Gingivitis

[BlueBelle]

I just noticed that both of my girls gums are all ready near the tooth line. They have never had this before and were seen by the vet in January and nothing then. They are on Orijen for kibbles and get Himalayan Chews for chewing. The are both very serious chewers and spend a lot of time with the Himalayan chews and now I am wondering if it could be that which is causing the gingivitis. Any ideas??

[manolos mom]

Originally Posted by BlueBelle

I just noticed that both of my girls gums are all ready near the tooth line. They have never had this before and were seen by the vet in January and nothing then. They are on Orijen for kibbles and get Himalayan Chews for chewing. The are both very serious chewers and spend a lot of time with the Himalayan chews and now I am wondering if it could be that which is causing the gingivitis. Any ideas??

Yorkies are prone to have bad teeth. When did your girls have their last dental?

[shodanusmc]

Originally Posted by BlueBelle

I just noticed that both of my girls gums are all ready near the tooth line. They have never had this before and were seen by the vet in January and nothing then. They are on Orijen for kibbles and get Himalayan Chews for chewing. The are both very serious chewers and spend a lot of time with the Himalayan chews and now I am wondering if it could be that which is causing the gingivitis. Any ideas??

No idea, but will you be soon taking them into a Vet, or oone that specialized in Dental Diseases and issues? You do not want a Yorkie that looks like Walter Brennan.

[manolos mom]

Originally Posted by shodanusmc

No idea, but will you be soon taking them into a Vet, or oone that specialized in Dental Diseases and issues? You do not want a Yorkie that looks like Walter Brennan.

[BlueBelle]

It is really very weird. They were both vet checked last month. The only comment at that time was that Bella would need a cleaning fairly soon as she had tartar on her back teeth, but Sophie looked good. When I say their gums are red at the toothline I mean front, side middle and back toothline. I have taken away the Himalayan chews for the time being until I know that isn't the problem. They chew on them alot and seem to love them. I hear them working at them and it sounds like their teeth might break!!

[107barney]

Originally Posted by BlueBelle

It is really very weird. They were both vet checked last month. The only comment at that time was that Bella would need a cleaning fairly soon as she had tartar on her back teeth, but Sophie looked good. When I say their gums are red at the toothline I mean front, side middle and back toothline. I have taken away the Himalayan chews for the time being until I know that isn't the problem. They chew on them alot and seem to love them. I hear them working at them and it sounds like their teeth might break!!

Red at the gumline is not a good thing. While chew bones can help a little to decrease formation of plaque on teeth, they don't do a whole lot for gums. I think brushing the teeth daily is the best. If you're lazy like me, brush a few times a week. I use a soft colgate baby toothbrush and CET dental by Virbac vanilla mint enzymatic pet toothpaste with good results. The best way to keep gums healthy is to brush. I learned that from a dentist once and he was right. Of course, good veterinary care is of the utmost importance and your vet's recommendations on dentals and such are the way to go. But, brushing at home is great. My Barney is now almost 11, has all of his teeth and they are sparkly white and clean. Daisy also is almost 11 and has broken two teeth but otherwise has no dental disease. Teddy, well, he is going to look like Walter Brennan if he does not start cooperating. But, on the older ones, I attribute their good oral health partly to diet but mostly to regular brushing of the teeth and gums. Hope this helps!

[BlueBelle]

Thanks for the input. If the inflammation doesn't go away in a couple of days they are going to the vets and most likely get a dental cleaning.