Dental disease in dogs

Dental disease in dogs

How to Prevent Dental Problems in Dogs

Author: Aimee Johnson

Unfortunately, dental problems are quite popular in dogs. A few of the most common dental problems that dogs can suffer from include dental tartar, gingival hyperplasia, periodontal disease and calculus. It is extremely possible that your pet will begin losing his teeth at an early age if you do not take the proper steps to prevent dental problems in the first place. This guideline will provide you with a few tips for ensuring that your dog has the cleanest teeth possible and suffers from no dental problems. If you would like to purchase any of the dental products that are mentioned in this guideline, check out stores like PetFoodDirect.com and PetCareRx.

Brushing

One of the best ways to prevent dental problems in dogs is to brush their teeth. Most retailers that carry dog supplies will carry finger toothbrushes that you can use to brush your dog's teeth. You should never use human toothpaste to brush your pet's teeth. There are many different companies that make toothpaste that is specifically designed for canines. Generally speaking, the toothpaste will be liver or beef flavored to make brushing more appealing to your pet. You should brush your dog's teeth at least once a week to help prevent dental problems from developing. If you have a dog that enjoys getting his or her teeth brushed, feel free to do it as often as every other day.

Chew Toys

Unfortunately, some dogs will outright refuse to allow you to brush their teeth. Before you take your dog to the veterinarian to be put under anaesthesia for a teeth cleaning, purchase him some chew toys. Rawhide chew toys in particular have been proven to remove plaque and tarter from a dog's mouth. If you purchase chew toys that are coated with sodium hexametaphosphate, those toys may even help prevent calculus and tartar from developing in your pet's mouth. You can purchase both edible and non-edible chew toys for your pet that are designed to prevent dental problems. Many of the non-edible dog toys will have little nubs that appear when he chews on the toy. Those nubs are designed to brush against your dog's teeth and clean them as your dog chews on the toy.

Oral Sprays and Rinses

Oral sprays and rinses can be used in conjunction with brushing, but they are also a great alternative to brushing if you fear that you are going to lose a finger by brushing your dog's teeth. If you decide to purchase an oral spray or rinse for your dog, make sure that it contains chlorhexidine gluconate. That substance, which is available in both liquid and gel form, will prevent bacteria from growing in your dog's mouth for up to 48 hours. It is generally recommended that you apply an oral spray or rinse to your pet's mouth twice a week to prevent dental problems.

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Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/how-to-prevent-dental-problems-in-dogs-3971198.html

About the Author

Stephen Thiele is a freelance writer for UltimateCoupons.com

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Dog Periodontal Disease - Prevention and Treatment

Author: Russ McKenzie

Your Dog's Dental Health Is Critical

It is important that owner's "inspect" their dog's teeth and gums. It is critical to his or her health as well as the owner's peace of mind and wallet. After 20 years of raising our Dalmatians, we have learned a lot about critical dental care, dog periodontal disease, dog heart disease. This is what we have learned caring for our "best friend".

Routine Veterinary Visits are Important

Regular vet exams are a must - Dog teeth and heart disease and periodontal disease are linked. Tooth plaque turns into tartar - quickly. Bacteria can develop.

Many problems occur too like dog bad breath, dog periodontal disease, dog heart disease, oral pain and tooth loss. Bacteria is associated with many dog diseases like dog liver disease, dog periodontal disease or heart disease in a dog.

The key is prevention. Early detection is important. Take care of dental disease as soon as you suspect it. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!

Stop Dog Disease In The Mouth

You know the steps in preventing dog dental disease. Keep a regular regimen of inspecting your dog's teeth and gums. Observe problems and attend to them early. Brush your dog's teeth. This will reduce the chance of dog heart disease or dog liver disease.

Veterinary Treatment Important

Sometime, a professional cleaning for your dog's teeth may be necessary. The first time we had this done for Lady - it was a shocker - and expensive. It was important. Some dogs need dental cleanings one or more times per year, while others can go longer.

The entire procedure requires the same work as you and I have at our dentists plus general anesthesia. With the dog sedated, the vet can clean your dog's teeth and gums. Also the best time to get a thorough and expert examination for problems.

Generally, the vet will scale and polish the your dog's teeth. The vet may have to extract a tooth or even refer you to a - wait for it - a veterinary dentist for specialty procedures.

Sedation Has It's Risks

But be careful. Personal care is critical to preventing dog heart disease and dog liver disease, your wallet and even your dog's safety. Discuss this with your vet in detail. Sedating a dog is serious. We had a bad experience that turned out OK - so be careful. During her procedure, Lady was "rolled over" to get to a few teeth in one part of her mouth. Sedation relaxes many muscles in a dog - include those supporting their digestive system and stomach. The "rolling" actually twisted her stomach and caused a constriction that the vet "missed" the next day.

We picked Lady up and took her home in less than 48 hours from her procedure she swelled up and began salivating severely. It was late at night - off to the emergency vet clinic we went. Over 15 hours and a lot of very tender care were needed to save Lady. We rubbed, an sat with her for hours.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/dog-periodontal-disease-prevention-and-treatment-3666604.html

About the Author

Hi. My name is Russ McKenzie, we have raised Dalmatians for over 20 years. We have had two litters with a total of 21 puppies. What an experience. These years of work and worry have encouraged us to study and research many issues. We have worked closely with our veterinarians and learned a lot about pet health in general and Dalmatians in particular. We have also learned a lot about ourselves too.

If you are interested in learning more of the details we have found a number of great resources. The best programs also offer free materials too. Please visit our site to learn more - you may find the information useful in solving your concerns.

View all natural dog food recipes here- Help prevent dental disease in dogs