Question:
I have a 4 year old greyhound with moderate gum disease. His gums are
brick red, bleeding, and tender enough so he doesn't like to chew his
toys anymore. I have his teeth professionally cleaned every 6 months
(most recently this past feb) and after every cleaning he goes on
stomadex for 10 days and does really well. Our vet did not think that
his condtion was bad enough to use the new doxicycline gel to fill gaps
between his gums & teeth ... and he has not required any extractions
(yet). Still, by about 2 or 3 months after a professional cleaning, his
mouth is obviously bothering him, and I don't want to do more frequent
tooth cleaning because of the anesthesia risk (which worries me alot).
I brush his teeth every day with one of the enzymatic cleaners (is there
something better?), and he doesn't eat soft food (he's able to wolf down
his kibble without chewing, though).
The dog weighs 76 lbs, and I've been told that between tooth cleanings
that administration of vitamin C and/or something called "co-enzyme Q10"
would help his condition. I've asked my vet about this, and while he
indicated it was fine to try this stuff, he wouldn't tell me how much to
give .... or where this "co-enzyme Q10" might be purchased.
Would extra vitamin C help? how much & how often should he
get it? Would co-enzyme Q10 help? again, how much, how often, and where
does one buy stuff like that (I don't even know what it is)?
Answer:
I have several cats here at the sanctuary who had severe periodontal
disease. In the end it was determined that, for their comfort, it
would be better to remove all their teeth. After about ten days,
their mouths healed up beautifully and the condition of their gums
improved dramatically. Two of these cats are strictly dry food eaters -
don't care for canned food - and it certainly hasn't slowed them down!
Although not particularly large, one weighs in at 12 lbs and the other
at 13 lbs so the lack of teeth most definitely isn't a detriment to
their eating habits!
I realize that it's somewhat dramatic and I must admit that initially
I was rather squeamish about doing it. However, the results spoke
for themselves. The cats are much happier and healthier than
they were. Seeing as your dog is in so much discomfort for a lot of
the time, is that an option that could be considered? I just don't know
if the same results would apply in dogs as in cats. I would agree that
I too would be nervous about putting him under anesthesia every six
months.
I'm a 4th -year vet student at A&M. They do recommend that coenzyme, but
I don't know much about it. Gingival curettage and root planing are
procedures (where they remove the necrotic bacterial-ridden gum and bone)
used to slow down the progression of peridontal disease. The doxycycline
gel is the latest in the battle and is definitely worth a look. A good
polishing is important to close the small holes made by the ultrasonic
scaler (when not done teeth cleanings become increasingly more frequent)
Subgingival (in that pocket between tooth and gum) cleaning and polishing is
most important in peridontal disease. Brushing helps only after a good
tooth cleaning and must be done at least every other day or the plaque will
harden (3-5 days). Clorhexidine rinses or toothpaste is good at reducing
the bacteria in the mouth.
Do you give him a nice big bone to chew? I just got in a dog with plaque
from top to bottom in her mouth on every tooth. So far a piece of pig ear
and a huge smoked bone have cleaned her teeth up nicely. All that within 24
hours. Chewing bones cleans teeth and keeps gums healthy. You must of
course make sure the bones can not be splintered or swallowed whole. I
prefer the 'knuckle' beef bones or those huge smoked 'mammoth' bones for my
dogs (even the small ones).
