Daisy the Schnauzer started to behave in some rather strange ways. Her loving owners were getting a bit concerned as she would not play with her previously loved toys. One day on returning home from work Daisy’s owner found she had chewed the carpet off the bottom stair of their house.
The stair carpet was replaced by their insurance company. The very same week Daisy chewed the carpet off the bottom stairs again and put a hole in the bedroom carpet. Another insurance claim and yes another chewing incident and a rejected claim.
Daisy had crossed a line and her owner reluctantly took her to the vets. Thankfully the vet saw the problem that was causing Daisy’s destructive behaviour.
The vet noticed that Daisy had terrible breath. She was very reluctant to open her mouth and when the vet touched her gums she was obviously in pain and her gums bleed easily. Her owner was shocked as Daisy had continued to eat and she had no idea there was any problem with her teeth.
Poor Daisy was chewing to try and help with the pain of her teeth which was caused by severe periodontal disease. This is a common complaint for Schnauzers. Daisy had her teeth cleaned by the veterinarian and had most of her incisor teeth and some molar teeth removed as they were unable to be saved.
After her treatment she was like a new dog – playful, happy and pain free.
Periodontal disease is caused by plaque bacteria and, just like us, unless it is removed regularly causes periodontal or gum disease that causes loss of tissue and bone surrounding the teeth. It is also linked to heart, liver and kidney disease and can shorten a pet’s life by almost one third.
To stop the disease returning, Daisy’s owners were recommended Maxiguard dental wipes. These wipes have a texture that acts like a light abrasive which stops the build up of calculus (mineralised plaque) and they contain bioavailable Zinc Gluconate which penetrates the cell walls of plaque bacteria killing them quickly.
The wipes are white and, when used, it is easy to see the plaque and debris that has been removed. They come in a jar of 100 wipes that will last three months if used daily. They are an easy way to keep plaque bacteria and calculus under control.
