Your pet’s teeth and oral hygiene are important to us. It is well known that pets live longer healthier, less painful lives when they have a healthy mouth. They can’t brush their teeth like the humans in their lives. And they are very good at masking the pain which is often associated with dental disease.
Like everything else, oral health can change quite quickly. A buildup of tartar and calculus can quickly cause gingivitis and then progress to the more painful periodontal disease. Chipped and broken teeth can go unnoticed unless we look in the mouth because very often pets will not display obvious mouth pain.
Any form of smelly breath, obvious buildup on teeth, bleeding gums, or signs of trouble eating (eg dropping food), require checking.