Gum Disease in Dogs: A More Serious Problem Than First Glance Reveals

Anyone who’s ever suffered with the stress and discomfort of toothache or problems with their gums will empathize with the poor dog who, after all, has only got his mouth as a means to pick things up, communicate, eat and even play – when all is not well with their teeth.

Dog gum disease is not only a more serious health problem than many people are aware of it, the fact that it can quite easily be prevented in the first place means us dog owners should pay enough attention to what’s going on in our dog’s mouth to spot the signs and early symptoms of dog gum disease.

Spotting The Signs of Gum Problems in Dogs

Are Your Dog’s Gums Are Turning Very Pale In Color? Be Warned, It Could Be Serious…

Dermatologists place a high value on paleness because the less sun you get, the lower your risk for skin cancer. Veterinarians, however, have always preferred the color pink – at least when they are looking at your pet’s gums. When the gums change from bubble-gum pink to pale, oxygen is probably in short supply, and there is an internal problem that needs to be taken care of.

Pale gums usually mean that a pet doesn’t have enough red blood cells, a condition called anemia. Anemia is serious because red blood cells carry oxygen throughout the body. When there aren’t enough of them, oxygen levels fall, and pets get weak and tired.

Parasites are one of the most common causes of anemia. Dogs and cats produce just enough red blood cells to stay healthy. When fleas, hookworms, or other blood-sucking parasites are drinking their fill, there may not be enough blood to go around. Pale gums may be a sign of internal bleeding, resulting from ulcers or even cancer. Internal bleeding that goes on long enough can also cause anemia.

The light-colored gums can also be caused by a serious condition called autoimmune hemolytic anemia, in which the immune system mistakenly destroys red blood cells. This type of anemia may be hereditary, with cocker spaniels, Shetland sheepdogs, collies, English springer spaniels, Old English sheepdogs, Irish setters, and poodles having the highest risk.

Finally, anemia may be a side effect of medications. Drugs such as estrogen, chloramphenicol (an antibiotic), and phenylbutazone (taken for pain) may inhibit the blood marrow from producing red blood cells. Dogs that are taking aspirin for pain will sometimes develop ulcers and internal bleeding.

Pale gums don’t always mean that your pet has anemia. After a serious accident, for example, blood pressure can fall to dangerously low levels because the heart is so busy pumping blood to vital organs that it neglects more-distant regions like the gums, toes, or the tips of the ears. This drop in blood pressure and the resulting pale gums mean that a pet is going into shock and needs emergency care.

Giving pets a balanced diet will help them recover from many forms of anemia. Your veterinarian specialist may recommend putting your pet on a prescription diet that is high in minerals, protein, and vitamins. Don’t give pets iron supplements without your veterinarian’s advice because they can be toxic.

Even though anemia can be dangerous, it is usually not that difficult to restore the red blood cells to healthful levels. Pets that are plagued by fleas, for example, will often recover within three to four days once you get rid of the little pests. Since anemia can make pets very weak, however, it is a good idea to avoid flea dips, powders, or other strong medications.

Bad Breath in Dogs: Could Gum Disease Be The Problem?

If your dog has bad breath, it could signal the sign of disease. Have your dog checked by a veterinarian as bad breath can be the earliest – and most easy to detect – early warn sign of canine gum disease.

Foul Breath, Plaque, & Gingivitis: All of these become more common in older dogs, especially if you have not taken care to keep your dog’s teeth clean throughout his life. Regular dental checkups may be necessary to ensure that any serious problems are quickly treated but by regularly brushing your dog’s teeth you can actively avoid problems in the first place.

Bad Breath: Can it Actually KILL Your Dog?

Freelance author R Drysdale has a sorry story to relate regarding the seriousness of keeping your dog’s teeth in tip top condition. He writes:

I know that it’s important to cure bad breath in my dog when it occurs because I once lost a dog to periodontal disease, which often accompanies tartar buildup and foul breath in dogs. You see, tartar buildup on a dogs teeth fosters the growth of odor producing and potential harmful bacteria. If these bacteria become too numerous, and the gums become inflamed, bacteria can invade tissue, even travel to other parts of the body and set up abscesses and other types of infection there. The dog I lost had a deep jaw abscess that was basically untreatable. If you dog has foul smelling breath, deal with it now.

Bad breath in dogs is more common in older pets because the tartar builds up over the course of a lifetime unless you have the dogs teeth cleaned regularly. Now, when I need to cure bad breath in my dog, I know what to do. the first step is a visit to the veterinarian to have the dog’s teeth examined. A veterinarian can assess the condition of the dog’s teeth and confirm that this is where the odor is coming from (it’s important to rule out other health problems that can cause an odor on the breath). Your veterinarian can also advise you as to what steps you should take, based on the degree of tartar and periodontal disease.

I’ve found that it’s easier to prevent than to cure bad breath in my dog. The idea of brushing a dog’s teeth may seem ridiculous, but there are toothpastes on the market specifically designed for dogs and cats. they come in pleasant meaty flavors that the animals love – you can slowly train your dog to tolerate a daily brushing with an enzyme toothpaste formulated to dissolve tartar. dog owners who start this routine when the animal is quite young can often avoid bad breath in dogs altogether.

Another way to fight tartar is to give a dog chew toys and bones to literally scrape the tartar off the teeth. Over the years, I’ve found that many of these aren’t very appealing to my pet and thus they don’t really work to cure bad breath in my dog, but recently, I discovered the “tartar buster.” It’s a more or less spherical piece of bone about 3 inches in diameter. My dog loves tartar busters and they work miraculously well to scrape off tartar and clear up bad breath in dogs; in fact, I avoided a costly veterinarian procedure by buying a couple of tartar busters. As with any bone, watch your dog to be sure it doesn’t swallow large chunks while chewing on a tartar buster.

If all else fails, you veterinarian may recommend a cleaning under anesthetic to remove heavy tartar. This is expensive and it can be risky for older animals, but it is well worth it to avoid a serious and possibly life-threatening illness later on – bad breath in dogs is not just a cosmetic or social problem. After losing one faithful friend already, I’d be willing to go to considerable lengths to cure bad breath in my dog.

Gingivitis in Dogs

Gingivitis is inflammation of the gum causing them to become red and swollen, this condition is mostly caused by the buildup of plaque. Plaque is the result of when bacteria which is normally found in the mouth mixes with starches and proteins from the saliva, plaque is very gritty in nature and sticks to the teeth. This plaque later on tends to become tartar which accumulates near the gum line.

If gingivitis is left untreated it can lead to tooth. So how do you know if your dog has gingivitis? Well, the most visible sign is the redness of the gums and the swelling. Thereafter you will need to take your dog to the vet who will carry out diagnostic tests in order to pin down exactly what’s happening. The vet may need to use some sort of sedation or anesthesia to carry out a thorough examination.

Complete dental charting and periodontal probing will be carried out in order to gauge the amount of damage caused to the oral cavity based on which a suitable treatment will be suggested. A very similar method is used for human’s as well with the aid of a metal probe which is used examine the gums and the teeth.

The vet may also opt to carry out a dye test in which a red coloured dye is placed on the teeth. The plaque then in turn sucks up the dye allowing the amount of plaque to be seen easily.

Further tests may include a full blood count, serum biochemistry and urine analysis to gain a better understanding of the overall health of the dog especially if it is going to be sedated.

X-rays are also vital in order to evaluate your dog’s teeth, also most of the tooth structure is below the gums so without an x-ray its impossible to completely diagnose Periodontitis. The X-rays will also help in discovering serious problems like tooth root abscesses. Further more, a biopsy may also be required in severe gingivitis cases.

As a cure, ultrasonic scaling will be adopted which involves thorough cleaning above and below the gum line, and polishing the teeth will cure gingivitis and future occurrences.

To stop gingivitis affecting your dog again you need to ensure that you brush your dog’s teeth every few days. Just as humans, dogs need their teeth brushed as well. Don’t use normal human tooth paste but rather you can buy special tooth paste for dog’s which is poultry or meat flavoured. Initially when you start brushing your dog’s teeth you may want to use a finger brush because your dog will not be used to having something go into his mouth in this manner, once your dog gets used to the idea of getting his teeth brushed then move on to a conventional brush because it’s only through the conventional brush that you can reach right at the back of the jaw.

Apart from brushing your dog’s teeth you may want to introduce him to some chews or bones which are very effective in stopping plaque build up and can also aid in the exercise of jaw muscles.

Pyorrhea in dogs – This is a more advanced stage of periodontal disease. Infection of the bone that leads to tooth lose and bad breath allowing disease and infection to spread to the rest your dog’s body eventually infecting every organ.

Summary: Gum disease in dogs can not only make your dog’s life a misery, they can actually die from complications. Help your dog avoid gum disease by regular brushing, frequent vet checks and feeding them a healthy diet that’s good for their teeth and overall health. Canine gum disease is an overlooked yet potentially deadly dog health problem.