Bailey arrived at the vet because he was off his food and generally not himself. His owner could not work out what was wrong as he was normally a happy little fellow and full of life.
Bailey was trying to eat but giving up after his first mouthful. He was not feeling very well at all. His coat was flat and when his mouth was opened he had terrible breath. He was very uncomfortable. Thankfully Bailey was taken to the vet.
Bailey was anaesthetised after a blood test so that his mouth could be inspected properly. Bailey’s gums were swollen and around many of his teeth there was a thin red line that started to bleed when touched. Bailey had chronic gum disease which had got so bad he could not eat.
The culprit for Bailey was a build up of plaque bacteria in his mouth. The red gums were a sign that his immune system was trying to fight it. On his own Bailey was no match for the nasty bacteria building up in his mouth. He needed some help from the vet and his owner to keep the plaque from coming back.
Bailey had his teeth cleaned, both on the crown and under the gum line, with an ultrasonic scaler. He was given some maxiguard oral gel for his owner to use daily for five days after his visit. The maxiguard helped the gums heal and stopped the bacteria building up in his mouth.
Five days after his visit, when his mouth was feeling better, Bailey’s owner started to train him to have his teeth brushed. He started wiping his teeth with a spot of maxiguard on a finger cloth. This was started at the front of his mouth with his incisor teeth and then over a few days he worked back through the mouth, wiping all his teeth and gums.
After the first week, Bailey’s owner moved from the finger brush to a real companion animal toothbrush matched to Bailey’s size. According to the American Animal Hospital Association, brushing at least three times a week can add up to five years to your pets life.
Most pet owners don’t realise that untreated dental disease is the most common animal welfare issue in New Zealand, with 90% of dogs and cats suffering from painful gum disease.
Are your pet’s gums and teeth healthy? Does your pet have smelly breath? If you see redness, start using maxiguard or training your pet for tooth brushing. If the teeth are yellow or brown, you may need to get your vet to clean their teeth first.