ED - Dental

[Gina Heitz <brier@oregonsbest.com>]

My notes on this paper:  

Those who feed raw diets will find that their dogs don't have as many
problems with their teeth or the need for frequent hands on work. 
The bone chewing exercises the gums prevents tarter build up and
gingivitis.  The proper balance of enzymes in the foods you feed
also help with these things.  Still examining the teeth for
fractures and foreign body stuck in between teeth is recommended, and
really best done by a vet or a oral hygienist.

 Those who feed kibble diets really do need to be concerned about
their pet’s teeth and should start at an early age brushing teeth. 
I suggest you get some gauze pads and some CET pet tooth paste and rub in
a circular motion gently.  This massages the gums and “polishes” the
teeth removing debris too.  Puppies need to be trained on this one
and now is the best time to start. 

Gina

DENTAL HEALTH
By Ellen Parr CVT

Dental health is an important part of taking care of our wonderful pets,
but one that often goes neglected.  Like in people, missing out on
dental care can cause problems from bad breath to discomfort or pain, to
more serious problems such as heart and kidney disease.  But many
people don’t understand why a dentistry is important to their dogs, dogs
don’t get cavities, right?  Well, in general, this is true, however,
there are many other dental problems that dogs can get.  I will list
a few of them here.
Tartar.  Peel back your dogs gums and look at the molars.  Are
they white?  No?  Brown?  Green?  Tartar builds up
into plaque, which in turn builds upon itself until you can have a thick
coating of it over the dog’s teeth.  This plaque is full of bacteria
which can cause illness in your dog, especially in older dogs, whose
immune systems may be starting to decline.
Gingivitis.  If you’ve had it, you know how painful this can
be.  It is an inflammation of the gums.  When inflamed, the
gums can bleed and cause pain. This condition is often caused by a build
up of plaque under the gum line and can lead to more serious dental
problems, like gum recession, which exposes the root of the tooth and can
cause decay of the root, resulting in the possible loss of the
tooth.
Slab fractures.  Because of the way the teeth are designed, dogs can
fracture off a slab of their molars while chewing.  This exposes the
inner, most sensitive area of the tooth and can lead to rot and tooth
loss.
Abscesses.  Like people, dogs can get an infection in the root
cavity, causing a painful condition.  If in the upper jaw, these
abscesses can often encroach into the sinuses, causing tremendous
pain.
Routine dental care can solve or help avoid some of these
problems.   Most dogs, but not all, will benefit hugely from a
yearly cleaning.  Some dogs may require them more or less
frequently.  Daily, or even weekly, brushing and/or scaling can also
be of immense help.  
However, even if you scale your dog’s teeth regularly, a yearly cleaning
is still a good idea, to get under the gums and to get the teeth
polished.
A dentistry will entail anesthetizing the dog.  Then, the dental
technician will clean the teeth, removing all the tartar and checking for
pockets in the gums.  Assuming no problems are found,  the
veterinarian will check the mouth, the teeth will be polished and
fluoride applied.   If pockets, recessed gums, rotten teeth, or
other problems are found, the tooth may be x-rayed to determine the
extent of the problem, and/or removed.  Depending on the severity of
the tartar, or if teeth are removed, the dog may be put on a course of
antibiotics to avoid infection.  Many vets are also using a pain
killer if teeth are removed.
Good dental care starts at home.  Puppies can be trained from an
early age to tolerate, or even enjoy, having their teeth brushed. 
There are poultry and beef flavored doggy toothpastes that most dogs
love.  (Note:  You should not use human toothpastes on
dogs.)   Older dogs may never enjoy having their teeth brushed,
but they can be encouraged to allow it.  There are many different
types of dog toothbrushes available, different dogs will prefer different
kinds, so if your dog doesn’t like the one you have, try a different
one.
While the importance of dental care to overall health has been known for
quite some time,  it has had slow acceptance among pet owners. 
Do your pets a favor and help them live a longer, happier life by having
their teeth well take care of.  You might