How to understand that a dog has teeth?

For some reason, a large part of animal lovers are of the opinion that caries, periodontitis and other dental diseases affect only people. But in reality they are very wrong. And our smaller brothers are also suffering from these diseases - for example, dogs may well get sick with periodontal disease. Does the owner have the opportunity to figure out that the dog does not suffer from anything, but is suffering from a toothache?

Yes, there is such an opportunity. At the same time, it is necessary to remember the obvious: a four-legged friend is not able to tell what specifically causes him great pain and gives unpleasant sensations. Thus, there is a great chance that the pet is suffering from severe pain in the gums.

General information, possible problems with teeth

First of all, it’s not necessary to think that a periodontal disease is a pathology,representing a danger only to the oral cavity: the bacteria that cause this disease are highly likely to penetrate the body and cause pathology of even greater severity. In this connection, it is recommended to closely monitor how a four-legged friend behaves and at the first signs of problems with his health - show the dog to the veterinarian.

In order to determine whether a dog has a periodontium, it is not necessary at all to push the head into the dog's mouth, as many believe. In fact, everything is more than obvious.

Here are the most pronounced indicators of the disease:

1. Mouth exudes an unpleasant smell. Under the influence of a hostile microflora, the tissues rot and decay, provoking inflammation reactions, which causes a very unpleasant smell. Of course, the smell of “Alpine meadows” should not come from the dog’s mouth, but the obvious smell of rot is a mandatory indicator of disturbances in the dog’s body and the sores that appear.
2. The gums are inflamed. This pathology is scientifically called gingivitis. The gums are red, swollen and sore - so the disease is there. It occurs because of reproduction in the dog's mouth of pathogenic microorganisms.They feed on pieces of food stuck in their teeth, while managing to form plaque, which, hitting between the root of the tooth and the gum, provokes a reaction of inflammation. From this, teeth can start to hurt, and it even happens that “harmless” gingivitis causes the destruction of the bone tissue of dental alveoli. Or worse, the jawbone inflamed.
3. Presence of plaque and tartar on tooth enamel. When the diet of the dog is not enough hard feed, the previously mentioned plaque will accumulate on the surface of the teeth, and then begin to mineralize. If, knowing this, not to act, the teeth will be covered over time with a kind of crust. And under its layer will begin to multiply all sorts of unhealthy and harmful microorganisms that cause harm.
4. Flux (dog muzzle swells and swells). This visible sign shows that there are obvious problems with the dog’s teeth. With a serious infection, the gums and tissues adjacent to them are swollen so much that it can be seen without any special devices. In some cases, it ends in a small swelling, and sometimes the muzzle swells so much that it becomes plump, like a hamster.If to start a case, then the abscess bursts and the pus comes out. Not to see this is quite difficult.
5. Food is chewed with difficulty. If a dog with a very good appetite and eating everything given by the owner, suddenly began to eat like a bird - little by little and a little bit, then you should carefully look at what is wrong with it. Looking into the dog's mouth, you can see a sad picture - some of the teeth are blackened and stagger, or even broken off right at the root. In this case, putrefactive and inflammatory processes contribute to the emergence of very severe pain, so when the owner tries to at least touch the problem tooth, the animal starts an inadequate reaction - the dog growls, howls, whines, makes attempts to escape and escape.
6. Sneezing, rhinitis. At first glance, such colds do not have any connection with diseases of the oral cavity, but it only seems that way. Rotting teeth and inflamed gums are sources of infection, and if they exist, unhealthy microflora easily gets into the sinuses, causing constant sneezing and rhinitis.

Clinical picture for toothache

What signs can the owner see when the dog suffers from severe toothache (or has some other periodontal pathology)?

Symptoms are not particularly specific, but appear very clearly:

1. Anxiety appears in the animal, it cannot be in a state of rest for a long time, the dog constantly raises its paw and rubs its face. And it happens the other way around - other animals lie motionless all the time, and rise only to drink.
2. Lack of appetite. At first glance, the pet refuses to eat because it does not want to eat. However, if you carefully observe, you can see - the dog is very hungry and ready to eat anything. Just can not do this, because the process of chewing for him is associated with very painful sensations.
3. The manifestation of aggression. If the owner tries to examine the dog's teeth or starts to feel the jaw of the animal with his hand, then the beast will start inappropriate behavior, the dog will become aggressive and angry.

Giving help

If the attentive host witnessed the symptoms described above, you should immediately take your home guard to the vet.The medical specialist will make a complete professional examination of the animal and will subsequently take all the tests necessary in such cases - blood, urine, saliva, and so on. It is likely that the dog is behaving so strangely not at all due to a disease of the teeth and gums, but for some other reason - for example, she has problems with some organ.

Due to the fact that visually inspecting dog teeth is often problematic, veterinarians in most cases contactlessly examine the jaw with x-ray equipment. This technique allows us to accurately find the areas where the dental tissue is destroyed, caverns have been formed and other pathologies are located.

Having performed roentgenoscopy, the specialist-veterinarian (usually after he injects strong sedatives) immediately after this begins to scrape the tooth and, in order to localize the site where the dental tissue is destroyed, remove tartar and plaque. It is very good if water supplied under high pressure is used for this. This water cleans teeth, washes away dirt accumulated over them for a long time. In addition, it is during this period that most specialists collect tissue to determine the pest that caused the infection.

Most often, finding a place where the tooth tissue is destroyed most of all, veterinarians decide on the removal of a long-suffering tooth. And not because specialists are too lazy or reluctant to seal it. The reason for this is much more prosaic - the structure of dog teeth is fragile, and the layer of enamel on them is thin. And there is no confidence and guarantee in the longevity of the seals.

In foreign veterinary dental clinics crowns are placed on the teeth, but this service is in low demand for one simple reason - it is too expensive. Therefore, in nine cases out of ten, the diseased tooth is removed from the oral cavity, and the empty hole formed in the gum is stitched. And to prevent the dog from catching the infection, a course of antibiotics is prescribed. Of course, it costs money and sometimes big money, but it is not worth missing at all, otherwise the animal may develop sepsis.

Prevention of dental diseases

1. Choose a suitable diet to attend and hard feed, and soft.
2. If possible, constantly brush your dog's teeth with the help of special tools.
3. Regularly led the dog for inspection to the vet.
4. Independently clean the dental plaque and the stone on the teeth of your beloved animal.

Taking care of the health of your dog's teeth is easy - you just have to follow the above recommendations.

Video: what and how to brush your dog's teeth?