Save Your Furbaby From Periodontal Disease
What is periodontal or Gum Disease
Gum disease or periodontal disease is commonly silent. There are no noticeable signs and symptoms when it starts. Yet it can bring about the devastation to your dog’s mouth once it advances, bringing about unending agony, disintegrated gums, bone loss and missing teeth – devastating effects your best friend certainly do not deserve to suffer.
Luckily, it doesn’t need to be that way. In spite of the fact that gum sickness in dogs is intensely common, it can be avoided. Know more about gum disease as you go along with this article and learn what causes it, how to prevent and treat it and discover the most recommended product to fight the cause of your pet’s gum problem.
Why do dogs get Gum Disease
Bacteria and food particles forming plaque are to be blamed for periodontal disease in pets. If plaque is left unremoved, the bacteria on it signals the white blood cells to release enzymes and attack gum tissue. This battle leads to gum inflammation called gingivitis. This can be viewed as blushing of the gums bordering the teeth and also causes awful breath.
Periodontal disease, according to research, happens five times more frequently in dogs than in people. Why? Because dogs have a more soluble mouth than people, which advances plaque development. Likewise, most pets don’t have their teeth brushed every day, which promotes the chance for plaque-forming bacteria to multiply.
Symptoms of Gum Disease in Dogs
Sadly, the primary symptoms of gum disease in dogs are no manifestation at all at first. It is very uncommon that pet owners ever see indications of gum infection in their dogs, and in the event that they do, the gum sickness has extremely progressed already. By then, your pet might be living in constant pain, which animals intuitively cover up to hide weakness.
You may observe the following signs and symptoms as gum disease progresses:
- Bad breath.
- Excessive drooling.
- Difficulty eating or chewing.
- Bleeding or reddening of gums.
- Loss of appetite.
- Missing or loose teeth.
- Depression and irritability.
- Intestinal upsets.
How to treat Gum Disease in Dogs
The treatment for gum disease depends upon the severity of its condition. It is essential to treat and control gum disease for two reasons: First, to keep the health of gums and teeth. Second, To prevent infection from spreading to other parts of the body.
Primarily, all treatment has to go to through an exam to determine the presence of gum disease.
- Stage 1- For this stage, a cleaning above and beneath the gum line is the main treatment required.
- Stage 2- In this stage, the gum tissue and tooth root are cleaned, washed, and treated with a gel for the gum to be reattached to the tooth root.
- Stage 3- There is already bone loss on this stage but only to a minimum. Depending on the how severe is the bone loss, cleaning out the diseased tissue around the tooth root and bone and using special therapies to let them grow, can be done.
- Stage 4- The only treatment for this stage is tooth extraction as the bone loss is over 50% already.
How to prevent Gum Disease in Dogs
Periodontal disease is permanent and as we always believe, prevention is still better than cure. Do not let your best friend suffer the effects of gum disease and keep the following things in mind:
- Take your dog for a regular oral exams to your veterinarian.
- Brush your pooch’s teeth daily.
- Feed your pet appropriate, preferably raw diet.
- Give safe toys and treats for everyday chewing.
- Do a routine mouth inspection.
JJ Keeler lives in Colorado with a house full of pets. She owns three dogs, two cats, and a hamster she bought as a bribe to get her daughter to ride the school bus. She has a BA in English Literature from the University of Colorado and has worked as a professional writer for fifteen years. Her clothes are perpetually covered in pet hair.
