Dog Health - Mouth And Tooth Disorders

If your dog is showing sings of excessive drooling then it may be caused by a salivary cyst, a periodontal disease, tongue injury, or simply a foreign object. Salivary cysts look like large blisters that occur under the tongue. If your dog has periodontal disease then the cement that holds his teeth in place gets destroyed. Tongue wounds can occur from self infliction or by getting info fights with dogs.

What to do: If your dog's drooling is the result of salivary cysts, then they will be need to be drained by your veterinarian. The damaged saliva gland must be removed as well. If your dog is suffering from periodontal disease then his teeth will have to be removed if the problem has persisted to the point of loosened teeth. Bites and burns will also need the veterinarian's attention. And it may be too painful for your dog to eat under these circumstances, so be sure to feed him small soft pieces of food.

Reluctance to Chewing

Some dogs develop certain mouth and tooth problems which keeps them from wanting to chew or bite down all of the way. This can be a result of a tooth cavity, a tooth root abscess, a fractured tooth, or distemper teeth. Large cavities are visible as damage to the tooth enamel and often occur at the gum margin. Root abscesses may be a bit difficult to see. The molars are the teeth that most commonly fracture. And your dog may have contracted the distemper virus as a puppy, which causes his teeth to look eroded as the dog grows up to be an adult.

What to do: Most of the time the best practical thing for your veterinarian to do is to remove the tooth that is causing your dog's pain. Routine tooth decay can be treated with fillings. If your dog is suffering from abscesses and/or fractures then this will require root canal work. And lastly, if there is tooth damage from the distemper virus, those teeth that are damaged will have to be removed by your vet, because distemper damage is permanent and cannot be reversed.

Misaligned Bite

Many dogs have an undershot jaw or an overshot jaw. When looking at your dog's mouth, the upper and lower teeth should mesh perfectly when he closes his mouth. Breeds such as the Pekingese and Bulldog tend to have an undershot bite, while Doberman and Collies tend to show an overshot bite.

What to do: Fortunately for your dog, no action is typically necessary unless the bite misalignment is causing your dog discomfort. Discomfort is most likely to occur with overshot jaws as opposed to undershot ones. Your vet can fit a removable tool over the upper front teeth and hard palate, which will help aid the dog's bit to move to a more comfortable position.