February once again marks National Pet Dental Health Month. Dental health for pets may not seem important but preserving your pet’s dental health can go as far as extending their life. By 3 years old, most dogs and cats have some form of dental disease. Signs of early dental disease are bad breath, tartar build up and red/swollen gums.
Here are 4 ways dental care can preserve your pet’s health.
Pain
No one wants their pet to be in pain, and dogs especially can be good at hiding it. Dental disease can be extremely painful for dogs and cats. If left untreated, it can progress to chronic pain and all of that tartar build up on their teeth can lead to infection, extremely swollen gums, and life altering pain.
Tooth Loss
Teeth-supporting structures need to be maintained and taken care of. When dental disease is present, the structure of the teeth is affected. They can become damaged and infected, causing teeth to loosen and fall out.
Organ Damage
Bacteria in the plaque on your pet’s teeth can go as far as affecting their organs by entering the blood stream. It can spread to the heart, kidney and liver and can make your pet very sick. Heart conditions and diabetes are examples of what can go wrong with poor dental hygiene.
Bad Breath
People tend to think bad breath in dogs is a normal occurrence. However, your dog shouldn’t have breath that makes you want to leave the room. With regular teeth cleaning, your dog’s breath won’t be quite as smelly you can rest easy knowing their oral hygiene is in good shape.
