Animals – Bad breath

Malodorous smells from the mouth of our pets are off-putting and one of the more frequent complaints in veterinary practice. While there are a number of other reasons that can cause bad breath, teeth and gums tend to be the most regular culprits. We were reminded by our parents from a very early age to brush our teeth after breakfast and before going to bed, and if you were to introduce the same practice to your young pet it would get used to it. The chance of it ever developing periodontal disease would be greatly diminished. Toothbrushes for pets are not flying off the shelves yet, because it is quite a task to regularly brush the teeth of your dog, and cats will never tolerate such a procedure.

When I started my veterinary career a long time ago, any suggestion of brushing your dog’s teeth was regarded as absolutely ludicrous. Well, times have changed, and now it is merely considered to be impractical. We have not totally discarded the teeth cleaning aspect; we have moved to convenience products like dental sticks to chew on or special diets that have abrasive teeth cleaning substances in them.

Coming back to our initial complaint of bad breath, it is bacteria that cause the bad odours and inflammation. Our aim is to eliminate conditions that favour bacterial growth, hence our attempt to improve the oral hygiene of our pets. Some dogs will never develop any periodontal problems all their lives without any special attention. This observation led to the thought that it is a specific bacterial flora that influences the build-up of deposits on the teeth as well as the bad smell. A vaccine was developed to improve the oral bacterial flora, but it did not prove to be very effective and was discontinued after a relatively short time. So, the main treatment options remain the removal of the deposits under general anaesthesia with an ultrasonic scaler, and after that to polish the teeth to create a smooth surface which slows deposit formation.

Bad breath is made worse by the build-up of a film of plaque on the teeth. This hardens over time and forms a visible deposit called tartar. This tartar is very rough and porous, and it extends under the gumline. It creates ideal pockets for a lot more bacteria to multiply. If untreated, the gums will get inflamed, and will recede over time. Finally, the bone of the jaw gets affected and individual teeth start to get loose. There is a whole array of things that can happen from then on. They range from tooth abscesses to osteomyelitis (bone infection) of the jaw. By then, the general health of your pet will most certainly have suffered.

You can always hope that your pet does belong to the group that will never get any periodontal issues, but it pays to limit the chance of it happening and that starts from a very young age. Deciduous teeth (baby teeth), for example, that have not fallen out when they should, and cohabit the available space with the permanent teeth, should be removed before they compromise the positioning of the adult teeth, and thereby increase the chance of trapped food. Regular check-ups will help you keep things on track. If it is any consolation, gums will recede with age even if the teeth are kept clean. In the end, we all get a bit long in the tooth.

Olaf Klein, Wellsford Vet Clinic
www.vetsonline.co.nz/wellsfordvet