I am going to take a safe bet that the last time you looked carefully inside your dogs mouth was probably... well, never. The reason why you should be looking in your furry friend's mouth is because four out of five dogs have some kind of problematic oral issue. You might be thinking that this is an older dog's issue, but even young dogs can develop sore or infected gums or even tooth rot.
There are multiple reasons why oral issues develop but the primary reason is the fact that bacteria is continually present in a dog's mouth and this bacteria continually releases toxins. When these toxins are swallowed by your dog they can cause a number of problems in its stomach.
The mouth is a perfect environment for all kinds of organisms to grow. When oral bacterial flora gets out of balance, then several dental diseases can occur. These diseases include; Gingivitis, Periodontitis, Pyorrhea and commonly plaque. The toxins from these diseases cause the same issues for canines as they do for humans. Since toxins are absorbed into the blood stream they find their way to the kidneys, liver, and brain. Often small infections occur which results in organ damage and sometimes even death. If properly treated and with continued care dogs often make miraculous changes once the cause for their infections is removed.
Many times, advanced periodontitis is seen in older dogs and often owners are worried that if they put their dog under anesthesia they might not make it through. The truth is that older dogs that are healthy are typically able to handle anesthesia without any issues. Of course, there is always a risk when using anesthesia, so thought has to be given to the level of risk of performing the dental procedure to that of the dog's quality of life if the dental disease is not corrected.
If you want to make sure your dog has a healthy mouth, the first thing you need to do is to provide your furry companion with a high quality, well-balanced, meat-based diet. Also, provide your dogs with safe chew treats that require them to use their teeth. Try bully sticks or rice based compressed bones. Even a hard rubber chew toy can help keep the gums and teeth healthy. The absolute best thing to do is brush your dog’s teeth daily. It's no different than what you do to take care of your own teeth and gums.
It's interesting to note that veterinary dentistry is a growing field. This attests to the fact that we all need to pay more attention to what is happening in our dogs mouth and that we should keep better tabs on their oral health. It has been said that if you brush your dog's teeth daily from the time they are puppies you will average 16 years of healthy living with your dog. If you don't, expect to average 12 years. How many years do you want with your dog?
Steven Spitz
AKA: The Vegan Pet Man
Founder/CEO
Big Apple Pet Supply
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