Dental Problems in Cats and Dogs

Two thirds of all cats and dogs will have some form of dental disease by the time they are three years old.  It is an extremely common problem and causes issues from bad breath to rotting teeth. However, can be more or less totally prevented by good home care.  

Symptoms of Dental Disease

The symptoms of dental disease will vary depending on the severity of the problem but will include;

• Smelly breath – this is caused by the bacterial infection living on the teeth and  tartar, so not all doggy breath is unavoidable!
• Tartar build up – this is the yellow-brown substance that appears on the teeth over time.  The bacterial infections living on and behind the tartar attack the teeth and this causes the roots to rot.
• Sore gums – Even in animals with fairly clean teeth there can be mild gingivitis, which can be seen as a red line of gum next to the teeth.  In more advanced dental disease all of the gums will be inflamed and sore.
• Painful Mouth – although all degrees of dental disease are painful it is only when the problem is very bad and the mouth extremely painful will the animal stop eating entirely.

One of the most important points to remember about dental disease is that it is very painful but that it rarely stops the animal from eating unless it is excruciating.  So just because your pet is eating does not mean they don't have a problem.

It can be difficult to check a pets mouth at home, especially if they are sore.  However, try to get into the habit of regularly lifting your pet's lips at home to inspect the teeth, both the front and back, so you can pick up on any problems early.

There are many different ways of helping to keep your pets teeth clean ranging from regular brushing to dental chews and biscuits.

Brushing

• All The best way of keeping teeth clean is to brush them.  Which is why we clean our teeth every day rather than eating special biscuits or chews!
• The easiest way to get a pet to accept tooth brushing is to train them from a young age.  However, this does not mean it is impossible in older pets, you just need to have patience and perseverance.
• It is important to always use a specific pet toothbrush and toothpaste.  The toothbrushes are designed to fit around an animals teeth and the toothpastes are safe if they are swallowed. Human toothpastes are an irritant to the stomach, which is fine in people who spit it out but not in pets who will most likely swallow it down (not to mention they are not too keen on 'minty fresh' flavours!)
• Animal toothpastes do not foam when they are brushed on the teeth, which can be disconcerting and make you think they aren't working but pets don't like a mouth full of bubbles and foaming agents are only put in human toothpastes because we think it means it is cleaning better.

Dental Chews

Teeth Cleaning Biscuits

• These are particularly helpful for dental care in dogs who don't like to chew and are great for cats.
• These biscuits work because when the animal bites into them, they don't shatter like normal biscuits, they stay in large chunks.   This means they have a firm scraping action on the teeth which is repeated several times as the animal chews them.
• They can be added to an animals normal food, which is great for fussy eaters as they don't generally to notice them.  They are also good to use for treats, as they tend to be fairly large and take time for your pet to eat.
• They are also economical as the pet only needs to eat a handful a day for them to be effective, so a bag will last a long time.
• The best teeth cleaning biscuits on the market are Hills t/d, which are available from most vets.

Teeth Cleaning Powder

• There is now a powder on the market, Plaque-off, which can be added to a pets diet and helps keep the teeth clean.
• It is made from seaweed, so is a natural product and a version of it has been used in human dentistry for years.
• Plaque-off makes the tartar and plaque build-up on the teeth softer, so other methods of dental care, brushing or chews for example, are more effective.  A bit like adding two and two and getting five!
• Only a small amount needs to be added to the food every day, which makes it very acceptable to the pet and also very good value for money. 

Mouth Washes

• Some pets suffer with bad breath don't have a lot of tartar or plaque on their teeth.  This doesn't mean they shouldn't have some form of home dental care but they can benefit from mouth wash to combat their doggy breath!
• Pet mouthwashes are available which either go into their water bowl, often by far the easiest way to get them to take it, or directly into their mouths.
• They are similar to the pink liquid you swill at the dentist in that they are anti-bacterial and will kill the bacteria in the mouth that are the main cause of the halitosis.

Veterinary Dental Treatment

Once the tartar in a pets mouth has reached a certain level, no amount of home care is going to shift it.  Tartar has a concrete like consistency, so it would be like trying to knock down a brick wall with a biscuit!  So, many pets need to undergo veterinary dental treatment to clear the tartar, remove any teeth which have been irreparably damaged and clean the remaining teeth.  Once this has been done, then home care can be used to keep the teeth in this condition.

Commonly performed procedures on pets teeth include; 

• X-rays – These can be very useful for your vet to fully assess the health of your pets teeth and decide which teeth need to be exacted because of their rotten roots.
• Extractions – any teeth which have been too damaged by the tartar and bacteria to salvage or whose roots have become rotten from the infection should be removed.  They are likely to be a significant cause of pain for the dog and will be vulnerable to further infections if they are left.
• Scaling – As at a human dentist, your vet will scale the teeth to remove all the plaque and tartar.
• Polish – Once the teeth have been scaled they will then be polished to leave the surface smooth and healthy.

More advanced treatments such as crowns or root canal surgery can be performed but they tend to be performed by specialist dental vets. Dental problems in our pets are very common, very painful and easily prevented.  All pet owners should instigate some form of daily dental home care to keep their animal's teeth in the best possible health. 

Please note, this is a advice only article.  If you have any concerns about this, or any other pet related subject, you must speak to your vet.