Thirteen signs your pet’s teeth might be bothering them

Toothaches are notoriously hard to spot in pets thanks to our companion’s enthusiastic love of food. These little gourmands tend to keep chowing down through oral pain that would have sent us crying to the dentist.

Add to that the fact that dental infections occur under the gumline where evidence of infection can be hard to see, and what you get is quite a lot of dogs and cats that, unbeknownst to their owners, are toughing it out with toothaches for months or even years.

Although the signs of oral infections can be subtle, watching closely for the following changes may let you know when something is amiss in your pet’s mouth:

•   Halitosis (bad breath)
•   Red, swollen or bleeding gums
•   Excessive or bloody drool
•   Any swelling along the jaw or under either eye
•   Loose or broken teeth
•   Sneezing or discharge from the nose
•   Avoiding hard toys, chews or treats
•   Change in play behavior (for example, no longer playing tug-of-war)
•   Avoiding head pats
•   Favoring one side of the mouth when chewing
•   Difficulty picking up food or dropping food out of the mouth often
•   Decreased energy
•   Decreased appetite or new preference for softened food

However, early infections may not have any outward signs at all, and some pets even go so far as to hide the problem from their owners, so your best bet for ensuring your pet is not living with oral pain is to have your veterinarian evaluate your pet’s mouth on a regular basis.

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