Could you tell if your dog has a toothache? or If his gums are painful? Probably not. Bad dog teeth is a scary problem and if not treated, it can lead to a serious impact on vital organs like his heart, kidneys, and liver.
Unlike you, your puppy doesn’t brush his teeth two or three times a day. He doesn’t care if his teeth are shining white or if his breath stinks.
So it’s on you. It’s part of your responsibility as a dog owner to keep your fluffy son’s teeth healthy and prevent them from going bad.
Dental disease is the number one medical problem among pets today, over 70 % of dogs suffer periodontal disease before the age of 2
In this article, we are going to illustrate some of the major consequences of having bad dog teeth.
But first, let’s find out the causes of this problem in the first place.
Table of Contents
Causes of Bad Dog Teeth
Diet, Diet, and Diet
Most of the popular diets out there are definitely not the most natural. They contain a whole lot of carbohydrates used as more of a filler than for nutrition.
Carbs are the main cause of bacteria that live in your dog’s mouth leading to plaque and tartar build up unlike fresh natural food.
For a better understanding let’s take a look at the bacteria’s journey inside your puppy.
The Bacteria’s Journey
Bacteria will cause plaque to assemble on your dog’s teeth. Over a short period of time, bacteria will feed on the minerals that are in your dog’s saliva leading to the build-up of tartar and plaque.
Bacteria will then affect your dog’s gums, leading to their inflammation.
From there, they start to shred the tissue that surrounds and support your dog’s tooth.
Bacteria have the ability to travel in your dog’s bloodstream to his heart, kidneys, and liver.
Trust me, Periodontal disease can cause more than lost teeth.
That’s why Many pet parents who switch their furry family members to a raw diet report seeing a great improvement in their dog’ dental health. In addition to other beneficial health changes.
The right diet can help you maintain the strength of your dog’s teeth and gums.
It goes without saying that failing to a apply strict teeth brushing regimen can play a major role in your pup’s having bad teeth leading to horrible consequences. This will take us to the next Question,
What Bad Dog Teeth Will Do to Your Pooch?
The 5 scariest Consequences
Inflammation
This happens when your dog’s body detects bacteria in his system. The body assigns the immune system to defend and get rid of these bacteria which results in inflammation.
These now war between the bacteria and the immune system will cause some collateral damage.
As it turns out that most of the tissue destruction beneath the teeth and on the gum is actually the result of products by the immune system not by degradation products of the bacteria themselves.
The more severe the dental disease, the more inflammation present.
Heart Disease
After the bacteria manage to escape to the bloodstream, they now have the ability to affect other body parts and most importantly the heart.
There is some serious evidence that links periodontal disease with cardiopulmonary diseases like endocarditis.
According to the world small animal veterinary association, Dogs with stage three periodontal disease have a six times higher risk of endocarditis than dogs without it.
One key evidence is that the cultured bacteria from infected heart valves were identical to those found in the mouth.
Diabetes Complications
There is an overlapping correlation between diabetes and periodontal disease.
Either one can result in the other like a vicious circle. You can’t determine who comes first.
The more severe the periodontal disease is, The more serious diabetes gets, which, in turn, worsens the periodontal disease
Pain and Sensitivity
Dogs rarely show signs of pain. When they suffer from a bad tooth they just avoid using it
There are several signs that can help you know there is something wrong with your pup’s teeth such as:
Drooling, a lack of appetite, swelling or even bleeding.
When you notice any of these signs that means your pup was suffering for quite some time and you should start treating him immediately.
Broken Jaw
Poor dental hygiene in dogs can lead to a broken jaw, let’s see how:
Mouth infections in dogs can weaken their jaws, making them much more vulnerable to being broken with the slightest physical friction.
Jumping off a couch for them can cause their jaws to fracture
Smaller breeds with disproportionately large teeth suffer from this the most such as Chihuahuas, Lhasa Apsos, Maltese, and Shih Tzus
Now after we established the terrifying consequences of poor dental hygiene, let’s talk about how to take care of your pup’s teeth and prevent these shiny teeth from ever going bad.
Tips on How to Take Care of your dog’s Bad Teeth
Regular teeth brushing sessions are the optimum ways to keep your dog’s teeth healthy and shiny.
But we all know that sometimes life gets busy and we don’t have the necessary time every day to accomplish that.
It happens to the best of us. Don’t worry,
That’s why I offer you some natural ways that would help you maintain your dog’s teeth from going bad
At some point or another, you would think of assigning the task of cleaning your dog’s bad teeth to your veterinarian while sedated to spare you the time.
Don’t please.
It’s expensive and it’s risky, dogs can and do die under anesthesia
It isn’t asking for much if you take a few simple steps to keep your dog’s mouth healthy.
Chew Toys
Chew toys are a great way for your pup to self clean its teeth.
Because of their crafty design – their nubs and grooves – most of them would release a massaging effect when chewed on.
If you ever watched a puppy with a chewing toy in his mouth you will see how much they enjoy that feeling
How they work is that when the dog chews on them, The massaging action scrubs food bits and the gooey, filmy plaque off your pup’s teeth and stimulates beneficial blood flow to his gums.
Healthy Treats
we all know that the fastest way to teach your furry angel a new trick or to make him do something is by using treats.
Unfortunately, most training treats are filled with carbs and sugar, they are not good for your friend’s dental health or their health in general.
Instead, you can use fruits and vegetables that are more healthy such as carrots and sliced apples. two birds with one stone kind of a situation, you can treat them and keep them healthy at the same time
Raw Bones
Raw bones are nature’ toothbrush.
OK, for a dog nothing would make him happier than chewing on something.
Dogs have a natural urge to chew and believe me, considering dental safety or not, it’s better for your dog to get busy chewing on a bone than to chew on your shoes or pillows.
I’m pretty sure every dog owner has suffered from the sight of your favorite fluffy friend in the whole world devouring your favorite show just before a big date.
I got chills just from seeing this image in my head, oh the memories.
Back to what matters, Raw bones are an efficient way to clean your dog’s teeth. While chewing, the bone gently scrapes the enamel, buffing off plaque and loosening tartar.
In addition to this teeth cleaning power, the bone provides nourishment for your pup’s body.
Remember cooked bones can easily splinter and cause intestinal damage. so please, avoid them.
Go to your local butcher and look for knuckle bones or soup bones, Remember to pick size appropriate bones, a small chicken wing could choke a pit bull while a cow knuckle could be too much for a Yorkie.
For more on natural ways to clean dogs teeth.
Hopefully, this article has answered some of your questions or given you some information you can use for your own puppy’s health.
And as always if you like what you read here and you wanna read more feel free to check my other articles on How to trim dog nails or The best wire haired dogs.
If you’ve got something to add to this conversation or your own tips, I’d love to hear them! comment below and let me know
Have a nice day and Read you next time.
