A new study looking at oral care for small breed dogs may have dog owners thinking twice about their current oral care regime.

The study, conducted by the Waltham Centre for Pet Nutrition and published in BMC Vet Research, examined the progression of periodontal disease in miniature schnauzers and found that without effective and frequent oral care, dental disease developed rapidly and advanced even more quickly with age.

“We all want to do the very best for our pets’ health, and the study showed us that there’s more than meets the eye when it comes to small dogs’ oral health,” said Dr Stephen Harris, leader of the oral care team at Waltham, part of Mars Petcare. 

“The study findings help us better understand the way dental disease appears and progresses and underscores the importance of proper oral care, especially as our dogs age.”

To better understand the rate of dental disease progression, researchers replaced the regular oral care routines of miniature schnauzers with full mouth examinations. They found that, without regular oral care, the majority of dogs developed the early stages of periodontal disease within six months and dogs above the age of four developed periodontal disease even faster. The degree to which periodontal disease progressed varied based on the type of tooth and location on the tooth.

Furthermore, the study showed that periodontitis developed regardless of the visible signs of gingivitis, which had previously been believed to reliably precede it. Therefore while a visual inspection may be sufficient to detect a disease like gingivitis, it is not useful in detecting the onset of periodontitis and may not reveal the areas at greatest risk for dental disease.

“Some pet owners “lift-the-lip” and look at a dog’s gums to get a sense of its oral health, but this research shows they could be missing important early signs of dental disease,” said Dr Harris.

“The findings should encourage all dog owners to establish an oral care routine that consists of regular tooth brushing supplemented with dental chews and veterinary checks. It’s important for all dogs, but we know that small dogs like miniature schnauzers are at an even higher risk of developing severe dental problems.”