Dental Health

Dental Health in all Pets is very important.

Symptoms of Failing Dental Health for all pets.

• Smelly breath or Gingivitis.  Gingivitis is a sign of infection where the tooth meets the gum.
• yellowish brown tartar crust along the gum line and white cream buildup of bacteria
• Tooth loss.
• Red swollen or bleeding gums
• in severe cases there may be drooling, depression and pawing at face or mouth
• When you take your pet for its yearly check up, insist that the vet check the dogs teeth.  Very often this is an area that is overlooked. 
  

How to Keep your dogs teeth healthy

• Check your animals mouth regularly for missing teeth or build up of tartar
• Smell your animals breath.  Gingivitis has a distinctive rotten or foul smell. This is normally the first sign of dental decay.
• Try to feed as natural food as possible or choose food according to the ingredients.  Additives such as carbohydrates and sugar are unnatural to an animals diet and cause dental decay.  (As these are foods are for ours!)  A diet that is mainly meat or vegetable based is the best.
  
• Brush your animals teeth with a recommended pet toothpaste.  DO NOT use human toothpaste as this contains fluorides, detergents or abrasives that can be harmful to an animal.  Remember pets do not spit out the toothpaste!  They will swallow it.
  

Important Things to remember

• Left untreated, bacteria from your pets mouth, are swallowed and can enter the blood stream causing damage and problems to the major organs.  ON another note, dogs are not prone to cavities like humans are.
• I have seen a dog with dental decay before treatment and after treatment.  The improvement in her joy of life, playfulness and vitality was noticeable after her treatment.  Remember tooth decay happens over a long period of time and the changes in behaviour will occur slowly, to the point that we become used to the 'new' behaviour as normal.
  
• I have researched and found evidence that oral health can determine the length of your pets life.  Teeth looked after and cared for will add more years to your animals life.
  

Brushing your animals teeth

Training needs to start at a young age when they are curious and innocent! 
During times of affection lift up your animals lips, touch their teeth and gums.  This is called imprinting and if these steps are taken slowly and happen in a loving moment or with positive reinfircement your pet will have positive associations.

If you need to start to clean their teeth at a later age, then the above training needs to happen slowly one step at a time with patience and positive encouragement. 

On another hand your pet may love the taste of the toothpaste and take to having their teeth cleaned like a fish to water.

But   ...... the best thing is to prevent tooth decay in the first place.