Keep A Close Eye on Those Pearly Whites!

  Posted on January 30, 2011  by Joy of Living  No comments

Jessie, the pretty dog with the pearly whites: Yeah! February is Pet Dental Health Month!  Time to show off those pretty white teeth of ours!  While you may not give as much time and attention to your pet’s teeth as you do to yours, making sure they have good dental health is so vitally important to their overall health.  Providing a healthy diet and lots of chew toys can work to keep your pet’s mouth clean and healthy.

Your dog may be evidencing signs of oral diseases and you may not even be aware of them.  Here is a quick checklist that can alert you to any problems with your dog’s mouth or gastrointestinal system:

• Bad breath. Sure, most dogs’ breath doesn’t smell like roses, but if it is overwhelmingly disgusting, that should be a red flag.
• Excessive drooling.  While many dogs of the male persuasion may drool when I walk on by, excessive drooling in and of itself is another cautionary flag.
• Inflamed gums
• Tumors in the gums
• Cysts under the tongue
• Loose teeth

If you observe any of these, please contact your veterinarian as soon as possible.  Neglecting your dog’s teeth can result in some very serious health conditions.

(Thanks to aspca.org for this great information!)