How often do you check your pet’s mouth for signs of oral disease, brush your pet’s teeth, or even floss them?

If the answers to these questions are “seldom” or “never,” your pet’s health could be at risk.

During February, which is National Pet Dental Health Month, veterinarians and animal organizations across the country are urging pet owners to have their pet’s teeth checked and cleaned to minimize the potential risks associated with poor oral hygiene.

Sheila Gilbert, DVM, owner of Gilbert Animal Clinic in Florence, demonstrated the cleaning process on a cat. With the cat sedated, a respiratory tube down its throat, and a heart rate monitor attached to its tongue, Gilbert uses an ultra-sonic scaler. The scaler makes a high-pitched squealing sound as it blows a stream of cold water into the cat’s mouth.

“When you clean your pet’s teeth,” Gilbert said, “It’s important to clean both what you can see — the pet’s teeth — and what you cannot see, under the gum line. That’s where the tartar accumulates.

“Cats generally have fewer problems than dogs, and dogs with compact mouth structures have the most problems,” Gilbert said. “Those would be the Shelties, Chihuahaus and Pugs.”

All dogs have 42 teeth. With the smaller breeds, the teeth are clustered tightly together. The tight spaces between the teeth are fertile territory for tartar build-up.

“There are special small-tooth brushes to clean pet’s teeth,” Gilbert said. “Children’s brushes with soft bristles are also good, as well as children’s toothpaste because typically it includes no fluoride. The problem with fluoride is that people know how to rinse and spit. Animals don’t, so they swallow the fluoride with the water.

“You can put a special rinse called Biotene in the pet’s water,” Gilbert said. “Take care not to use the human version of Biotene because the artificial sweetener it contains can kill dogs.”

The veterinarian recommends tutti-fruiti, poultry or peanut butter flavored toothpaste.

“Some people clean their pet’s teeth once a week, and that’s good,” she said.

As far as flossing goes, Gilbert laughed.

“That’s just not going to happen,” she said. “If the floss is swallowed, that’s another problem. But chews are great. Cat’s favorites are called ‘greenies.’ ”

The cleaning process takes about 10 minutes. Gilbert pulls the respirator from the cat’s throat and hands the cat to an assistant, who takes the cat to another room to recover.

Animal mouth disorders

Familiarity with animal mouth disorders will help you know when it’s time to consult a vet for diagnosis and treatment.

Periodontal disease is an infection between the animal’s teeth and gums. It causes tooth loss and infection that can spread to the rest of the body.

Gingivitis is an inflammation of the gums resulting in painful, bleeding, red and swollen gums.

Proliferating gum disease is caused by the gums growing over the teeth.

Malignant mouth tumors appear as lumps in the gums. These must be surgically removed.

Salivary cysts appear as blisters filled with fluid. They appear under the tongue or in the corners of the jaw. They require drainage and removal of the saliva gland.

Canine distemper teeth appear eroded and decayed. This damage is permanent, and the teeth must be removed.

Signs and prevention

The signs that your dog has oral disease and should be checked by a veterinarian include bad breath, excessive drooling, inflamed gums, gum tumors, cysts under the tongue, sneezing, nasal discharge and loose teeth.

According to Carmen N. Ludington, DVM, of the Tennessee Valley Animal Clinic in Tuscumbia, the most obvious sign of canine oral disease is bad breath.

“With cats,” Ludington said, “bad breath is not as obvious. You may notice that they are not grooming themselves as well, and they may be starting to drool. This is caused by pain and inflammation of the gums.

“Oral disease can affect animals’ heart, kidney and liver function. In cats, oral disease is associated with feline HIV, AIDS and leukemia. Ninety percent of dogs over six years have some form of mouth disease.”

Ludington recommends daily tooth brushing and, if the pet does not resist, daily flossing as well to ward off oral disease.

“There are also additives to water and gel rinses,” the veterinarian said. “But brushing is the best way to clean off plaque.

“Diet is also important.”

Ludington advises feeding dogs only dry food and a combination of dry and moist food for cats.

Gilbert, on the other hand, said that while dry food is best for dogs, “I’ve seen dogs who have been on wet food all of their lives, and they’re fine.”

You may wish to consult your veterinarian about specially formulated dry food for dogs that can slow the formation of plaque and tartar. If you’re one of those pet owners who feeds your dog table scraps, stop. Instead, give your dog treats specially formulated to keep canine teeth healthy.

Connie Thwaite is a freelance writer living in the Shoals.