Dog Breath Got You Down?

 

Can Spike's breath stop a train?

Does his breath bring tears to your eyes?

Almost peal the paint of the walls?

Imagine, just for a moment, what your mouth would be like if you did not brush your teeth daily for years on end.

Yikes!

The causes for halitosis, or bad breath, most commonly are caused by the build up of periodontal disease in your pet's mouth.

Halitosis is the result from the excess bacteria associated with the tartar, plaque, unhealthy gums, and necrotic tissue in your pet's mouth from years of neglect. 

Dental disease and bad breath doesn't affect just the mouth. The chronic infection in your pet's mouth causes bacteria to enter the blood stream resulting in premature heart, lung and kidney disease.

Dental care of dogs and cats is one of the most commonly overlooked areas of pet health care. In fact, a recent AAHA study showed that approximately two-thirds of pet owners do not provide the dental care that is recommended as essential by veterinarians. What's more, the American Veterinary Dental Society reports that 80 percent of dogs and 70 percent of cats show signs of oral disease by age three!

After your pet reaches a few years of age, tartar begins to build up on their teeth.  If this tartar is not removed, it increases until it undermines the tissue and causes receding gums.  The area then becomes infected.  This infection leads to the foul breath, as well as pain and a constant unsavory odor and taste in your pet's mouth. Unless brushed away daily, this bacteria can destroy tooth supporting bone, cause bleeding, and if untreated, cause tooth loss.

Unfortunately, cats and dogs can not point to dental abnormalities with their paws, so in order to determine the proper treatment plan, other tests are usually necessary. Sedation and anesthesia are essential to adequately evaluate oral conditions and allows us to thoroughly examine each tooth individually.

Broken teeth, abscessed teeth, oral tumors, gum disease, and many other oral problems affect our pets. These conditions can be painful, yet remain undetected for years.

Sedation is necessary for your pet so that our specially trained staff can thoroughly clean above and below the gumline, smooth the enamel surface, take necessary dental radiographs to see below the gumline and improve the structure of the enamel layer of the teeth by polishing and treating the teeth. The time required will depend on the amount of disease present and the appropriate dental treatment required for optimum oral health. Animals with minimal disease may take up to 30 minutes to perform the dental prophylaxis procedure. Animals with severe disease may take several hours of anesthesia time and may require several visits to get the disease under control.

At Acoaxet Veterinary Clinic, our simple goal is to make your pet comfortable. In most cases, owners are unaware that their pet has dental problems. The pets feel pain, but usually do not communicate this to the owners. We are equipped and educated to find and treat all forms of dental disease, including many painful conditions that are frequently overlooked.  Call us if you have any questions regarding your pet's oral health TODAY!