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142 results for “oral hygiene”
What causes a cat to drool thick saliva for a long time?
Chronic thick drooling in cats is often related to oral diseases such as tartar, gingivitis, or stomatitis caused by calicivirus. Ongoing inflammation stimulates saliva production, leading to excessive drooling. It is best to check the cat's mouth and take it to a vet for further examination if problems are found.
Should You Soak Your Dog’s Kibble in Water? When It Helps and When It Doesn’t
Soaking kibble helps puppies (1–3 months), seniors, and dogs with mouth or digestion issues move to solid food gently. But healthy adult dogs shouldn't eat softened food long term — chewing dry kibble cleans teeth and prevents tartar. Keep water at ~40°C, soak just 5–10 minutes, and don't let it sit and breed bacteria.
How to Handle Bleeding Gums in Cats
Bleeding gums in cats are usually caused by tartar, periodontal disease, loose teeth, poor nutrition, or injury. Check the mouth, use pet-safe oral sprays, brush regularly with cat toothpaste, and see a vet if inflammation or heavy tartar is present.
How to Prevent Dental Disease in Cats
Prevent cat dental disease with quality food (prefer dry kibble), regular brushing from a young age, chew toys, vet check-ups, and a clean environment. Brushing is the cheapest, most effective step — aim for at least weekly — and limit unnecessary wet food that builds tartar.
Why Is My Chinchilla Drooling?
Chinchilla drooling is usually a sign of mouth disease—stomatitis, gingivitis, ulcers, or misaligned teeth—and can also bring bad breath, pain, and appetite loss. For mild gum inflammation use a small-pet oral spray and a broad-spectrum antibiotic; for anything severe, or if digestion, stress, or the nervous system is involved, see a vet to find the exact cause.
Why Is My Dog’s Tooth Loose?
A loose tooth in a dog can be perfectly normal or a sign of trouble. Puppies naturally lose their baby teeth as adult teeth come in, while senior dogs gradually lose tooth stability as the surrounding periodontal tissue weakens, a change that cannot be reversed. In adult dogs, however, a loose tooth is more often caused by dental disease such as gingivitis, periodontitis, or tartar buildup. Poor diet also plays a role, since soft or moist food leaves more residue that feeds bacteria. Finding the underlying cause is essential, because loose teeth from disease need veterinary cleaning, antibiotics, or extraction to prevent wider infection.
What Causes Periodontitis in Dogs?
Periodontitis is a common and painful dental disease in dogs, driven by a mix of physical, fungal, bacterial, and metabolic factors. Physical causes include chewing on fish bones, wire, or other sharp objects that injure the mouth, while fungal infections such as Candida or Blastomyces and bacterial overgrowth can trigger necrotizing ulcerative gingivitis. Metabolic problems like diabetes, kidney disease, dehydration, and hypothyroidism also raise the risk. Affected dogs show bad breath, drooling, swollen or receding gums, loose teeth, and sometimes pus. Diagnosis combines an oral exam with dental X-rays, and treatment requires professional cleaning or extraction under anesthesia plus ongoing home dental care.
Actinomycosis in Dogs and Cats: Symptoms, Treatment, and Prevention
Actinomycosis is a chronic suppurative granulomatous disease caused by Actinomyces. Lesions favor the face, neck, chest, and abdomen, spreading to surrounding tissue to form fistulas that drain pus containing sulfur granules. High-dose, long-course penicillin works for most cases; surgery to drain abscesses and remove fistulas is also needed. It is not contagious.
Understanding Mouth Ulcers in Cats
Mouth ulcers are a fairly common feline dental problem with causes that range from immune system weakness to diet, genetics, and infection. Signs include drooling, bad breath, and weight loss. Veterinary cleaning plus good home dental care keeps most cases under control.
Symptoms of Leptospirosis in Pets
Leptospirosis is a zoonotic infection of dogs and cats caused by pathogenic Leptospira, often silent but marked by fever, jaundice, anemia, edema, hemoglobinuria, bleeding, and in severe cases kidney and liver failure. It spreads through urine, contaminated water, and bites, peaks in warm wet seasons, and is diagnosed by signs plus kidney and liver damage. Prevention is vaccination and rodent control; treatment is antibiotics plus supportive care, avoiding streptomycin when kidneys are involved.