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Pet Forum / Miscellaneous / Animal Health / April 2005Smaller Dog Grows More Plaque - Why?
Historically I have been a large dog owner, and I never had to have their teeth cleaned. My current dog is a 10 lb poodle mix. (I got her from a rescue as an adult dog). She needs a cleaning once a year because the plaque builds up in a major way, even though I feed her dry food. Why the difference in small vs. big dogs? My vet said it was because the teeth were packed in closer together, but the plaque I see is on the sides of her teeth, so that explanation does not quite ring true to my ear. TIA >Historically I have been a large dog owner, and I never had to have their >teeth cleaned. My current dog is a 10 lb poodle mix. (I got her from a [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] >packed in closer together, but the plaque I see is on the sides of her >teeth, so that explanation does not quite ring true to my ear. I'm really skeptical that size of the dog has anything to do with it. Maybe the explanation sounded that way, but I wonder if that's what your vet actually meant. > I'm really skeptical that size of the dog has anything to do with it. Maybe > the explanation sounded that way, but I wonder if that's what your vet > actually meant. The vet specifically said that smaller breeds tend to have more problems with their teeth. I asked why. He said because they have the same number of teeth packed into a smaller mouth. So I'm pretty sure that's what he meant. In fact, the previous vet who did the cleaning (different doctor) also said that smaller breeds need more teeth cleaning than larger breeds. I am skeptical too, but according to the experience of 2 vets, we are incorrect. But I'd still like a better explanation as to why. The teeth being packed together tightly does not explain to me why all the plaque buildup on the sides of her teeth as compared to my previous, larger breed dogs. It's definitely true that we (vets) see much more dental disease in smaller breeds of dogs than in larger dogs, with the notable exception being greyhounds (why they have such bad teeth I have no idea). I don't know that I've ever seen anything scientific regarding why this is true. I've always assumed it was related to several causes. First of all, you do have a much smaller mouth, and frequently the teeth are crowded.. And while you may only be seeing the calculus that forms on the sides of the teeth, the initiating factor is the plaque that gets trapped between the teeth and below the gumline. You just don't see it :-). Second, little dogs tend not to chew as aggressively on bones and rawhides. I don't think a toy poodle could wrap it's teeth around a beef knucklebone like my 65# German Shepherd mix! And frequently small dogs get soft food or soft, chewy treats, which tend to stick in their mouths. Whereas larger dogs are probably more likely to get that giant crunchy milkbone. Third, I think there is probably something genetic as well. What I usually tell people is that dogs and cats are just like people, some are more prone to dental disease than others, and nothing you do can really make a difference. My sister brushed her teeth 4-5 times a day when she was a kid -- she has a mouthful of cavities. My parents had to force me to brush my teeth as a kid -- no cavities in my mouth to date. Deborah, DVM >> I'm really skeptical that size of the dog has anything to do with it. > Maybe [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] > together tightly does not explain to me why all the plaque buildup on the > sides of her teeth as compared to my previous, larger breed dogs. Thanks Deborah, I was hoping to hear from you! Your explanation(s) make sense. In my little dog's case, the explanation of yours that seems to fit best is the one about chewing. She does not care much for rawhide chews, even the thin sticks. Also, she barely chews her kibble, if at all. She mostly inhales it :) > It's definitely true that we (vets) see much more dental disease in smaller > breeds of dogs than in larger dogs, with the notable exception being [quoted text clipped - 37 lines] > > together tightly does not explain to me why all the plaque buildup on the > > sides of her teeth as compared to my previous, larger breed dogs. |
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