Doggie Dental Dilemmas: Suzy Azalea Gives Tips on Keeping Your Pooch's Teeth Healthy

From Suzy Azalea

Humans aren’t the only creatures who need excellent dental hygiene. Suzy Azalea frequently gets questions about doggy dental problems from owners who say that their pets have been showing the following symptoms:

• Halitosis or bad breath
• Red and puffy or bleeding gums
• Increased salivation
• Reluctance to chew or crying out when chewing
• Missing or loose teeth

These are definitely signs of poor dental hygiene in dogs. A proper inspection of the dog’s teeth can be done by lifting the lips all around the mouth and looking at both front and back teeth as closely as possible.

From Suzy Azalea

What are the dangers of these symptoms? Plaque buildup can result into calculus, a hard coating on the teeth that is usually brown or yellow, which grows bacteria that slowly eat away onto the teeth. Suzy Azalea adds that the other symptoms, such as halitosis, periodontal disease, and tooth loss, can follow soon after.

Suzy also reminds owners that this kind of damage isn’t limited in the dog’s mouth—that same bacteria can do serious damage to a dog’s heart and kidneys as well. Addressing the dental problem immediately is always the best bet.

Suzy offers pet owners some very valuable tips about a dog’s dental care at this point. As plaque often turns to tartar and calculus from 24 to 48 hours, brushing is recommended. Use a finger brush or a long toothbrush designed for dogs. Never ever brush your dog’s teeth using human toothpaste. In many instances, what is good for a human is not good for a dog, and this is one of those cases. Use special enzymatic toothpaste specially formulated for dogs.

Find more excellent dog care tips and tricks from Suzy Azalea’s Facebook page.

From Suzy Azalea