The Importance Of K-9 Canine Care: Keeping Your Dog's Teeth In Tip-Top Shape
You love your dog and want what's best for him, but pooch-lovers don't often get involved in K-9 canine care as deeply as they should. After all, your dog needs strong, healthy teeth as much as you do. Take a closer look and see if your dog might need a little extra TLC with his dental care.
The Symptoms Of Dental Problems In Dogs
Most often, it's easy to see issues with oral health, just by examining the inside of your dog's mouth, if he allows it. Also, you might have started to notice other indications that the pooch should really see a veterinarian regarding his teeth and gums:
Doggy breath that makes it difficult to get up close and personal with your pooch. Problems chewing, chewing on one side or simply eating food without really chewing it. Red,
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Tartar on teeth, which looks yellow and settles mostly near the gums. Dislodged and/or missing teeth.
If any of these symptoms are present in your dog, give your vet a call. The longer you wait, the greater the risk of further decay with the teeth and worsening gum disease.
What Your Veterinarian Can Do To Help
The animal hospital you bring your dog to will likely have a lot of experience with K-9 canines. More and more people are realizing the importance of dental health for their pets, from dogs to cats to horses. Significant indications of tooth decay, gum disease or other oral complications should be brought to the attention of your vet immediately, who will go through a series of steps:
An initial examination, to determine the extent of damage. A test to ensure your pooch will be safe under anesthesia. A thorough dental cleaning, removing the plaque build-up. Extraction of the decayed teeth that are beyond saving. Antibiotics during the veterinary procedure and likely, a prescription (of antibiotics) for you to take
Periodontal disease is the inflammation of the structures that support the teeth. This disease is the primary loss of teeth in dogs. It is caused by a build-up of dental plaque on the surfaces of the teeth and around the gums. Bacteria can accumulate in the dental plaque and irritate the gum tissue which leads to the infection of the bone that surrounds the teeth. Some effects of the disease include: bad breath, bleeding gums, oral pain, dropping food from mouth while eating and loss of appetite. In severe cases the teeth may become loose and fall out.
National Canine Research Council. Investigative Report for Dog-Bite Related Fatalities 2009. National Canine Research Council, 2010. 6-48. Print.
Almost every state and there cities have a K-9 unit. But if you're like me, your not to sure what they exactly are and how they work. Well there are many different kinds of K9 units, like patrol dogs, narcotic dogs, arson detection dogs, and explosive detection dogs. Plus K-9 units have two helpful new technology pieces to help then protect there canine partners.
The dentist will review your general medical history as well as your dental history and examine your oral cavity properly and in great detail. He/she will also check your bite and also take the appropriate x-rays. All these are aimed to determine if you require treatment.
..."9 Reasons Your Canine Teeth Don't Make You a Meat-Eater." Free From Harm. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 May 2014. .
To many families worldwide, your dog is not just an ordinary "pet". These are memebers of your family and they deserve the same love, care, affection, and protection as other members of the family. We want our loved one's to be with us each and everyday, and we want them to feel healthy and happy while in our care. Just as you feed your dog high quality food, and provide high quality health care, your dog’s safety is of equal importance.
Albuquerque, C., F. Morinha, J. Requicha, T. Martins, I. Dias, H. Guedes-Pinto, E. Bastos, and C. Viegas. "Canine Periodontitis: The Dog as an Important Model for Periodontal Studies." The Veterinary Journal 191.3 (2012): 299-305. University of Michigan Dearborn Library Catalog. Web. 18 Mar. 2014.
* Therapeutic Exercise and Stretching is highly valuable in canine physical rehabilitation and holistic care. The choices of exercises vary with each stage of tissue repair and endurance.
If you are unsure if your dog has been poisoned, look out for the following symptoms:
Regular grooming for your dog is important for keeping your dog clean and healthy. Grooming helps to remove excess hair, keep the coat clean and enables you to take a quick health check to ensure your best friend is in good health condition.
Dogs deserve to get healthy and safe from any signs of harm and danger. It is why dog owners are making sure that their pets are in good health condition by taking good care of them at home. However, some pet owners have different problems or issues regarding their dogs’ health. As a result, these dogs are not getting healthy and may suffer various body complications like skin allergy, enlargement of the heart, kidney failure, and so on.
To help Beneful has a line of dental treats called Healthy Smile Dental Ridges. These come in sizes for small to medium and large dogs. The treat has been found to reduce the amount of tarter buildup and plaque found on the teeth. The product also freshens breath with the addition of parsley. Some warnings do come with the product, for instance the owner should carefully make sure the treat is completely chewed before swallowing. Large dogs should never be given a treat meant for a smaller dog.
Typically, the infection occurs in people after 30 years old, often much later in life. The most basic way to suspect poor dental health is persistent bad breath. This indicates disease, poor dental health, or decay. Swollen, red gums, sensitive, or bloody gums are a sign of irritated or infected gums. Painful chewing and sensitive teeth indicate nerve exposure. Because the nerve is exposure, either there is a fracture or decay. Loose teeth are a sign that the ligaments have a poor hold on the teeth and the gums are most likely affected too. This is a sign of more advanced periodontal disease. Receding gums and teeth that appear longer are signs that indicate more advanced disease. The receding gums could have been due to brush too hard or the effects of decay. Teeth that look longer are the teeth that show their roots. The gums have worn away and the roots are exposed (NIDCR,
If you are a dentist then you might be thinking to yourself, dogs aren’t teeth! In this case it just so happens that I am not talking about teeth. I am using the other definition for a canine; another name for a dog. Canines travel in a pack in which they consider their family. Being that dogs are canines, it tells the owner that they require a lot of love and affection. Dogs also have a way to show their emotions. For example, when a dog is angry it will growl, when it’s excited it will wag its tail, and when it’s sad it will whimper or give you puppy dog eyes. This is the complete opposite of a cat. Cats tend to have very simple ways to show their emotion, in which they hiss to show danger, and purr when they are happy. Another difference would be that dogs are known to be much smarter than cats. For the most part, almost every dog will respond when you call them by name. Dogs also have a very strong sense of smell and have the ability to respond with action to commands such as sit, speak, jump, rollover, and fetch. These abilities enable dogs to be used for purposes other than just a household pet. Dogs can be used as seeing eyes for the blind or handicapped, or a search and rescue dog, where they are trained to use their keen sense of smell and intensive hearing to search for missing people, and sniff out illegal
Like any other medical care, dental care is important for our good and healthy life.