Dental disease is the most frequently diagnosed disease in pets! 85% of cats and dogs have oral disease to some degree by the time they are four years of age.
One of the earliest and most commonly described signs of dental disease is bad breath. No one wants kisses from Fido, or Fluffy laying face to face with them, if there’s a foul odor coming from his/her mouth! The plaque that forms on your pet’s teeth traps bacteria. This gets under the gumline, causing inflammation and infection. This creates the stinky breath you’re noticing at home.
That soft plaque soon turns to a harder substance called calculus or tartar. This pushes on and gets under the gumline as well, causing further irritation. Eventually, this combination of infection and pressure will cause the gumline to recede. This leads to root exposure. The infection can also infiltrate the portion of the jaw bone that tooth is sitting in, making it become weak and degenerate. As a result, you have a pet with a painful mouth and loose teeth. At this point, you may notice a decrease in appetite (it hurts to eat!), food being dropped from the mouth, difficulty chewing, and pawing or rubbing of the face. A tooth abscess may occur secondary to the infection. In this case, you may see facial swelling, typically under the eye. Your pet may look like he/she is squinting that eye. There may also be discharge from it, as well as from your pet’s nose. If a tooth abscess or dental infection is severe enough, the bone separating the tooth root from the sinus cavity can be completely eaten away, allowing communication between the two.
The infection won’t stop there! The constant shower of bacteria from your pet’s mouth will finally enter the bloodstream, affecting his/her organs. Heart, kidney, and liver dysfunction can occur. While there can be several causes of a cough, severe dental disease is definitely one of them. The drainage that continuously occurs can cause tracheal irritation and infection.
Dental Disease, luckily, can be prevented! At Effingham Animal Hospital, we recommend starting dental care at home from the moment your new family member arrives. The sooner you get your pet used to having his/her mouth handled, the better! The ideal method is brushing several times weekly with a pet toothpaste. Avoid human toothpaste, as these can upset their GI tract. Start by putting a little on your finger and rubbing it around on the outside of your pet’s teeth. When your pet has become comfortable with this, you can use a finger toothbrush, a pet toothbrush, or even a soft child’s toothbrush to start regular brushing. You can even use a piece of gauze with toothpaste on it if your pet tolerates that better.
At Effingham Animal Hospital, we understand that some pets never get used to having their teeth brushed, and give their two-legged parents a terrible time about it. There are other forms of dental care available if your four legged family member is one these unwilling participants. There is a sealant that can be applied following a once weekly brushing. This should be started when your pet is a puppy or kitten, or immediately after a dental cleaning by your veterinarian. There are also antiseptic rinses you can use following meals, and antiseptic chews that will kill the bacteria in your pet’s mouth for 24 hours. A prescription diet called T/D (tooth diet) is designed to scrape at the plaque on your pet’s teeth when he/she bites into it. The latest is the Oravet chew, which works by cleaning and protecting the teeth. When pets chew, it helps to loosen and dislodge plaque, which helps it to break away from the teeth. The chew protects by forming a barrier that helps protect against the bacteria that leads to plaque and calculus build-up.
Remember, pet’s have teeth too, and they require regular care just like ours do. Imagine what your teeth would look like if you never brushed them or went to the dentist! You can keep your pet’s mouth and body healthy with preventative care at home, and periodic cleanings at your vet’s office.
We hope this post was interesting and informative. For further information please visit this article. If you have any questions about your pet, please visit our contact page for the best methods to reach us.
