Many dog owners are not aware that dental disease in dogs increases the risk of heart, kidney, and liver disease? When it comes to pet care, they sometimes overlook their dog’s teeth. Similar to us humans, they need their dental health to be in an ultimate condition to avoid oral illnesses and other infections in their bodies. A simple dental disease can cause tooth loss, leading to periodontal disease and heart, kidneys, and liver issues.
Periodontal disease is the presence of infection and inflammation of the tissues surrounding and supporting the teeth (periodontium) because of plaque bacteria. Go to https://www.memphisveterinaryspecialists.com/site/pet-dentistry-cordova for more details about emergency dental surgery and services.
Possible Health Risks of a Dog’s Poor Oral Hygiene
1. Increases the Risk of Heart Disease
The World Small Animal Veterinary Association or WSAVA says there’s evidence linking periodontal disease with endocarditis. Endocarditis is a heart valve infection wherein the heart’s inner lining is inflamed after a dog’s body infection. Experts also warned pet owners that this condition is six times higher in dogs with moderate to severe (stage three)periodontal disease than those without it.
It can affect your dog’s heart functions as it progresses, resulting in shortness of breath or difficulty of breathing.
2. Complicates Diabetes
Diabetic dogs are most likely to have higher levels of periodontal disease. While it’s often impossible to identify which came first, the infection and inflammation associated with periodontal disease can affect blood sugar metabolism. Thus, vets need to treat periodontal disease first to manage a dog’s diabetes better.
If not, their diabetes advances and causes other health complications, including cataracts that can lead to complete loss of vision. Visit this website to learn more about animal ophthalmology services.
3. Dog Pain
Dogs often don’t show signs they’re in pain even if they’re behaving and eating normally, so owners might delay a visit to their vet. You may notice some signs, such as drooling, swelling or bleeding, and lack of appetite, but this is not always the case. By the time severe symptoms show, it might be too late to save their tooth.
This can also mean that they have been quietly living in pain for some time. The saddest part is that you may need to bring them to a vet oral surgeon because you didn’t act immediately.
4. Broken Jaw
Poor oral hygiene can lead to broken jaws, especially for smaller breeds with disproportionately huge teeth, like Maltese, Shih Tzu, and Chihuahua. Mouth infection to these types of dogs can make their tiny jaws weak. A fractured jaw due to periodontal disease can often become difficult because of the area’s lack of teeth and good-quality bone.
Taking Care of Dog’s Teeth to Prevent Health Issues
The most effective and less expensive way to prevent dental disease is to maintain your dogs’ regular and consistent oral hygiene routine. You can do this at home by brushing their teeth daily to keep harmful bacteria from building up on their gums and teeth. Feeding them appropriately also helps, such as giving dry food instead of soft food. Crunchy food is better since they scrape away tartar as dogs eat.
On top of these, take your dogs to the vet for annual oral exams. If they need it, consider an anesthetized oral exam with a complete tooth-by-tooth exam and dental x-rays. Remember, a dog’s oral hygiene is more than just cleaning their teeth and addressing bad breath.
Ensure that you choose a vet clinic or hospital with 24/7 emergency veterinarian service since this is critical in saving your pet’s life.