Dental Hygiene

Having just spent a fortune on having my older dogs teeth cleaned I am now terribly into Dental Hygiene and ways to keep my pets teeth clean and free from any disease’s.

There are a few things that we can all be doing to insure proper dental care in our pets. Apparently one of the most common ailments treated by veterinarians is periodontal or gum disease. Gum disease is progressive. It starts out in the form of plaque; if this is not removed the plaque will harden into tartar. This in turn will cause the gums to become red and swollen and then you have gingivitis and if left untreated this can then lead to gum disease.

As I understand it Periodontal gum disease is what happens if gingivitis is left untreated, when the gums begin to recede the infection travels down to the root of the tooth and the jawbone. Once this happens the damage is irreversible and the gums will not grow back. Now the bacteria from the oral infection can enter the bloodstream and this can lead to far more serious problems such as heart, liver and kidney disease. It goes without saying that if these conditions are left untreated it can eventually become life threatening.

The signs to look out for with regards to gum disease are persistent bad breath, brownish deposits around the gum line, especially on back teeth, red swollen gums, loose teeth, painful and or bleeding gums are all indicators of oral disease.

Over the next few months I am going to be looking very heavily into up and coming dog hygiene toys. For starters though have a look at my Wellness Fish and Wellness Hedgehog chew toys. Both my dogs have really enjoyed playing with them and work them all around their teeth chewing at both the front and the back and they really do seem to like the feeling that the bristles give them, it seems to massage their gums, which can only be a good thing.