Can you imagine not brushing your teeth for your whole life? Gross, right? As you can imagine, puppy mill dogs do not get dental care, not even a simple brushing. Many of the dogs that we see come into the team with at least minor teeth issues, and some come with severe dental disease.
The issues we see include:
- Gum disease
- Worn down teeth
- Gingivitis
- Periodontists
- Bruxism
- Cracked or loose teeth
- Plaque and tartar buildup
- Bleeding gums
Why do these problems happen in puppy mill dogs? It is a combination of issues. Dogs are fed a nutritionally impoverished diet, have plaque and tarter build up and lack of dental care.
When we rescue puppy mill dogs, we notice the bad breath, but do not notice the pain they have been living with for years.
Luckily, for the dogs we are able to rescue, we partner with many amazing rescues who get them the care they need.
Willow was around 3 when she was rescued from a puppy mill. She had to have all her teeth removed except for her canines and incisors. When she went under for her spay they realized her jaw was broken. They were unable to fix it because her periodontal disease was so bad there wasn’t enough bone matter left to use. She will forever have a broken jaw on one side.
Peanut, a foster with the Puppy Mill Rescue Team had to have many teeth removed and an intense cleaning. She will feel much better now.
Apple, a foster with Purebred Rescue of Ohio, will be getting a dental so she will have pretty teeth to match her cute personality.
