How’s that morning Breath?
You all know what it’s like to wake up each day to your bundle of joy bouncing all over you excited to just to exist, slapping you with that warm smelly tongue all over the face! It doesn’t have to be this way, and bad breath is not normal, it can be a sign of many issues, but mostly it’s poor mouth health.
Bad breath, or halitosis as we call it, can be the result of many things from diet choice to systemic illnesses or local disease such as plaque build up. It as been estimated that by adulthood, some 80% of pet dogs and cats have dental disease to some extent.
Brushing your pet’s teeth and using dental specific chews and diets can go a long way in maintaining your furry friends dental health, however most pets will require a dental procedure at least once in their lifetime to remove plaque build up and assess the health of the teeth.
What is plaque? Plaque is simply a mix of food particles, saliva and bacteria creating a perfect recipe together. Plaque is pretty sneaky stuff and can build up on the tooth surface that you can see or hide on the back side of the tooth, between teeth and under the gum line. So whilst brushing and using chews will go a long way to keep the build up at bay, there are simply spots that cannot be reached by these mechanical methods.
Dental disease doesn’t just cause plaque build up and bad breath. If left untreated dental disease will cause discomfort or pain and even trigger other issues such as infections and kidney disease.
Common signs of dental disease
01
Bad breath
Bad breath can be a signal there is bacteria build up in the mouth, the key ingredient to plaque.
If you cannot see any plaque on the teeth, you might like to try a dental diet or dental chews to see if this helps, otherwise a visit for a dental health check is warranted.
02
Plaque on teeth or red gums
Visible plaque or red gums may mean we need to act now to treat your pets teeth. A quick visit for us to take a peek in the mouth will help guide you in the next step. A dental procedure at this stage will prevent your pet from suffering more advanced dental disease.
03
Difficulty eating or pawing at mouth
This is an indicator that something is uncomfortable or painful. A veterinary consultation is warranted to assess the cause.
If dental health is the likely culprit we will explain what is necessary for your pet and schedule the dental procedure.
04
Swelling around face or eyes
Swellings in the face region, especially around eyes can be caused by tooth abscesses.
These are very painful and will require immediate intervention which may include antibiotics and a dental procedure.
Concerned about your pet’s dental health?
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