Your+Dog++May+2019

Don’t wait until signs of dental

and gum disease are obvious

— and painful! Check your

dog’s mouth and teeth.

● Check your dog’s mouth by holding the lower jaw with one hand and

lifting up the lower and upper lips with the other. Look along the gums

and teeth on both sides.

● Open the mouth and inspect as much as you can of the inside of the

mouth and tongue.

MOT

Give your dog an

PASS FAIL SEEK URGENT VET ADVICE

KEY:

PART 2: TEETH AND MOUTH CHECK

New

series

NOT SURE?

If something isn’t quite right — even if you can’t quite

put your i nger on what is wrong — consult your vet.

It’s always better to err on the side of caution.

Healthy teeth and

gums will put a smile

on your dog’s face!

GUMS

Moist.

Salmon pink

in colour.

Inl amed and

sore-looking.

Ulcers.

Bleeding.

Slow capillary rei ll time.

Pale, red, blue, or

yellow-tinged.

If the gums are pigmented,

check the membranes of the

eyes instead.

If you press the tip of a i nger

against the gum, it should

go momentarily pale, and

then return to normal colour

within one or two seconds of

releasing the pressure.

Dry or tacky feeling gums

may be an indication of

dehydration.

DID YOU KNOW?

LIPS

Clean and supple.

Cracked or crusty.

Cuts.

Smelly.

Inl amed or discharge.

Breeds with slack lower lips have a tendency to drool, but any

more than usual may be a sign of fear, stress, and conditions

such as dental pain or a foreign object stuck in the mouth.

Tartar can build up

on your dog’s teeth.

20 Your Dog May 2019

Dogs use their lips, tongue,

and teeth in the same way

as we would our hands, to

explore and i nd out more

about new objects.

DID YOU KNOW?

20-21 YD MOT CS(SW)ok.indd 20 25/03/2019 16: