Tips For Dog Gum Disease Prevention

Yes, your dog can get gum disease. It’s a concern even we humans have that can lead into a tricky trail of health issues. If gum disease advances, it can cause issues with your dog’s mouth including chronic pain, tooth loss, erosion of gums, and even bone loss. 

While gum and dental disease is fairly common - it happens more often than humans-  it can be prevented. This bacteria induced issue stems from the actual consumption of bacteria, food, particles and debris, etc. all accumulating plaque on your dog’s teeth. The start of gum disease typically shows no symptoms, so it’s best to have prevention practices in place rather than waiting to seek treatment once it’s absolutely identified.

But for your reference, here are some symptoms to keep an eye on courtesy of WebMD:

Here are tips we’ve gathered for dog gum disease prevention:

#1 | Avoid or limit hard treats.

Animal bones and nylon bones are popular and common treats to give fur babies, but these hard treats can cause fractures or broken teeth. Do what you can to moderate the consumption of these treats as they may be too harsh in the long-run.

#2 | Brush your dog’s teeth.

How often should you brush your dog’s teeth? It’s recommended to do so daily and there are many tools and dog specific toothpastes you can use to cater to your dog’s dental and gum needs.

#3 | Consider foods that tackle plaque buildup.

A number of dog foods are made to scrub your dog’s teeth as they chew their food. Scraping away plaque lowers the chances of the accumulation of plaque that leads to gum disease.

#4 | Look into safe toys and treats for chewing.

Your dog is going to chew so you might as well stock up on toys and treats that are going to be safe for their chewing needs! While you’re avoiding hard treats, you can go for thin strips of rawhide as one treat option (pro-tip: do not go for raw as it can lead to intestinal issues). Rubber toys are also a great option for safe chewing toys!

#5 | Schedule regular cleanings and oral exams.

Professional assistance can help cover all the bases you need to make sure that your dog’s dental and gum health is in good shape. With cleanings, they can also utilize general anesthesia to get thorough cleaning done. 

Your dog’s smile and health is important for quality living! Get on top of these tips to prevent gum disease from occurring.