The Poodle Papers / Summer Edition
Page 23
Dental Care for DogsHelps Prevent Oral
CONDITIONS
Dental conditions in dogs are more common than most people realize. According to the American Veterinary Den-tal Society, 80 percent of dogs show signs of oral condi-tions by age 3. Bad breath, yellow or brown spots on theteeth, and bleeding gums are some of the indications that adog may need to see the veterinarian.“In advanced stages, oral conditions can lead not only toinflammation, infection and tooth loss, but also can be det-rimental to a dog’s overall health,” says Steven Holmstrom,D.V.M., DAVDC, of the Animal Dental Clinic in San Carlos,Calif. “A number of studies document the systemic effectsof severe oral conditions in humans, and we highly suspectthe same complications occur in animals. Bacteria in themouth can enter the bloodstream and may result in kidney,liver and even heart problems.”Owners should practice oral hygiene in dogs routinely,and starting at a young age, Holmstrom says. “I am fre-quently astounded by the severe tooth infections in someof my canine patients,” he says. “If infections of this mag-nitude were caused by a splinter or a foreign body in thedog’s mouth, owners would be in a hurry to have the objectremoved. Yet because it’s a tooth causing the infections,owners often ignore it.”
SIGNS OF DENTAL CONDITIONS
Ignoring signs of dental conditions is the wrong thing todo. Any abnormality, such as loose or broken teeth or fa-cial swelling, warrants a visit to the veterinarian, Holmstromsays. Untreated dental problems can, and usually do,worsen.Owners should not rely on their dogs to display overtsigns of dental conditions, Holmstrom cautions. “Long be-fore dogs were domesticated, they were pack animals. Thatmeant not letting others know you were injured, otherwiseat best you didn’t get to feed first and at worst you becamesomeone else’s dinner,” he says. “Many times dogs havesevere dental conditions but cope so well they give no indi-cation of pain or discomfort.”An early sign of an oral condition is dental tartar or cal-culus, which is a combination of bacteria, plaque, food andsalivary glycoproteins. A constant threat to oral hygiene,calculus appears as yellow or brown deposits on the sur-face of the teeth. The first indication of oral problems thatmost owners recognize is their dog’s bad breath. Reluc-tance to eat or chew on rawhide treats or toys, bleedinggums and excessive salivation are other signs.“There isn’t a set formula for how frequently dogs needto have their teeth cleaned, because there are so many fac-tors that affect dental health, including the dog’s individualimmune system,” Holmstrom says. “Toy breeds often needmore frequent cleanings. Though the size of Toy breedswas decreased through breeding, the size of their teeth didnot. The resulting crowding is a built-in stimulus for peri-odontal conditions.”
THE BEST DEFENSE: DAILY BRUSHING
The best defense against oral conditions in dogs is goodhygiene and that means daily brushing — a concept thatmost dog owners and even some veterinarians still viewas unnecessary. “Brushing dogs’ teeth every day can makethe difference between stretching professional dental vis-its out to once every year or two as opposed to cleaningsevery four to six months,” Holmstrom says.“Dental home care is one of the most important healthmaintenance functions owners can do for their dogs,” hesays. “And you don’t have to start out with a puppy. Older dogs are trainable as long as you approach the processslowly.”Begin by putting a dab of veterinary toothpaste on atoothbrush about five times a day and letting the dog lick it off. Never use human toothpaste, Holmstrom says, be-cause it contains detergents not designed for swallowing.Veterinary toothpaste is easily digested by animals andcomes in palatable flavors.Once the dog begins thinking of the toothpaste as a treat,the owner can begin brushing, perhaps just a few teeth at atime to start. Restraining a dog should never be part of the process. “It’s simply behavior training, and making it funand rewarding for the dog means you’re more likely tosucceed,” Holmstrom says.
PROGRESSION OF DENTAL CONDITIONS
“Usually within six to eight hours after an oral clean-ing, bacterial colonies form and attach a glycoprotein layer on the teeth,” Holmstrom says. “When the bacteria die,the dead bacteria calcify and visible calculus develops.”Calculus eventually can cause gingivitis, an inflamma-tion of the gums that can be reversed with preventive mea-sures, called dental prophylaxis. During prophylaxis, aveterinarian cleans a dog’s teeth above and under the gumline, polishes the teeth to smooth their surfaces and helpdecrease plaque’s ability to adhere to the teeth, and flushesthe gums with an antibacterial or saline solution. Addi-tionally, the veterinarian may treat the teeth with fluoride.A plan, including home care, is developed for future oralhygiene.If left unchecked, bacteria can migrate down between
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