Bad Breath In Dogs Can Be Serious
Bad breath in dogs can indicate a serious underlying problem that should be looked into right away.
Many people never bother, but you should provide your dog with a dental care routine which consists of brushing his teeth – preferably daily but at least weekly and providing yearly dental checkups with your vet.
If your dog has bad breath you should alert your vet and have him checked out. At the very least, they will recommend enzymatic toothpaste that will help fight bacteria. Sometimes you will need to have a teeth cleaning or “scaling" which involves scraping the built up gunk off your pets teeth.
Please read the article below by Dr. Carolyn Schweitzer which describes in depth the serious nature of oral hygiene for dogs and describes how you can help your dog be healthier while getting rid of his bad breath.
Title: Why "Doggie Breath" is nothing to joke about.
Author: Carolyn Schweitzer
Your dogs health is important to you. You show him how
important by keeping him well fed and groomed, making sure he
gets plenty of exercise and providing a collection of fun, safe
toys for his entertainment. You don't skimp on the quality of
his food. And to reward good boys and girls, there are always
lots of delicious treats in the cupboard.
But if he has bad breath, you could be overlooking a serious
problem with your dogs health.
"Dog Breath" is such a common condition that we make jokes about
it. Sometimes we even tease our human "friends" using "dog
breath" in play-ground style name-calling ( although hopefully
this is limited to teenage boys.) And I know many pet owners who
comment that they love their dog or cat like a child, but just
can't stand the smell of the animal's breath! Well, guess what?
"Dog Breath" isn't normal. It's estimated that 80 percent of
dogs and 70 percent of cats over the age of three suffer from
the periodontal disease — a serious deterioration of the gums
and supporting bones of the teeth. Yes, it's periodontal disease
that's responsible for "dog breath". But the problem doesn't
confine itself to your furry baby's mouth. It's an infection,
and the tiny creatures responsible for it can break loose and
enter the bloodstream. Once they do, they can infect vital
organs such as the liver and kidneys, endangering your dogs
health by causing a far more serious illness.The best way to
insure your dogs health, especially where periodontal disease is
concerned, is with prevention. It can make all the difference.
Periodontal disease begins as gingivitis, which is virtually
harmless and completely treatable. If allowed to move to the
next stage--Periodontitis-- it can be stopped, but not cured.
And the worse it gets, the faster it progresses. This applies to
all animals, two legged and four legged alike. Think of a car
parked at the top of a hill. The emergency break is released,
and the car begins to roll downhill. Now, if you hit the breaks
right away, no harm done. But the farther the car rolls the
faster it goes, and the more momentum it builds. It gets harder
and harder to stop it. By the time it's halfway down the hill,
you could be headed for disaster! You can maintain your dogs
health nicely with proper home care. But, like the rolling car,
if disease is already present, stopping and controlling it is a
bigger job.
Prevention involves, above all, regular veterinary checkups and
professional cleanings beginning early in your dog or cat's
life. I'll show you how you can help maintain oral health at
home, but it's impossible to do a thorough cleaning on an animal
who's awake. Trust me on this. It's hard enough to do a thorough
job with a cooperative human patient. When we're talking about
animals who don't understand what we're doing or why, forget
about it.
Most veterinarians recommend annual cleanings, but more frequent
or involved treatment may be needed depending on your animal's
condition. Please, no matter what you're doing at home, follow
the vet's recommendations. As for your part, introduce your dog
or cat to the idea of having his teeth brushed as early as
possible. I know, it's not easy, and it takes time and daily
conditioning to get your little guy or gal used to it. But your
dogs health is worth it!
So how do you prevent the most common of threats to your dogs
health? Brush her teeth, of course! Every day. Just like you
would your own (twice a day for you, and floss too!!). This
isn't easy, but it can become an expected part of your dog's
routine if you do it right. Here are some suggestions:
Start when your dog is a puppy. The earlier the better.
At first, you just want her to get used to you handling her head
and looking inside her mouth. Practice lifting up her lips and
looking at her teeth and gums--front, back and both sides of her
mouth.
Now begin gently touching the gum tissue with your finger and
rub along her gums and teeth as if your finger were a
toothbrush. Let her get used to the sensation. This is exactly
the way you would introduce a human baby to brushing, beginning
with just her gums. Even before there are teeth, there are
harmful bacteria. So don't worry about a tiny puppy who doesn't
have a full set of teeth yet--rub her gums, swab out her little
mouth with your finger, and get her used the this kind of
contact from her owner.
Your next step is to wrap gauze or a soft washcloth around your
finger and rub the gums on both the outer and inner surfaces of
the teeth.
Finally, introduce a tooth brush in one small area. As your dog
gets used to the brush, you will be able to use it in place of
the gauze or washcloth. Remember to brush the inside surfaces!
A little brushing a day, beginning with the first step and
working your way up gradually, will eventually lead to a one to
two minute session. Your dog will learn that it doesn't hurt and
that she gets a couple of minutes of your undivided attention
every day. It generally takes 8 to 16 weeks to get there, but in
the end your dog will accept brushing as part of her daily
routine.
If a little brushing is done every day at a set time, eventually
your pet gets used to it, and some will even look forward to it.
It will take most pet owners from 8-16 weeks until the pet
accepts it readily. Now the pet realizes it doesn't hurt and
that it will get 1-2 minutes of your undivided attention. Your
pet enjoys your attention, and will eventually wait patiently
for you to brush his teeth. There's a toothbrush with three
heads that will allow you to brush all three surface of the
tooth at one time, which makes life a lot easier for both of
you! It also has nice, soft bristles so you won't harm your
pet's delicate gum tissue.
There are also products that can be rubbed on the gums and added
to the drinking water to help reduce bacteria in an animal's
mouth and promote the dogs health and healing. Bad breath is
actually a by-product of the bacteria that populate the mouth.
They break down proteins and carbohydrates from your dog or
cat's diet, and produce something called "volatile sulfur
compounds", or VSC's. It's the sulfur that make the breath smell
extra special!
Certain dental products have an agent that neutralizes the
VSC's. Many owners have commented that their cat or dog seems to
like the drinking water better when these products are
added--even though they have no flavor! And there's a gel
available that, although formulated for the gums, can be very
soothing for skin conditions, cuts, and surgical wounds thanks
to the Aloe Vera it contains.
The best oral care products work without the use of fragrances
and flavors, which entice human consumers, but don't benefit
your cat or dogs health in any way!
I was a practicing dentist for over 20 years, and I saw a lot of
human patients who had terrible breath (and periodontal disease)
and weren't even aware of it. People don't like to tell each
other about bad breath. Even the dentist has to be delicate with
this piece of bad news.
At least when dealing with a pet, you don't have to worry about
social embarrassment in order to address your dogs health
problem! Don't be shy, get in there and do something about it.
Not only can your dog get rid of her breath odor, but she could
even live 2 to 5 years longer as a result. And you'll be able to
get close again, without holding your breath.
About the author:
© Copyright 2004 Carolyn Schweitzer DDS. Dr. Schweitzer was a
family dentist for 20 years and is now owner and editor of
several websites. You can learn more about specific dental care
products by visiting her website at
http://www.great-dog-gift.com/dogs_health.html#LocationOXY
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