Dirty Mouth?
Did you know that February is Pet Dental Awareness month!
Did you also know that 85% of both cats and dogs have tooth or gum related
disease called periodontal disease by the age of three years. The reason for
this is that pets cannot brush or floss their teeth like we do daily. The same
bacteria that we brush away every day, which causes damage to our teeth and
gums, cause similar problems in pets.
What happens in Periodontal Disease?
Bacteria begins to accumulate on the tooth crown (outside of
tooth) and under the gum line of your pet’s tooth. The mixture of this bacteria
and saliva mineralize to create tartar (calculus) on your pet’s tooth if not
brushed away. This tartar prevents oxygen from getting to the tooth and allows
more potent or dangerous bacteria to live on your pet’s tooth. This bacteria
can start to eat away at your pet’s tooth or the bone attached to your pet’s
tooth. This can lead to tooth pain, tooth loss, possible breaks in the jaw
bone, or infections to organs in the body due to bacteria getting into the
blood stream of your pet.
Signs of periodontal disease include:
1) Bad
breath or odor from mouth (halitosis)
2) Reddened
gums or gingiva (gingivitis)
3) Chip,
cracked, worn, or broken teeth
4) Pain
while eating (dropping kibbles, chewing on one side of the mouth, not wanting
to eat harder foods)
5) Swelling
of mouth or under the eye
6) Discharge
under the eye or from the mouth
7) Pawing
at the mouth
8) Excessive
drooling
9) Yellowing
or brown staining or accumulation on teeth (Tartar)
10) Masses or
growths in the mouth
11) Missing,
loose, or extra teeth
12) Bleeding
gums
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