Dog teeth health is just as important as calendar monitoring of vaccines. It will also have to do with the kind of food we offer our pet.
On many occasions we completely forget that our dog's teeth are important, and although in their wild state dogs have some mechanisms with which they can protect all their teeth as well as their gums, the same is not the case in domestic dogs and these mechanisms stop working.
Most common dental diseases in dogs
The presence of any disorder inside the animal's mouth can be fatal. For this reason, it is necessary that we can identify what is happening in our pet's teeth, in order to take it to the vet as quickly as possible.
Among the most frequent dental diseases in the teeth of dogs we can find the following:
Teeth that do not come off
In the same way that happens to us, dogs also have temporary teeth or as we would say, baby teeth.
Shortly after these fall out, the appearance of the teeth that will remain permanently begins, however, there are some cases in which one or perhaps several temporary teeth cannot detach by themselves at the indicated time, making it difficult so that the final teeth can come out correctly.
This happens more frequently than we think. The worst part of this problem is that because no space in the jaw is available For the correct exit of the final tooth and therefore it cannot be attached, it is when the dental piece remains hooked to the gum.
This causes the other part of the denture to move forward. causing not only a large displacement, but also quite intense pain. If this problem continues, it is most likely that one of the permanent teeth will begin to fall out due to the same pressure.
One of the best alternatives that we can take into account in case this problem manifests itself in our pet, is remove all primary or baby teeth. To perform this procedure, it is necessary to go to the vet so that he can perform a surgical intervention.
Tartar
This oral disease is not only a disorder in the animal's teeth, it is also one of the main causes of a large part of the ailments that negatively affect the oral health of our dog.
There are many bacteria in the mouth that ensure that all things work properly, however, these bacteria are not the only ones that are housed there.
When the dog feeds, drinks water or puts anything it finds in its mouth, it allows new bacteria, like certain microbes, to enter the oral cavity causing them to form what is known as bacterial plaque.
Bacterial plaque is usually inside the gums and also in the middle of the teeth, when they are in that place, they slowly transform until they become that nasty problem we all know as tartar.
At this stage is when this disease begins to contaminate the very root of the tooth, this results in the appearance of great inflammation, intense pain, injuries that can become irreversible and destruction of the tooth.
When it is in its initial phase it produces gingivitis, if we let it pass and do not apply any type of treatment, there is a high probability that it will become periodontitis, which is even more serious.
We have the possibility to prevent the effects caused by this oral disease from worsening, one of the things we can do is go to the vet to have him do it himself deep cleaning the dog. For this procedure, the application of anesthesia is necessary, and in the most serious cases, it is best to remove the teeth that are most damaged.
There are some dogs that are more prone than others to suffer from tartar, it is for this reason that we must be very careful in case our dog has the following:
- If our pet is more than five years old.
- If the dog is of the species that has a flat snout.
- If the dog is a dwarf breed.
Gingivitis
This is the first stage of tartar, one of its main characteristics and also very noticeable are: unpleasant odor on your breath, gum lesions that often bleed, swelling, and pain very strong. This disorder is quite common in dogs, especially in those species that do not have any kind of care for their teeth.
Generally treatment for gingivitis is usually quite simple. The first thing is to eliminate all the plaque formed by bad bacteria and then apply the medications that are necessary to interrupt the effects produced by the infection, however, if this phase is not stopped as soon as possible, it can become a periodontitis.
Periodontitis
Better known as the last stage of tartar. This phase is the most dangerous, since the infection has spread even more, resulting in both pain and bleeding in the gums intensifying.
At this stage the tooth as well as the gum itself is completely destroyed, and as a result, the vast majority of teeth cannot be recovered.
On the other hand, the risk of this kind of infection is not only that the teeth end up falling out., the most serious thing is that important organs such as the heart, are damaged due to the advanced stage of periodontitis.
Mouth wounds
Although these are not really treated as a disease, in most cases can become one of the most common problems in a dog's oral health.
Generally these animals tend to be quite curious, which leads to them chewing on most things in their path. This happens more often in puppies, which can result in their mouth being sore from poor examination.
For this reason the wounds caused by some objects that cut part of the gum, or those that have been nailed in it, They are very common.
The most advisable thing in these cases is be very aware of the objects that our dog puts in his mouth while you are playing or exploring a certain place, and above all, prevent anything that could cause a cut, as well as hard and heavy things such as stones.
Diseases in the teeth of our dogs are more common than we ever imagine, it is for this reason that one of the ways we have to prevent these infections from manifesting it is through prevention.
Our pets usually suffer a lot, especially because of the great pain that they can generate. Our dogs are very important both for us and for the whole family, it is for this reason that we must always pay close attention to anything that affects them so that it is easier to identify what is happening to them.
Lastly, visits to the vet are very important for the prevention of many diseases that can be fatal for our dog.