Watch what your pups bite and chew! Many a bad tooth in adult dogs has it's roots in puppy hood

Watch what your pups bite and chew! Many a bad tooth in adult dogs has it's roots in puppy hood

Not many people know this but tooth damage can happen when your pet is a pup. Playing games like like tug of war, playing catching the stick, saucer or bowl in mid air and letting your pups bite hard objects can actually damage your pup's teeth. That's because the adult teeth have already started growing close to the spots where the baby teeth are present. When the pup tries to get a grip on these hard objects, he or she may get a fractured tooth.

You may not notice the broken tooth and the injury can cause three conditions.

The first condition that may happen is that the injured tooth can prevent the pup's adult tooth from erupting or growing normally.

Another more serious condition that can occur is a deep seated infection, that can infect the new tooth and spread right up to the bone.

The third condition that can happen is a gum boil. Here a pocket of infectious bugs may start growing in the gum near the point of injury. The gum boil may form a focus of infection that can later lead to periodontal disease or gum disease. Remember, periodontal gum disease is the commonest reason for veterinary treatment once your pup is over two years old.

Protect your pup's teeth by making sure you play only puppy tooth friendly games by not allowing your pup to bite very hard objects. You can also ensure your pup's teeth are in great shape by regularly brushing your pup's teeth with a finger toothbrush and a good toothpaste.

You know how painful it is to have a bad tooth ache isn't it? You wouldn't want your pets to suffer tooth pain would you? When you have your pet's teeth examined regularly, starting from the puppy days, you give your pet the best possible chance of staying protected from painful tooth conditions. Getting good and regular veterinary dental care can work out to be quite expensive. Don't forget, one effective way that you can provide for good dental care without having to spend a lot is to get a dental health insurance plan for your pets.

Reference
Taking the Bite out of Dental Disease By Dr. Ira R. Luskin.
http://www.thepetcenter.com/exa/hotspots.html