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Dog Health News Articles
Page: 1
| Posted: 7th August 2004 |
| Oral Hygiene and Your Dog's Health |
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This article by Dr. Dunn appeared in
August, 2002, Dog World Magazine
It’s a factMost dog owners never take a good look inside their dog’s mouthAnd that’s unfortunate because it is estimated that over 80 percent have significant oral pathologyEvery day veterinarians are presented with patients for routine vaccinations or other minor afflictions whose oral health status is truly cause for alarmUpon displaying the dog’s loose teeth, sore and infected gums, and rotting tooth sockets to the dog’s owner, the response usually is one of surprise and shock
“Well, she does seem to have bad breath, Doctor” is the usual reply“But I’m sure at her age she can’t have anything done now”My response is that the continual presence of bacteria and their associated toxins have a daily impact on the dog’s health; anything we can do to change that for the better is appropriatePrivately I’m thinking “How would you like that pathology going on in your mouth?”
Partly because the mouth is warm, moist and has significant nutrients present for organisms to grow on, the oral cavity of dogs is a perfect incubator for all kinds of bacteriaMost are normal and natural but once plaque and calculus form on the teeth the normal microbial flora gets out of balance and if pathogenic organisms proliferate, trouble ensuesFar too often veterinarians discover during the physical exam that their canine subject has a foul odor to the breath as a result of generalized periodontitisBut foul breath is a mere shadow of a much more insidious disease processTo help understand the topic of oral hygiene let’s take a look at a few basic definitions below:
DEFINITONS
Gingivitis… means an inflammation of the gums.
Periodontitis… a general term for a disease of the oral cavity that attacks the gum and bone and delicate tissues around the teeth.
Pyorrhea… inflammation of the gums and tooth sockets, often leading to loosening of the teeth and accompanied by pus.
Caries… an area of decalcification of the tooth enamel leading to cavities in the tooth. |
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