Oral health for pets

[ZandraJoi]

healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2021/04/16/poor-oral-health-can-shorten-pets-life.aspx

Story at-a-glance
According to the American Veterinary Dental College, 80% of dogs and 70% of cats show signs of oral disease by age 3
Overlooking the need to take care of your pet’s teeth can cause or contribute to several serious diseases and can compromise the quality and quantity of your dog or cat’s life
In addition to causing significant pain, oral disease can trigger an immune system inflammatory response in pets, is associated with both diabetes and heart disease, and can even result in jaw fractures
Steps you can take at home to help keep your animal companion’s mouth healthy include daily tooth brushing, feeding the right diet, and offering recreational bones or high-quality dental chews

My notes: Oral health is important for all creatures. In the wild, they know what they need to do. Domesticated ones rely on us & we cannot let them down!

Be sure to view this one Antler chews, break teeth?

[lammchen]

I think also that some breeds are more prone to having infections because of the way their mouth structure is built? Have you heard about that? We had a mini schnauzer and I never brushed her teeth until the end of her life but always gave her plenty of chewy things and bones that were supposed to clean the teeth. I guess those didn't work because she had a lot of decay at the end of her life.

[ZandraJoi]

lammchen, Our last dog, I could take care of her teeth easily. Vet even said I could skip the yearly teeth cleaning. Our dog now, no matter what we do, even after a vet cleaning, she gets plaque. So, it does make sense about the mouth structure. She is a husky mix but was severely abused so her immune system as a puppy was compromised so didn't have a chance to do its job & that set the stage as well.

[lammchen]

Apr 21, 2021 8:48:15 GMT -5 ZandraJoi said:

lammchen , Our last dog, I could take care of her teeth easily. Vet even said I could skip the yearly teeth cleaning. Our dog now, no matter what we do, even after a vet cleaning, she gets plaque. So, it does make sense about the mouth structure. She is a husky mix but was severely abused so her immune system as a puppy was compromised so didn't have a chance to do its job & that set the stage as well.

That's kind of what I'm worried for my daughter's dog. She has a bulldog mix and she was a rescue so when my daughter got her she was extremely emaciated and I wonder about her health. Since my daughter got her in December the dog has now grown to a proper weight and gets a lot of walks and fresh air. Happy dog! But I still worry about her mouth since her tongue is always sticking out due to the shape of it so hoping she won't have a lifetime of oral problems.

[gio]

I would imagine that many people spend more money on the type of food they feed their animals than oral health, or at least less than overall health concerns. Some will try to buy treats that say they have oral benefits and they very well could, but I imagine those concerns are the first health matters to be taken care of. I have seen though that some people do brush the teeth of their pets.