One of the today’s most common dog ailments treated by veterinarians are dental problems. Most people do not take the time to clean or care for a pets teeth properly. This has caused more than half of all dogs to suffer from some form of gum disease, dental calculus (plaque build-up) or similar dental problems.

Canine Periodontal Disease is one of the most common diseases in dogs and luckily is preventable and treatable. Like humans, brushing your dog’s teeth will be a major help to preventing problems later on. See our article on Brushing your dog’s Teeth for more detailed steps on how to brush your dogs teeth.

Calculus is a build-up of brown plaque that is found on the teeth extending downward from the gum line. Calculus provides a breeding ground for many forms of bacteria, all of which can have serious consequences for your pet’s general health. When these bacteria are in your dog’s blood, not only will they cause abscesses and tooth loss, they can also be precursors to more advanced and life-threatening problems such as organ damage.

In many cases the damage to your pet’s teeth or gums is permanent and irreversible. Any damage that can be fixed will likely be expensive. Unlike humans, pet’s cannot wear any type of replaceable dentures. These would be too hard to maintain, not lose them, or prevent the dog from being irritated all the time. The best thing you can do for your dog’s dental health is to prevent these problems from occurring in the first place. It is beneficial to both you and your pet for you to look out for your pet’s teeth and gums before it’s too late.

There are several things you can do to help your dog maintain good dental health:

1. Brush Your Dog’s Teeth – Brushing your dog’s teeth is actually more important as brushing your own teeth. The main reason for this is your dog uses their teeth for everything from eating, to lifting things, to a game of tug. Brushing your dogs teeth is done in pretty much the same fashion as our own. The only changes are really to use a softer bristle, non-electric brush. See our post for more dog tooth brushing tips

2. Dog Food Choices - The food your dog eats is very important to their overall oral health. Look for and use a dry dog food that promotes good dental health. Chewing dry dog food has the benefit of being slightly abrasive against which will help to remove a large amount of plaque buildup.

3. Plaques Prevention – Your local veterinarian office can instruct you on using or applying a dental sealant. The sealant forms a clear barrier over the teeth that prevents plaque from forming. This has become a highly recommended procedure to prevent tooth decay in pets.

4. Dog Toys - Many dog toys will help produce saliva and the chewing motion a dog needs to help prevent building of plaque. Toys that have cloth or rope often work well for this as it will be able to get into ares larger toys do not reach.

5. Dog Treats – Reward your dog with hard dog chews such as dental chews or hard nylon bones. Liek the toys, the abrasion on the teeth caused by chewing helps to remove plaque.

6. Supplements – Even dogs can benefit from having supplements to their diets, including vitamins, joint and bone, or teeth supplements. Some natural products help to prevent gingivitis by combining herbal remedies known to promote healthy teeth and gums. These types of products are helpful for dog’s that frequently accumulate plaque on their teeth. Supplements with herbal and homeopathic ingredients can help to prevent gingivitis (gum disease) and tooth decay as well as improving general dental health in dogs. Make sure that you are getting pet grade supplements as these may differ from human consumables in many ways.

Remember how important your dogs teeth, gums, and jaws are to their lifestyle and quality of life. They use their mouths much like we would use our hands. They great, lick, chew, eat, carry, move, and a host of other actions with their jaws. If your pet develops teeth and gum problems it could affect the way they eat, if they eat at all, and any other host of problems. Learn to take proper care of your pet’s jaws and your pet will love you for it.

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One major aspect of a dogs health can be their teeth. Your dog’s teeth are subject to the many of the same illnesses as humans. The mouth is considered to be a gateway for many other potential health concerns when not properly cared for because your pet will be ingesting bacteria constantly.

Brushing your pet’s teeth and gums helps protect your pet from potential health problems and defend against gingivitis. Caring for your dog’s teeth is also a good way to save money, as this is one of the quickest growing areas of dog care with 5% or more of dogs getting some form of dog dental care during their last Vet visit. It is estimated that over eighty percent of dogs will have some type of dog dental care issue before the age of 2 years.

Brushing your dog’s teeth is pretty much the same as brushing your own. When introducing your pet to the tooth brushing process, you should start off when they are young, go slow, and proceed through the following steps.

• Start by having your veterinarian do a thorough teeth cleaning. This will give you a sold foundation to start your own dog brushing routine.
• Familiarize your dog with the taste of the toothpaste. Dog specific toothpastes or generally flavored to be more palatable to your pet, and can come in beef, chicken or other flavors. This helps because dog toothpastes will be swallowed by your dog and should not induce vomiting or discomfort.
• Do a dry run without the toothpaste. Give your dog a chance to become accustomed to the toothbrush by itself. Once your dog is comfortable with the brush add the toothpaste.
  • As an alternative to using a brush, use your finger instead. By running your finger along your dogs gums, you will stimulate the same behavior in an attempt to get your dog accustomed to the brushing experience. (having something in their mouth other then food or their own tongue)
• Start by brushing the higher teeth first holding the brush at an angle. For plenty of dogs a kid’s toothbrush is still too hard, so stick to one made for dogs. Placing the toothpaste between the bristles rather than on top of the bristles will allow for better toothpaste coverage.
  • Alternatively when using your finger, wrap the fabric around a finger, put a touch of paste on the end, lift the dog’s lips and rub in a round about motion along the teeth and gums.
• Make sure to brush all of your pet’s teeth. Begin with the higher parts of the teeth (near te gum line) since these areas are more susceptible to plaque buildup. After the top, go on and brush the bottoms.
• Make sure to give your dog lots of praise and comfort during and after the tooth brushing is done. Give them a nice reward and let them know a tooth cleaning is a good thing for them.

With a compliant and calm pet the process can be done in about 30 second to a minute. Keeping your pet’s teeth and gums clean will go a long way toward preventing more serous dental diseases. Dog’s teeth should be brushed at least twice a week (2/week) and better still would be once a day (7/week).

Canine Toothpaste

The best dog toothpastes contain ingredients that fight plaque like enzymes and fluoride to combat bacteria.

Do not use human toothpaste versions. These are not designed to be swallowed and must be spit out. Dog’s do not have the direct ability to “rinse and spit” like we do.

You may wish to avoid electronic toothbrushes. These are often too noises, which may cause distress or distract your dog, and they tend to be too harsh. If you decide to use one, consider finding one that is “baby” safe so that it will be more gentle on your pet.

Bleeding after brushing your dog’s teeth could be a sign of more serious periodontal disease. A well-scheduled, long term brushing routine will clean and tighten your dog’s gums and any bleeding should stop. If the bleeding continues, even with proper care, then check with your vet immediately. You pet may have a more serious dental issue, tumors, ulcers, cots or possible obstruction.

Your dog’s teeth are an incredibly important necessity to your dog’s way of life. They chew on bones, eat lots of hard or crunchy kibble foods, and even use them to carry objects. Your dog will often be under a lot of pain or stress when they have sever tooth problems. Make sure to take proper care of their teeth and gums and your pet will thank you for it for a lifetime.

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Whether you know it as Dog Bloat, Canine Bloat, or its technical term, Gastric Dilatation-Volvulus, this digestive tract disorder is the second leading cause of untimely death among dogs and could kill your dog in as little as an hour. Still, is it quite surprising how many pet owners do not know anything about it.

Dog Bloat, or bloating in a dog takes place when the dog’s stomach fills with gas, food, or liquids and twists 180 to 360 degrees on it’s axis between the esophagus and duodenum or the entrance and exit parts of the stomach. Basically it’s a build up of gas in the stomach which isn’t able to be released causing the stomach to expand and and causing extreme pain to your pet.

In a very short time, this constriction will cause the stomach to become proscribed of nutrients and oxygen, causing the stomach tissue to die.

Dog Bloat symptoms are:

• HALLMARK SYMPTOM: (most commonly seen) – Dog making repeated attempts to vomit every 5-10 minutes with foam, mucous or nothing coming out (dry vomiting)
• unsuccessful attempts to defecate
• drastic change in behavior patterns
• significant anxiety or restlessness
• cold mouth membranes
• heavy salivating or drooling
• pale or off colored gums (dark red in the initial stage and white or blue in the later stage)
• abdominal swelling after meals
• show signs of abdominal pain or discomfort
• looking at or trying to lick their abdomen often
• heavy panting, shallow breathing, trouble breathing at all
• apparent weakness or sudden collapse
• refusal to lie down or sit still
• coughing, gagging, or choking behavior
• whining
• pacing
• weak pulse
• rapid heartbeat
• licking the air
• seeking for a hiding place
• curl up in a ball
• excessive water drinking
• attempt to eat small stones

Like plenty of other conditions which affect our dogs, the exact cause for dog bloat is still unknown. There are a handful of factors that will contribute significantly to a dog’s chances of getting bloat symptoms. These include:

• Stress
• Eating or drinking too fast
• Exercise or play immediately after eating
• A dog “rolling over” on it’s back with a full stomach
• Having a great deep chest (large breed dogs)
• Raised food bowls
• Hereditary Disposition

Smaller dogs, puppies, and less active dogs, while still susceptible to dog bloat, will not have as great a risk as larger more active dogs. Similarly, male dogs are much more likely to suffer from dog bloat symptoms than female dogs.

Here is a short list of dog breeds that have a higher risk factor for dog bloat symptoms:

• German Shepherd
• Labrador Retriever
• Great Dane
• Irish Wolfhound
• Standard Poodle
• Rottweiler
• Akita
• Doberman
• Bloodhound
• Great Pyrenees
• Irish Setter
• British Sheepdog
• Golden Retriever
• St. Bernard

Preventing and Curing Dog Bloat Symptoms

Because dog bloat symptoms are so severe, you must seek immediate medical attention for your pet if you have even the slightest thought that your pet has any of the dog bloat symptoms listed above. Especially if you see the Hallmark bloat symptom of repeated vomiting attempts.

If caught and diagnosed quick enough, your vet will start treatment by inserting a tube in through the stomach wall to relieve the build up of gas pressure in the dog’s stomach. If necessary, the vet may need to operate on your pet in order to untwist the stomach. Additional recovery treatments may be administered to your pet for dehydration, shock, fatigue, or other complications from the surgery.

Because there is a wide range of potential factors to canine bloat, you should check with your vet to assess the risk factors for your dog. There are potential surgerical prevention measures that involve “anchoring” the stomach in place to help prevent this problem in extremely high risk pets. This should be a last resort or considered for those pets who have survived a previous bloat distress in the past or are at extremely high risk.

The easiest preventive measures you can take most center on your pet’s eating and playing habits. Giving your pet smaller meals more often throughout the day will cause less weight in the stomach, less gas, and less likelihood to twist. Prevent your pets from rough-housing or playing after they eat. If your dog has a tendency to roll over at night, make there they have not eaten before bedtime and have also defecated before bedtime.

These are simple steps that you can take to help lower your pet’s risk of canine bloat.

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