| Dental Care Regularly examine your pet for signs of dental
disease- bad breath, tartar, red, swollen, or painful gums,
decreased appetite, difficulty eating, loose or missing teeth.
If your pet has any of these signs it has periodontal disease.
Periodontal disease can start as early as 2 years of age. More
than 85 percent of dogs and cats over four years of age have
some form of periodontal disease, a progressive, painful
inflammation and destruction of the normal tooth structure,
leading to tooth loss. If periodontal disease is left unchecked,
bacteria from the mouth can enter the bloodstream and travel to
major organs, starting infections there. Damage to these organs
caused by infection can shorten the lives of dogs and cats.
Factors that affect the incidence of periodontal disease
include: o Breed- smaller dogs tend to have more dental disease
than larger dogs. Cats can have resorptive enamel lesions
exposing the root of the tooth. o Extra or malpositioned teeth-
retained baby teeth can force the perman