Dental problems in dogs start when food, bacteria and saliva collect on his teeth. This unholy alliance creates plaque which can harden into calculus. If left alone calculus can eventually inflame the gums (gingivitis) and the tooth sockets (periodontitis). Either of these afflictions can also infect the teeth and cause them to fall out. The infection can then spread to the rest of the body including the kidneys or even the heart.
- Foul breath
- Red, swollen and bleeding gums
- Drooling
- Blood in the saliva
- Yellow-brown tartar at the gum line
- Broken teeth
- Loss of appetite
- Dry crunchy tucker like Tux biscuits can help clean a dog's teeth. As he chews, bits of food break off and scrape the teeth like a toothbrush.
- Brush his teeth. Really! If your dog is mellow-tempered you can use special doggy toothbrushes and paste from your dentist. Don't use human toothpaste though, it'll give him a guts ache.
- Introduce tooth-brushing at a young age to encourage life-long good dental health.
- If your dog isn't mellow, a vet could clean his teeth under anaesthetic.
- At some point in each dog's life, he will probably need a full dental exam, including scaling and polishing, with any problems addressed by a vet. A dental Check-up should be a regular part of your dog's annual health check.
PANEL: Puppy teeth
The first year of a dog's life is a revolving door of teeth appearing and disappearing. Here's a rough breakdown of what happens:
| Puppy Age | Tooth Action |
|---|---|
| At around 4 weeks | First of 28 baby teeth start to appear |
| Between 14 and 30 weeks | Baby teeth start to go |
| At around 14 weeks | First of 42 permanent teeth start to appear |
| At around 30 weeks | Baby teeth should be completely replaced by permanent teeth |
That's 70 different teeth appearing and/or disappearing in just a few months! So that makes it even more important to keep up dental care with pups. Plus, you might also want to cut them a bit of slack in the chewing department. See the Chewing section.
