Periodontal disease (dogs and cats)

Symptoms an owner can spot at home

• Bad breath (halitosis), usually the first sign owners notice
• Yellow or brown calculus on teeth, especially the upper carnassials
• Red, swollen, or bleeding gums
• Reluctance to eat hard food or chew on one side
• Pawing at the face, dropping food, or facial swelling below the eye
• Loose or missing teeth in advanced cases

When to see a vet

• Facial swelling, especially below the eye on one side, likely tooth-root abscess
• Sudden refusal to eat or chew on one side
• Visible draining tract on the face or in the mouth
• Any dog or cat over 2 who has never had an oral exam, schedule one

What it is

Periodontal disease is a two-stage progression. Gingivitis, inflammation limited to the gum margin, is reversible with cleaning. Periodontitis, inflammation that has progressed below the gumline and is destroying bone, ligament, and supporting structures, is not reversible. The progression is driven by bacterial plaque biofilm and the host inflammatory response to it.

The AVMA and AAHA estimate that the majority of dogs and cats show some degree of periodontal disease by age 3. Small-breed and brachycephalic dogs are at higher risk because crowded teeth in a small jaw trap plaque and resist mechanical cleaning.

How vets diagnose it

A conscious oral exam tells the vet very little below the gumline, and below the gumline is where periodontitis lives. Proper staging requires a comprehensive oral health assessment and treatment (COHAT) under general anaesthesia: tooth-by-tooth periodontal probing, full-mouth dental radiographs, and supra- and sub-gingival scaling. Awake 'dental cleaning' (sometimes marketed as 'anaesthesia-free dentistry') only scrapes the visible crown and cannot diagnose or treat disease, the AVMA, AVDC, and AAHA all position it as cosmetic and inadequate.

Treatment overview

Editorial overview, not a treatment plan. Mild gingivitis resolves with thorough professional cleaning plus diligent home care. Periodontitis is staged 1-4 per tooth; advanced stages require extraction, periodontal surgery, or in select cases referral-level techniques (root planing, guided tissue regeneration). Pain control is built into any extraction protocol. Frequency of professional cleaning depends on breed, home care, and individual disease, small breeds and brachycephalic dogs often need annual cleanings; many large breeds can stretch to every 2-3 years with good home care.

What owners can do

• Brush teeth daily with a pet-formulated toothpaste, never human toothpaste (xylitol is toxic to dogs).
• Look for the Veterinary Oral Health Council (VOHC) seal on dental diets, chews, and water additives, it certifies a real plaque or tartar reduction effect.
• Skip antlers, bones, and ice cubes, fractured carnassial teeth are an avoidable surgical bill.
• Schedule a COHAT on your vet's recommended interval, not when teeth visibly bother the pet, by the time they do, disease is advanced.