Signs to look for
- Breath has got much worse
- Gums look red and swollen
- Reluctant to chew anything hard
- Chews only on one side
- Blood in the saliva
Why it happens
The WSAVA Global Dental Guidelines record that over 80% of dogs and cats have periodontal disease in some form by the age of three. Even at two years old the figures are 70% for cats and 80% for dogs. This is not a rare disease; it is a course almost every animal goes through.
Start with the most widespread misunderstanding. What causes periodontal disease is plaque, not tartar. Plaque is not food debris — it is a film built by bacteria and their by-products. Tartar is what happens when minerals from saliva harden into that plaque, and its rough surface simply gives plaque a better foothold.
It starts again the moment you finish brushing. Glycoproteins in saliva lay a thin film over the tooth surface — the pellicle — and within minutes bacteria settle on it. The slipperiness you feel with your tongue is that stage. Once the bacteria are established, plaque forms within hours. That is why it has to be daily.
Plaque is a soft film and can be rubbed away, but once it hardens into tartar a toothbrush will not shift it. So the whole point of the routine is to brush before it hardens. Ideally every day; at the very least, do not let three days pass.
And removing the visible tartar does not cure periodontal disease. What sustains the inflammation is the plaque inside the periodontal pocket, below the gum line — where you cannot see and a brush does not reach. White teeth and healthy gums are separate things.
Which is why we would not suggest anaesthesia-free scaling. Scraping the visible surface leaves the plaque under the gum — the actual cause — untouched. The teeth look better and the disease carries on; the instruments damage the tooth surface; and for an animal held still without anaesthesia, what remains is pain and fear.
What you can do at home is brush. Gauze or a finger cleans the tooth surface only and does not reach below the gum margin. Dental chews, toys and water additives are adjuncts and do not replace a brush.
Going in with a brush on day one usually fails. Work up over several days — touching around the mouth, then the gums, then gauze, then the brush — and rather than doing the whole mouth at once, keep it short and stay on the outer surfaces. That is what lasts.
Some things are worth avoiding. Anything harder than a tooth — bones, hooves, antlers — causes fractures. The upper fourth premolar breaks most often, and a fracture that exposes the pulp leads to pain and infection. If your thumbnail cannot leave a mark in it, it is safer not to give it.
Finally, bad breath is not what a dog or a cat normally smells like. It is a sign that bacteria have multiplied, so a change in smell means it is time to look at the gums. But smell appears late: if the gums are red, it is already under way, smell or no smell.
Source · WSAVA Global Dental Guidelines
Signs that mean go to the vet
Cannot open the mouth, or hurts when touched
Swelling or discharge below the eye — a tooth-root infection can track through bone and break out through the skin
A broken tooth showing red inside — exposed pulp
Suddenly swallowing without chewing, or stopping eating
Related ingredients
Related behaviour
General nutrition information. It does not replace a diagnosis or a prescription. If your animal has a medical condition or is on medication, talk to your veterinarian first.