Trained Dogs Rock
Dental hygiene is a very important element of any good health plan for your dog, which often neglected in favor of other elements such as exercise, nutrition and grooming.
By lifting the lips of the dog with your fingers, you can quickly do your very own dental checkup on the dog. You will expose the teeth and can easily inspect the mouth for any gum problems or tartar. Any change in inflammation or strange colors warrant a trip to the veterinarian for appropriate assessment. Frequently brushing the dog’s teeth using toothpaste and a dog toothbrush is a wonderful, preventative measure, which can easily be carried out at home. Simply ask a veterinarian on the best way to do it correctly. As the dog requires a unique formula, don’t use human-based toothpaste on your dog. Routine cleaning will ensure that plaque build-up which hardens to tartar doesn’t form, or worse yet, turn into gingivitis.
Be wary also if you notice any excessive salivation, trouble in eating, pain when chewing, bleeding gums, reddish or puffed gums, or teeth that are loose. All these are indicative of potentially serious dental issues. Bad breath or halitosis is, in addition, an indicator of some kind of gum disorder, resulting from tartar or bacteria in the mouth and teeth. Sometimes, it may only be something that the dog ate. However, the veterinarian is the greatest individual to find out the reason for this occurrence. If tartar is the cause, have no worries as the veterinarian can quickly remove it. During tartar removal, the dog is put under anesthesia and then the tartar is scraped off the teeth. If tartar isn’t removed in time, excessive tartar build up will irritate the gums and cause bacteria to stay between the teeth and gums. This can multiply and cause a lot of pain, bleeding and swelling leading to loss of teeth of irreparable damage that may infect other organs such as the kidneys, heart or brain.
Change of diet may be an excellent preventative measure. However, if the dog has the bad habit of eating pooh, you’ll have to do additional conditioning and training to circumvent this habit. Occasionally, also, bad breath is an indicator of other health issues such as cancer, diabetes or other terminal illnesses.
Your Veterinarian should be consulted to assess the precise cause and prescribe the best treatment.
Another result of poor dental hygiene in dogs is malnutrition. If not corrected this could lead to more severe health issues. Take the dog for routine checkups to the veterinarian, as prevention is preferable to treatment in the end. In case the dog has some severe dental issues, early intervention can save the dog lots of pain as well as the owner lots of cash.
Toys such as rawhide chips or plaque attackers soften as the dog chews on them and are excellent for plaque removal. There are also many artificial bones accessible in pet stores that do the job just as well. Dog gnawing has many excellent health benefits, as it gives a great scrub on the teeth as the dog chews on it.
Another option is giving the dog an oral hygiene solution that repels and kills bacteria, while delaying plaque formation. Some types can even be added to your pet’s drinking water, which sure beats having to clean your dog’s teeth manually.
