Senior

Senior Dog Dental Health - Long in the Tooth, Sore in the Gums

Good dental care throughout life is important for keeping teeth and gums healthy in older dogs, but even so, older dogs may need their teeth cleaned more often than younger dogs.  If you’ve never had your dog’s teeth professionally scaled by a vet, this procedure may become necessary later in life.  Some individual dogs require cleaning more than others, as they seem to accumulate more tartar.  Gums in older dogs may become infected and can lead to pain, tooth loss, and difficulty eating, which can debilitate an old dog quickly.  Oral bacteria and infection can travel to the heart, so good dental hygiene is more than a matter of aesthetics.