Poor oral hygiene in your pooch can be more dangerous than you know. Not only will foul breath gag you every time they breathe on your face, but the plaque buildup can also cause periodontal disease. That’s not a pretty sight! It means bleeding gums and falling teeth, both of which can leave your pet in the doldrums.

Teeth and gum disorders can be extremely painful as well. So are many of the other diseases they can lead to such as diabetes, endocarditis (a form of heart disease), kidney problems or even a broken jaw from weak teeth. Teeth infections, if ignored for a long time, can cause the bacteria to sail down into the bloodstream, messing up blood sugar metabolism. Let’s spare you the details of what that means. Instead, here are a few preventive measures to help your pooch avoid unnecessarily suffering.

To treat health disorders that come from poor dental hygiene, you need to treat the root of the problem – the tooth itself. Until the periodontal disease is treated, doggy diabetes is hard to cure. 

When your pet is in pain, the first thing that’s affected is their appetite and their ability to chew properly. They tend to swallow hard food, and that doesn’t do much good for their system. If you see yours whimpering, drooling, suffering from bleeding gums and shows no interest in food like the ones bought from Woofie’s, then it means that their condition may have worsened. In such cases, it’s hard to save the affected teeth. Older pets may lie silently in their pain.

How Do You Fix Your Pooch’s Periodontal Problems?

Experienced vets say that weak and fractured doggy jaws are hard to heal because the bone is weak already. They fall sick and the pain from the fractured tooth can become unbearable sometimes. Don’t worry! You can do your bit to help. Prevention is in fact, far easier than cure. Good oral hygiene goes a long way to protect their teeth and health. This includes regular brushing, gum cleaning, annual oral exams, and dental X-rays to examine every tooth and crevice in the mouth. Here’s how you can help:

• Brush teeth: Brush your pup or dog’s teeth in the mornings just the way you do for yourself. Stick to a fixed schedule every day. Start early when they are little so they get into the habit without much protest. A good time to brush is before their breakfast time or in the evenings when they are not as frisky.
• Synthetic chewing bones: Buy synthetic bones or hard toys that are meant to clean their teeth and gums. Don’t leave them alone while they are gnawing on it. Keep an eye to prevent them from accidental swallowing. 
• Healthy food: A healthy diet leads to healthy teeth. Give them crunchy food along with softer options. Soft foods stick to their teeth, causing plaque buildup and decay. Feed them crunchy vegetables in moderation such as brussels sprouts, pumpkins and carrots to strengthen their teeth.
• Regular dental checkups: Take them to the vet regularly for teeth cleaning, check ups and timely dental treatments. 

K9 Gentle Dental: Dog Dental Care

We earned our initial training certificate from the only state-accredited, academically recognized training program taught by a veterinarian specialists in the field. We also collaborate with local vets to build on our understanding and better serve our K9 clients. Call us to schedule a teeth cleaning appointment for your pooch.