Dental Problems-- Maltese
by Maggie
ORIGINAL MESSAGE:
Our maltese who is three years old and in excellent health went to the vet to have her teeth cleaned (under sedation). When I went to pick her up, I was given antibiotic for her to take, and was told that one of her teeth was removed because there was so much infection. She was (and is ) in perfect health, eats dry food, etc. etc. This was the first time she had her teeth cleaned, and so I was quite surprised to find there was so much trouble in her mouth. The Vet told me that small dogs often have dental problems regardless of the level of hygiene. As we've never had a dog before, this was all new and we would welcome maltese owners input. Thanks
DISCUSSION:
Hi there, my Turbo is also 3 years old and just had his 2nd professional cleaning. I didn't want to do this again - but his teeth are horribly plaqued and he was starting to get gum recession as well. Some dogs just tend to be worse than others. The otehr 3 malts I have (in combination with my brother) have nice clean and white teeth....Turbo has really bad breath (gone now) which indicated to me something was up - sure enough when I poked around - his teeth were brown and black. He eats dry food and is very healthy and happy and loving.....just bad teeth. My vet told me that for some dogs - no amount of household cleaning (ie. me brushing his teeth for him) will do any good. some dogs have saliva that just creates a better environment for stuff to grow. My vet told me he has one patient (large dog) who has to come in every 6 months to clean his teeth because it builds up incredibly fast. He pointed out that that is an extreme case - but still, it happens. good luck, i suggest checking your dog's teeth weekly and using a Q-tip or one of those over the finger doogie toothbrush to rub off the softer plaque before it hardens.
BTD
Maggie, we had a Pet Dentist in the chatroom a few weeks ago and I submitted your question to him. Here is his response.
Libby-
Easier to respond to you so you can pass the good word of dentisty. Of all the breeds, Maltese have the worst periodontal problems. Why? Hard to tell, probably due to immune differences as well as soft diet, close teeth and greater longevity.
If Maltese owners would start brushing early in life many periodontal problems and extracted teeth could be avoided.
Start brushing now! Dr.Jan Bellows, DVM
Libby & Buster
Maggie, I just read an article on this. Here are some tips from the article. Brushing with paste is recommended but be careful of what paste is used. Human tooth paste is not recommended as the detergents and high flouride levels may cause undesirable effects. There is a toothpaste for dogs called chlorhexidine and it is similar to taking antibiotics to kill the germs in the mouth. The side effects of using this is to upest the normal balance of bacteria in the mouth besides causing teeth to turn brown after prolonged use. The latest in the market is a natural plague-killing gel. They are sold as Maxiguard and Breath Friend in Australia. These products do not require brushing as the gel simply dissolves in the mouth to stop bad breath and reduce plague formation. It is a natural product that contains Vit C, zinc & amino acids. I will be trying to get the gel for Snowy ...... he will miss his poultry flavoured toothpaste!
Sim & Snowy
Maggie, My Carty was 6 when I got him and I don't have a clue what the level of dental care was that he had previously. However at his teeth cleaning, the vet found a cracked tooth that had been there long enough that the root was exposed. Carty eats like a horse and never seemed to be in pain although the vet said it had to have been hurting him. At any rate, he also had an extraction (and there is a chance that one other tooth in poor condition may have to be extracted next cleaning). Routine dental care is difficult I know--Lucy HATES me to clean her teeth (Carty is the patient one) but the alternative with Maltese, especially, seems to be the cleaning at the vet, at least once a year if not every 6 mo, which as you know is expensive and for me holds the terror of anesthesia. Our local PetSmart also offers tooth brushing with grooming (I think for $9) and while it isn't as effective, I am sure, as regular brushing at home since it would probably a once a month kind of thing, it may be a good alternative if you have difficulty brushing. So you might check on that.
cathy brown
Sim & snowy - how can I get this gel?
BTD
Hi everyone, Deanna was kind enough to point out (via email - so discreet) that I made a boo-boo. Of course, I meant plaque and not plague ... just look at the title of Deanna's email : "Bubonic or pneumonic plague? Oops, typo!!" Isn't she RUDE??? (Just kidding, she is a great lady .... and I am only saying this because she bribed me with Wupi Oil).
I've found out that the spray called CET Oral Hygiene is the one that contains chlorhexidine. Maxiguard is available in Sydney for A$20 per 120ml bottle while Breath Friend is available at A$16 but it is a smaller bottle than Maxiguard (about half). BTD, if you are in Sydney, you can get Maxiguard from Sydney Uni Training Hospital in Camperdown. Breath Friend is available via mail order from a dental surgeon (for animal) in Dural, NSW, Australia. If you are interested, I can forward you the address.
Sim & Snowy
I have just had Ozzie and Fancy's teeth cleaned. Each time, the vet gives me a product called Oxyfresh. I add one teaspoon to one quart of water, and this is all they drink. It is a human product with no alcohol, and can be swallowed. It is sold in dentist's offices and can also be found on the Internet. I believe it is www.oxyfresh.com but not sure.
Sherry, Fancy & Ozzie
Hi Sim - I'm in California, US not Australia - wish I could visit though. Yes, if you could please give me the information - I can use anything available out there to help my Turbo keep his teeth clean and breath as fresh as possible. he just go his teeth cleaned (sparkling) less than 2 weeks ago and already - he's got soft tartar and starting to get bad breath again.....sigh.
btd
BTD, I buy CET toothpaste (chicken flavoured) from my vet. Other doggy toothpastes are sold at pet stores -- I am not sure how they compare. i know that CET has enzymes that guard against plaque and other bacteria that cause tooth decay. Although I am in Canada, I assume it is also available in the U.S. Why don't you give your vet's office a call?
Barbara & Touquet
The other thing we can do to prevent tartar built up is to give raw bones. Lots of vets recommend that because bone chewing actually assists in cleaning up the teeth. Unfortunately for me, Snowy is not keen on chicken wings that I give him. He gets cooked chicken daily with veal mince and other stuff thrown in (and it has to be freshly cooked daily - fussy dog). The other day, I gave him a piece of raw chicken (thinking that he might like the taste of that and then progress to wings) while I was preparing dinner. He grabbed at it, then spit it out immediately! Then he gave me that look as if he was saying "God Mummy, It's not cooked!!!". I know some people are against feeding raw meat because of the risk involved.
Deanna (who belongs to Moose & Squirrel!) has kindly offered to get me Maxiguard from her vet. When I get it, I will post more info eg whether it is an American product (which I am quite sure it is as there are not that many Australian doggie products around). Will also try it out to see if it works. Just remembered something, parsley added into food may also assist in reducing bad breath (same for humans). Just a thought, could Turbo's bad breath be due to something internal rather than from his mouth since he just had it cleaned? Snowy gets doggie breath when he is not feeling well. Then a few days later, it is gone. He shows no symptoms except that he is not that active (rather sluggish feeling) and maybe softer stools. I normally think it is just some disgestive problems (not serious ones).
Sim & Snowy
I want everybody to know that it is not just Maltese that need good dental care. All of the toy breeds have similar needs. Dry food and bones are not the answer. They need to have professional scaling that gets under the gum. It is VERY important to keep up with, even tiny cross breeds have this need so don't blame it on purebred dogs. Very few larger dogs ever have this problem, although as noted above, even some of them do rarely. This is one of the things that makes tiny dogs a high maintanance pet.
mary lou
| Please bear in mind when reading topics pertaining to health issues, that most of these questions were answered by helpful Maltese owners with no formal education in veterinary medicine. When in doubt seek a professionals advise. |
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