Healthy Mouth, Healthy Pet: Why Dental Care Matters

Do you know what's going on in your pet's mouth? Poor oral health can affect the entire body, and animals are good at hiding pain. Watch for the following indicators of oral pain in your pet: poor appetite and weight loss; interest in food but not eating; flinching when the face and teeth are touched; chewing on only one side of the mouth; drooling; irritability; biting and then quickly releasing hard objects. By working with your veterinarian, you can help keep oral diseases or conditions from worsening, or even developing in the first place. Prevention will help promote good oral health; avoid other expressions of poor dental hygiene, like bad breath; and minimize costly dental procedures.