Dog’s Dental Diseases and Detection Methods

Nowadays, dogs have become close friends to almost every family. For that reason, their health deserves to have a full and whole-hearted care. However, we usually do not pay enough attention to their dental health. Having healthy dental will prevent your pet from diseases and be able to live longer. The following article will give you some necessary information about dog’s dental health.

1.Dental Diseases:

Diseases of dog’s mouth do not only cause bad breath but also make he or she suffering from pain; moreover, if they have not been found and well-treated on time, the consequence would be the spread of the diseases to other organs such as heart and kidneys, which in turn causes more dangerous pathological conditions.

According to a survey, 80% of dogs over 3 years of age suffer from several types of dental diseases.

Thus, having sufficient understanding about the common diseases of the dental cavity will help us easily identify whether the disease is dangerous or easy-treated, and decide to take our dog to the veterinarian or not.

American Staffordshire terrier puppy

Here are some common diseases related to dental health

1. Periodontal disease (gum disease): Your dog will feel uncomfortable and suffer from pain in the middle of the tooth and gums, whenever the disease gets more severe, it will cause tooth loss and affect other parts of the body. You can notice these signs from your dog to know if they are having this disease or not: loose teeth, bad breath, toothache, sneezing and runny nose.
2. Gingivitis is an inflammatory gingival condition caused by plaque forming tartar that allows the bacteria to grow above and below the gums. Signs to know are bleeding, red and swelling gums and bad breath. It is very simple to reduce gingivitis, you just need to clean your dog teeth more often.
3. Gingival swelling: Your pet’s swelling is caused by a food trapped between the teeth and tartar build-up. In addition to regularly cleaning your dog's teeth, it is also important to have your dog examined every year to clean its teeth (dental shavings) at Veterinary dentistry stations, thus preventing tooth and gum disease.
4. Gingivitis growing suddenly is a case where the gums develop to cover the teeth; Prevention of gingivitis requires urgent treatments. This disease is common in hunting dogs and is usually treated with antibiotics.
5. Bad breath is a sign of dental disease. The main cause of bad breath is the growth of bacteria from the extra food that stuck into teeth, or gingivitis. The best solution to stop bad breath is regular brushing to remove plaque and bacteria on teeth.
6. Mouth tumors: usually appear as lumps in the gums. Some cases of melanoma need surgery to remove the tumor.
7. Salivary gland cysts: You can detect large pimples that develop under the tongue or inside the jaw of your dog. This requires the veterinary clinic to remove these cysts.
8. Fangs: When your pet’s teeth feel terrible, they may have worn and wormed teeth. In cases of severe tooth decay, you should have the veterinarian extract the teeth.

2.Some dental’s problem detection methods:

1. Breathing Test: If your dog has bad breath, combining some symptoms such as poor appetite, drinking too much water, urinating too many times during the day or mouth is in abnormal shape. He or she should be taken to a veterinarian for examination immediately.
2. Dental examination: You should check your pet’s mouth weekly. You can pull the lips to see teeth and gums thoroughly. The teeth must be clean and not yellowish brown in color. The gums must be light pink (not white or red), you also need to take a careful look to make sure the gums and jaws are not swollen, also check if there are any lumps on the tongue or not...
3. Signs of gum disease (periodontitis): Severe odor, drooling, gingivitis, swollen gums, cysts under the tongue, tooth decay, tooth loss, toothache and reluctant eating.