Common Dog Tooth Problems

4 most common dog tooth problems

Believe it or not, more than 80 percent of dogs above the age of 4 have a form of gum disease. Dogs instinctively hide their oral discomfort, so you need to keep and eye out for certain signs: loss of appetite, changing his eating habits, waking up during the night, facial swelling or rubbing his face against objects or people. If you identify any of these signs you should take your dog to a vet for a checkup.

Some of the most commonly met dog tooth problems are:

Bad Breath
Contrary to popular belief, bad breath is not normal for a dog. It can be a sign of infection or a high concentration of bacteria on the dog’s tongue. A simple visit to a vet can help you solve this problem.

Losing Teeth
Losing teeth is not uncommon for dogs above 10 to 12 years, but when younger dogs have this problem, it is either genetic or because of a bad oral hygiene.

Broken Teeth
A dog can break its teeth if he chews on a hard object, but most often it is because of the owner that ignored the dog’s oral hygiene for a long period of time.

Dental abscess
A dental abscess is a collection of pus that forms in the teeth or gums as a result of a bacterial infection. A dental abscess is usually rather notice, even for an untrained eye. The main symptom is pain, your dog refusing to be touched around the painful area and cannot eat solid food because of the pain.

Any of these problems, no matter how small they may appear, can turn into a more complicated and severe condition. Just as people need to go to the dentist every once in awhile, so do our dogs.

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