Vancouver Animal Hospital: Dog Dental Care

Dog Dental Disease

Signs of dog dental problems:
The range of signs of dental disease varies greatly from dog to dog as each has a different response to discomfort and pain. Any of the following symptoms may indicate the presence of dental disease:

• Bad dog breath (halitosis)
• Drooling from the mouth (excess salivation)
• Facial swelling between the nose and the eye, below the eye, under the chin or along the lower jawbone
• Nasal discharge
• Conjunctivitis
• Difficulty with eating
• Chewing on one side
• Refusing biscuits but eating soft food
• Loosing food from the mouth whilst eating
• Refusing to play with chews or other toys
• Unwillingness to pick up or carry things
• Gradual change in nature quieter than normal, not interested in playing or going for walks
• Unable to settle
• More irritable than normal
• Dislike of being patted on the head

Thus the signs can be very varied and many of the changes are so insidious in onset and so non-specific tha they often go unnoticed. Hence it is very important for the dog’s teeth to be examined frequently by owners and at least once or twice a year at a veterinary hospital by a veterinary surgeon. In our Vancouver Animal Hospital dog dental exam is usually carried out at the time of the annual vaccination, when a general health check is always a good idea.

TO EXAMINE YOUR OWN DOG’S TEETH

Lift the upper lip gently with the mouth closed. This will reveal the teeth and gums. The gums should be glistening, smooth, firm, pink and free from any debris. Some dogs have dark or pigmented areas on the gums, lips, tongue AND HARD PALATE, WHICH ARE QUITE NORMAL. Diseased gums have a different appearance; they may be dull and rough, soft, red or bleeding. They may have receded, exposing part of the root. They can be swollen, puffy and irregularly shaped. Sometimes gum boils are visible as red or white sores on the gum over the tooth root. The teeth are normally clean, shining white and fixed firmly in position with a smooth unbroken outline. Anything other than this appearance is abnormal. Dog’s teeth and gums behave in essential the same way as people’s. Broken and decayed teeth hurt us and they also hurt our dogs, although they may not show obvious symptoms.

Dogs undoubtedly function more efficiently with a complete set of healthy teeth, and it is the aim of veterinary dentistry to preserve teeth as long as is practicable. This aim can be realised by preventing the build-up of plaque or calculus, just as with us, and involves the training of the dog to accept a daily tooth brushing routine. Today special brushes and specially flavoured tooth pastes containing products to fight bacterial build-up are available for use in dogs. The aim of preserving teeth is helped if the dog received regular dental check-ups from the surgeon at a veterinary hospital. Alta Vista Animal Hospital has a special interest in veterinary dentistry. Dr. Munjal increasingly emphasises the question of home care, in other words regular brushing of the dog’s teeth, particularly in those breeds more prone to periodontal disease.