Pets in general, and dogs in particular, require from their caretakers a series of actions for their health to be optimal. These include oral health care, which is often neglected. In fact, oral health problems can be painful for dogs and can also have serious consequences on their overall health.
Problems in this area of the dog’s body can be caused by different factors, but in many occasions they are due to the lack of awareness of the owners in this respect. The causes can be poor feeding, use of hard toys, lack of tooth brushing and lack of regular veterinary visits.
Oral health problems in dogs
A dog with oral problems can have its quality of life affected and, in more severe cases, can result in serious heart, kidney and liver problems.
In principle, poor oral health in a dog can lead to bad breath and an unkempt appearance of the teeth. But then, the bacteria in your mouth can spread to other organs through your blood and cause different problems in your organs. In fact, untreated diseases in this area can lead to the loss of teeth and cause infections and abscesses that will be very painful for your dog.
In turn, these problems will affect the dog’s ability to eat and drink and lead to a decrease in its overall well-being.
It is important to know that when food debris and saliva accumulate on your pet’s teeth, bacterial plaque begins to form. This in turn leads to tartar, followed by a proliferation of bacteria.
On the other hand, small breed dogs are more prone to develop diseases in this area, but no dog is exempt from developing them. Age and diet are some of the most influential factors, but it is always necessary to develop habits in your pet to prevent problems.
How to care for your pet
In general, it is important that your pet receives certain basic care for optimal health. In the case of oral health, there are some actions you can take to keep this area in excellent condition:
- Brush your dog’s teeth frequently. This should be done with the proper implements available at pet stores. In addition, it is advisable that your dog gets used to you handling this area of his body from an early age.
- Give him snacks to reinforce his oral health. These are products that have been designed to clean your teeth through friction. They are also made with ingredients to help cleanse the area.
- Give him appropriate toys. Always check that your dog’s toys are suitable for cleaning and strengthening his teeth and that they cannot hurt him.
- Regular visits to the veterinarian. This is necessary because the veterinarian will be able to detect different health problems and recommend actions to take care of your pet.
Image courtesy of https://pixabay.com, all rights reserved.
