Pets with Bad Breath

Healthy pets should have normal fresh breath. Bad breath can be a sign of a serious dental disease or health problems. The American Veterinary Dental Society reports 70% of cats and 80% of dogs show signs of dental disease by age 3 years.

It's important to have your pets teeth examined by a veterinarian every year. You can help prevent dental problems by brushing your pets teeth regularly.

Other preventive measures include dental sealants, dental chew toys, and dental chews. Ask your veterinarian to discuss preventive options for your pet.

Drooling

Dogs can drool for many reasons:
• Nervousness
• Excitement
• In anticipation of food
• Breed-related

To save your carpet, furniture and clothing from drool, try to wipe your pets mouth regularly, use chew toys to help them swallow more to soak up any excessive saliva.

If you pet has started to drool suddenly, seek medical attention as it may be a sign of nausea, anxiety, or painful teeth.

Common Diseases of the Mouth – Cats

Disease of the mouth is the most common problem of cats, affecting 30-70%. Plaque and tartar build up can lead to more severe disease of the kidneys, lungs and heart. Up to 100 billion bacteria can exist in the saliva every day. And it’s this bacteria that can set up home on the cat’s teeth.

Prevention:
• Use preventive techniques recommended by your vet e.g. tooth brushing, textured kibble, prescription diets.
• Control disease such as diabetes, thyroid disease, FeLV, FIV
• Eliminate plaque and tartar through oral hygiene practices recommended by your vet or annual cleaning

Fractured Teeth

A fractured tooth is one that has a crack or break in the crown or root of the tooth.

The treatment options include:
- extraction,
- dentinal bonding
- root canal.

Broken teeth can be uncomfortable as they can be associated with exposed pulp where the nerves and blood vessels are found.

Your local veterinarian will be able to assess the damage and determine what the best treatment is. In severe cases, your pet will be referred to a dental specialist.

The Annual Dental Cleaning

Everytime your pet has a dental exam and cleaning, a dental record is completed.

Your veterinarian will determine:
- are there any teeth missing,
- are there any extra teeth,
- is there tartar present,
- are the gums inflamed (gingivitis),
- are there any broken teeth or mobile teeth,
- are their any deep pockets surounding the tooth.

There are various techniques and products that can help reduce tartar build up. Talk to your local veterinarian about what is suitable for your pet.

Soft Rawhide Reduces Calculus

A recent study looked at the use of soft rawhide given daily to dogs to help reduce dental calculus. Calculus is the hard tartar found on teeth and is made up of bacteria, saliva minerals, and food. Brushing teeth is considered the gold standard in veterinary medicine to help reduce plaque and tartar build up. It’s important to do this daily as within minutes new bacteria start to build up on the teeth. Within 3 days, plaque can solidify into tartar making it very difficult to remove.

Unfortunately, some dogs will not allow their teeth to be brushed and some pet owners cannot brush their pets daily (although highly recommended!). So, based on this one study, it appears that feeding a soft rawhide can actually help reduce dental calculus by nearly 30% within a month and may actually be beneficial between teeth brushing.

Source: J Vet Dent 26(2); 82-85, 2009

Mouth Tumors

Unfortunately, the mouth is a common site for tumors in dogs and accounts for about 7% of all cancers. The most common mouth tumor is the melanoma then squamous cell carcinoma and fibrosarcoma.

Common Breeds
Mouth tumors can occurs in any breed of dog. However, certain breeds have been diagnosed
Melanomas - smaller breeds such as cocker spaniels and poodles
Squamous cell carcinomas - large breed dogs such as Labrador Retrievers and Samoyeds.

Age
• Melanomas – 12 years
• Squamous Cell Carcinomas – 10 years
• Fibrosarcomas – 9 years

Treatment Options
• Surgery
• Radiation Therapy
• Chemotherapy
• Immunotherapy

Brushing your pets teeth

Dental disease is not necessarily a disease of our senior pets. Early dental problems can occur in younger pets. The American Veterinary Dental Society estimates that 80% of dogs and 70% of cats have dental disease by age 3 years.

Gum disease is caused by the buildup of bacteria within plaque on the tooth surface. Bad breath, red gums, tartar and plaque are signs of a dental problem.

Regular teeth brushing are the gold standard in pet dental care. Various products exist to help maintain the health of our pet’s mouth. Talk to your veterinarian about the best options for you. Not all pets will allow this procedure, so it’s always best to start when your pet is young.

Discolored Teeth

A discolored tooth is often a dead tooth. It is important to get these teeth examined by your veterinarian. These teeth require extraction or a root cancl in order to prevent it from forming an abscess (infection).

Missing Teeth

On the surface, missing teeth may not appear to be a problem in cats and dogs. But, under the surface, bone cysts or abscesses can form causing long term problems.

Dogs and cats should have all their teeth showing by 6 months of age.

How many teeth are they supposed to have?
Dogs: 42 permanent teeth
Cats: 30 permanent teeth

You local vet can schedule dental x-rays to determine whether a tooth is truly missing or whether it lies under the surface of the gum.

It's always best to get these investigated early rather than wait for a more serious problem to occur.

Gum Disease linked to Heart Disease

Gum disease occurs in 75% of middle-aged dogs. Purdue University recently published a study that links gum disease to heart disease. It has been known for many years that the bacteria that cause gum disease can travel through the blood causing disease in the body such as the heart and kidneys in both cats and dogs.

Good oral hygiene and regular visits to the veterinarian can help prevent this from occurring.

Signs of gum disease:
• Bad Breath
• Drooling
• Difficulty chewing or eating
• Inflamed or Bleeding Gums
• Yellow tartar on teeth
• Receding gums
• Loose or missing teeth

Prevention of gum disease:
Plaque builds up on teeth every 6-8 hours following brushing. So, it is important to be able to brush your pet’s teeth every day. Your veterinarian will be able to help you select the right toothbrush and toothpaste for your pet. Human toothpaste is not recommended as it can cause stomach problems if swallowed.

Dental chews, toys and diets exist for those pets that do not allow for their teeth to be brushed. Talk to your veterinarian about the right prevention for your pet.

Is Bad Breath Normal?

Healthy pets should have normal fresh breath. Bad breath can be a sign of a serious dental disease or health problems. The American Veterinary Dental Society reports 70% of cats and 80% of dogs show signs of dental disease by age 3 years.

It's important to have your pets teeth examined by a veterinarian every year. You can help prevent dental problems by brushing your pets teeth regularly. Ask your veterinarian to discuss preventive options for your pet.