What You Need to Know About Dog Dental Care
There is more to dog dental care than most people think. If you have recently welcomed man’s best friend into your home it is important that you familiarize yourself with proper canine oral hygiene as soon as possible, to make the process easier for you and your pet.
What’s the Big Deal?
Like humans, dogs can develop serious gum disease if their mouths are not properly taken care of. This may lead to painful gum inflammation and even loss of teeth which can cause many hardships for you down the line as your dog ages.
Although dogs generally don’t get cavities, they do get plaque along their gum lines. This is a result of food particles and bacteria building up inside the dog’s mouth. Daily brushing, rinsing, or certain plaque-removing treats and toys can help with this.
If plaque is allowed to build up unchecked, minerals in the dog’s saliva will join with it and tartar is then formed. Tartar cannot be easily removed and is very irritating to canine gums, as it is with humans. This irritation will eventually lead to an inflammatory gum disease called gingivitis. Unlike plaque, tarter is very difficult to remove and must be done with special tools in a vet’s office.
If the tartar continues to build up, however, it will begin to travel and form deeper beneath the gum line. The irritation will cause the gums to separate from the teeth and pockets will form. When this happens, even more bacteria can grow and run rampant in the dog’s mouth. By this point the gingivitis has devolved into periodontal disease, an irreversible oral disease that can be very painful to the patient and may lead to tooth loss. Serious cases of periodontal disease may even lead to death, due to the bacteria entering the bloodstream and infecting heart valves. Although the disease cannot be reversed, it can be slowed, stopped, or prevented altogether by following a comprehensive dog dental care program.
Where Should I Start?
Begin with a trip to your vet. It’s nice to think that simple brushing will be all you need to do, but in order to benefit from brushing your dog’s teeth need to be cleaned first. The vet will give your dog a complete oral exam to find out where your pet is in regards to oral hygiene.
Your vet will anesthetize your dog, take a set of x-rays to find any issues in the bones and teeth, and perform an intense cleaning above and below your dog’s gum line. Any tartar that your dog has will be removed with scalers.
Upon completion of the cleaning and assessments, your vet will then give you instructions on proper dog dental care at home.
Daily Maintenance
Just like humans, dogs need their teeth brushed regularly too to prevent plaque from becoming tartar. To enable your dog to get used to having their teeth brushed, consider using a gentle fingerbrush similar to those used on infants. Eventually they will get comfortable with this and you can switch to a harder brush with bristles. Under no circumstances should you use human toothpaste on your dog. It can make them very sick, even in small amounts.
Another way to help prevent plaque and tartar is to treat your dog to the occasional dental biscuit. These biscuits break down in a way that helps rub the plaque off the gums and teeth. In addition to this, consider special dog toys that promote dental health. These toys generally come with rubber nubbins or stringy attachments that act as gum massagers and dental floss for your dog.
If you have any questions about your dog’s dental care, get in touch with your vet and set up a consultation appointment.