Just as Mike Trout wouldn’t take to the baseball field with a hole in his glove, nor would Venus Williams play a match with her tennis racket missing a string, our sporting dog’s teeth are a vital part of their sporting “equipment” when they hunt with us. Their teeth play a crucial role in everything from retrieving a bird with a secure, yet soft, grip to crunching their favorite kibble that fuels their athletic endeavors. Beyond compromising their hunting career, dental disease can pose a threat to your dog’s overall health as it can damage their liver, kidneys, and heart.

Dental disease is a very common problem, affecting about 75 percent of dogs over the age of three. Several things can affect a dog’s dental health, some that are beyond our control as owners like age, breed, and genetics; However, other things like a consistent oral health routine, choice of chew toys, and regular checkups with a veterinarian are very much within our control.

How Do I Know If My Hunting Dog Has a Dental Issue?

“Doggie breath” comes from bacteria, leftover food and saliva combining to form plaque that is like a sticky sweater on their teeth. After a few days, that plaque hardens and mineralizes into tartar, which is a thick brownish substance almost like mortar is to bricks. Like an iceberg, the majority of a dog’s tooth lies beneath the surface of the gums, so the true health of the mouth is difficult to judge by our human eye. Signs of dental disease stretch beyond “doggie breath,” plaque, and tartar. It can also include things like excessive drooling, dropping kibble, facial swelling, and change in attitude and appetite.

I recently had a patient present for “licking the air.” This sudden change in behavior put several things on the list of potential diagnoses, including everything from anxiety, to some dental/oral cavity issue, to GI upset causing acid reflux. After a thorough oral exam, it turned out that one of the dog’s premolars had a severe slab fracture, exposing the root, and causing pain for the pup. The client then told me she had just started giving her dog deer antlers to keep him busy while she was at work.

Giving antlers to chew on is a fairly common practice for many dog owners, but that comes with a “buyer beware” warning that is important to share. Antlers are made of some of the hardest substances on earth; and while they are durable and long-lasting, they can cause serious fractures of your dog’s teeth, irritation and abrasions of the esophagus, and even cause obstructions in the GI tract. These conditions can be very expensive to treat; and on top of that, there are lots of alternative options to help keep a dog’s mouth healthy.

What Else Can I Do to Help My Hunting Dog’s Oral Health?

1. Get into a routine: Regular brushing with a pet appropriate toothbrush and toothpaste can help. Start with short sessions when they are a puppy and continue to make it part of your schedule. It can often increase the time between dental cleanings, reduce the frequency of anesthesia for your hunting buddy, and spare your pocketbook the expense.
2. Reward with a benefit: Functional dental treats with the Veterinary Oral Health Council’s (VOHC) seal of approval are uniquely designed to clean teeth, remove plaque, reduce tartar build up, and often freshen breath.
   
   

   

3. Regular checkups are critical: Veterinarians can often catch a small problem before it becomes a more serious one. Other medical conditions, like kidney disease, diabetes, and oral tumors, can also cause sudden changes in a dog’s breath odor, and again reinforces the importance for regular checkups.
4. Dental cleanings should also be a part of your hunting dog’s oral routine: The frequency of these will vary on an individual basis but they are critical to get a thorough understanding of the health above and below the gumline for your hunting dog’s teeth.

It is essential for hunting dog owners to prioritize dental care as much as they do any other part of their hunting companion’s training, conditioning, and feeding routines. By maintaining a healthy mouth, sporting dogs can enjoy a higher quality of life beside us in the field and at home.