Mouth care

An injury such as a cut, swelling, ulcer or mass of the mouth.

GENERAL INFORMATION

Mouth injuries are often seen when the pet demonstrates pain when eating or blood is seen in saliva.

Common causes of a mouth problem:

• Trauma or wound such as stick-injury
• Infection
• Dental disease
• Cancer
• Ulcer
• Tongue injury

Common signs of a dental problem:

• Decreased appetite
• Unwillingness to eat hard food
• Drooling
• Bad breath
• Plaque or tartar build up on teeth
• Swollen, red or bleeding gums
• Missing or broken teeth
• Weight loss
• Pawing at mouth

TIPS

Tips to help prevent mouth injuries at home:

• Avoid playing with sticks that can cause penetrating injuries to the mouth
• Brush teeth regularly or use dental techniques to maintain health of teeth
• Have teeth regularly checked by veterinarian at annual visit

Tips that may help prevent dental disease:

• Daily rinsing and brushing of teeth
• Hard food as it is proven to leave less food particles on the teeth than soft food
• Dental chews such as soft raw hides
• Special foods e.g. prescription dental diets
• Annual veterinary dental checks to pick up early disease
• Veterinary dental cleaning as required
• Applying sealants: Usually applied professionally for first application and then at home weekly by owner

If your pet seems uncomfortable or goes off its food, seek veterinary attention.