight away
- the dog only chews on one side
- oblique head position when chewing
- Dog refuses dry food or prefers soft food
- noticeable scratching at the muzzle
- bleeding gums
- brown-yellow spots on the teeth (tartar)
What Causes Dental Disease in Dogs?
Generally, the cause of dental disease in dogs is plaque. Because if this is not eliminated, it forms the basis for further diseases.
Types of dental disease in dogs: plaque
Plaque is a bacterial plaque on teeth. It is caused by the interaction of food residue and bacteria present in your dog’s saliva. The plaque often develops in hard-to-reach areas of the dog’s teeth, for example in narrowed spaces between the teeth. You should remove the plaque and bacteria in the dog’s mouth through appropriate dental care measures to prevent further diseases.
Tartar in the dog
If plaque is not removed from a dog’s teeth, tartar will form. The tartar becomes visible through brown-yellow spots on the tooth. If you discover tartar in your dog, it should be removed by the vet as soon as possible.
Gingivitis
If the tartar is not removed in time, gingivitis can develop. Gingivitis means inflammation of the gums. This is very painful for the dog and should be treated as soon as possible. Because if the gum inflammation spreads to the periodontium, periodontitis can occur.
Periodontitis
Approximately 80% of dogs over the age of 6 years suffer from periodontitis, with small breeds being more prone to this condition. Periodontitis is an advanced bacterial inflammation of the periodontium. As the disease progresses, the jawbone, in which the teeth are anchored, is also attacked. As a result, the teeth gradually become looser until they are completely lost.
Consequences of Dental Disease in Dogs
Damage to the dental apparatus is irreversible. If left untreated, tartar and plaque can lead to tooth loss. The whole thing is accompanied by constant gum inflammation and pain in your four-legged friend. In addition, the bacteria from the source of inflammation in the mouth can also enter the organism via the bloodstream. There they then damage vital organs, such as the heart or kidneys, unnoticed and insidiously. You should therefore ensure good dental hygiene, take your dog to the vet regularly and have any tartar removed.
Treatment
If you discover any abnormalities in the oral cavity of your four-legged friend, you should take him to the vet. He decides what is the best treatment for your dog. Tartar can be removed with an ultrasonic device. A tooth may need to be extracted or treated in some other way. Severe gum infections are usually treated with antibiotics.
Prevention of Dental Disease in Dogs
It is best, of course, if the tooth diseases do not develop in the first place. Therefore, you can use the following preventative measures:
dental care
Dental care is also useful for dogs. To keep your dog’s teeth free of plaque, you should brush your dog’s teeth about every other day. You can use a special toothbrush and toothpaste made for animals. There are also extra teeth cleaning snacks. They also clean your pet’s teeth between meals.
Right nutrition
Eating the right diet also has an impact on dental health. If you only give your dog soft and finely chopped food, the reduced chewing activity will not clean the teeth sufficiently. The remains of food stick to the teeth more quickly and cause plaque. In order to stimulate chewing activity, the food should therefore be rather hard or tough and rich in fibre. As a result, the teeth are already gently cleaned when eating. Special food with polyphosphate or zinc salts can also prevent dental plaque.
Regular preventive care
You should have your dog’s dental health checked by a vet at least once a year. They can also tell you which strategy is particularly suitable for maintaining and caring for healthy teeth in your four-legged friend.
The right toy
When it comes to toys, you should make sure that you don’t give your dog chew toys that are too hard (e.g. tennis balls). Instead, you can use special dental care toys. These clean the teeth thanks to their special structure.