Dental Care For Your Shih Tzu

Dental Care for Shih tzu

Has your dog ever overwhelmed with his "doggy breath"? It's pretty awful, huh? His doggy breath is not his fault though. It's your fault.

Actually, a dog's bad breath is a clue that something bad is happening in his mouth. It's a sign of trouble. The problem might be small now, but if you ignore the problem, it isn't likely to just go away. It's much more likely to get worse and worse.

You love your dog. I understand that. I love my Shih Tzu the same way. He's my best friend, my confidant, and my companion. I want him to live a long, long time. It's a well-known and accepted fact in veterinary circles that dogs that receive regular and adequate dental care simply live longer than dogs that don't.

There's even science to back up the fact that dogs that get good dental care live longer. You're not likely to notice that your dog has a toothache even if you're really observant. You'll probably finally notice when he's only chewing with one side of his mouth. A dog's dental problems develop very slowly, and you're really not likely to be aware of them until the problem is really, really bad.

Without regular dental care, most dogs will have infected stinky dog-breath mouths by the time they are six or seven years old. Infections cause bacteria that are released into the bloodstream. It's not fatal, though. A young dog's body is good at dealing with the bacteria. But it adds stress to the immune system.

Over time the bacteria load gets heavier, and as the dog ages, his immune system becomes less able to deal with the problem. By the time he's eight or nine you have a old, failing dog with kidney disease, liver problems and no choice but removing his old rotten teeth. Regular brushing and regular dental care can prevent these problems!

Deblyns Shih Tzu