Symptoms and Treatment of Chronic Teeth and Gum Infections in Teacup Pomeranian

Pomeranian sitting on bench

No one can deny the fact that a Teacup Pomeranian is one of the sweetest dogs to have around. This dog breed might be small, but they are incredibly active and playful – they are obedient too. What even makes a Pomeranian more adorable is that they act like they’re bigger than their size. Still, just like many other dog breeds, a Teacup Pomeranian has some health issues that owners need to know. Examples are luxating patella and severe gum disease and infections.

Chronic teeth infections are common in a Teacup Pomeranian. While that doesn’t mean your pet will have this infection, it is more at risk than other dog breeds. This is why you need to know everything about the illness. In this article, we’ll discuss the symptoms of chronic teeth, and gum infections, how you can ensure your Teacup Pomeranian doesn’t get chronic teeth infections, and what you can do if it does.

Teacup Pomeranian Chronic Teeth Infections Explained

Chronic teeth and gum infection is a prevalent dental disease in Teacup Pomeranians, although other dog breeds also suffer from chronic teeth infections. Another name for this disease is periodontal disease or dental disease. Chronic teeth infections begin with a tartar buildup on your pet’s tooth. This buildup results from a sticky film called plaque that is constantly produced in the dog‘s mouth. Plaque is a product of food particles staying too long in the mouth. The longer this plaque remains on the teeth, the more it hardens into tartar or dental calculus.
 
The combination of plaque and tartar infects the gum and root of the dog‘s teeth, encouraging the growth of bacteria such as gingival hyperplasia. An early sign of chronic teeth infections is gum irritation and inflammation. Over time, chronic teeth infections turn into something more harmful, and your Teacup Pomeranian might start experiencing tissue and bone loss. When this happens, your Pom Pom is at risk of losing her teeth, and if the dental disease isn’t treated on time, it can affect other vital organs in her body, like the heart, kidney, and liver. If this infection is left unattended, it might prove fatal for your Teacup Pomeranian.
 
Pomeranians suffer more from this dental disease because they have drier mouths since they breathe more with their mouths. That means they experience less salivary flow in their mouths to aid teeth cleansing. You must know the symptoms of chronic teeth infections to act fast and prevent things from getting worse. Once you notice these symptoms, you should contact your vet so that they can advise you on the best dental care for your Pomeranian.

Causes of Chronic Teeth and Gum Infections in Teacup Pomeranian

As we’ve mentioned before, almost all dog breeds experience this severe dental disease, but more Pomeranians will have this dental health issue than most other breeds. The small size of a Teacup Pomeranian makes them more susceptible to this bacterial infection. This also means that they have smaller and crowded teeth in their tiny mouths, and smaller teeth catch food in-between more quickly than larger ones. And when this trapped food begins to increase and mix with saliva and the bacteria in the mouth, it leads to tartar and dental plaque. Other small breed dogs prone to these teeth and gum infection are Yorkshire Terrier, Chihuahuas, Boston Terriers, etc.
 
Another factor that makes the Teacup Pomeranian more at risk of having this health problem is that their small teeth have less bone mass anchoring their tooth. Hence, it’s easy for them to experience more tooth loss than larger breeds.
 
A Teacup Pomeranian breathes primarily through their mouth, so they usually have drier mouths with little saliva inflow. Saliva has cleansing properties, so its absence in the dog‘s mouth makes it easy for the bacteria to work on those trapped foods in the mouth and cause inflamed gums. Dogs don’t experience dental issues until they’re about two or three years old, so your Teacup Pomeranian puppy is not at risk until it reaches this age.
 
small white pomeranian on grass

How Chronic Teeth Infections Can Affect Your Teacup Pomeranian

Gum infections are in stages, and each of these stages has its symptoms. Unfortunately, these symptoms might not be so evident until the disease gets worse. The best way to quickly notice these signs is by frequently inspecting your dog‘s teeth. In the first stage, the dog starts to show signs of mouth inflammation, also known as gingivitis. The teeth are still attached to the gums, and there’s still no risk of tooth loss. You will begin to notice a certain degree of tartar concentration in the mouth.
In the second stage, about a quarter of the affected teeth are detached from their gums. This marks the initial phase of tooth loss support. Inflammation gets worse, and gums become redder. As the infection moves to the third stage, there is increased tooth loss in this stage, moving from 25% to about 30% or more. You might not notice that things have gotten worse at this stage, but an x-ray will show you all that you need to know.
 
The fourth stage is the final stage, and experts call it the advanced dental disease. That’s because, at this point, more than half of the Teacup Pomeranian‘s teeth are already detached from their gums. Also, at this stage, the teeth’ roots are exposed because the gums have moved back. The only possible option at this point is tooth extraction. Advanced dental disease is the worst stage of chronic teeth infections, and it’s usually an aftereffect of not dealing with the gum disease while it is still in its early stages.

Life Expectancy of a Teacup Pomeranian With Chronic Teeth Infections

As tiny as a Teacup Pomeranian is, it can live as long as 13 to 15 years. While chronic teeth infections aren’t fatal, your affected dog might be forced to live in pain and discomfort for as long as it’s alive. Dental disease is also a sign of poor dental hygiene in the animal, and the resulting bad breath is something you would have to handle throughout the dog‘s lifetime.
Pomeranian snuggled in blanket

Signs That Your Teacup Pomeranian Might Have Chronic Teeth Infections

Some symptoms you might notice if your Teacup Pomeranian is suffering from periodontal disease or chronic teeth infections are bad breath, lack of appetite, irritation or inflammation in the mouth, bleeding gums, and excessive drooling or strange discharge from the mouth. Your Teacup Pomeranian might also constantly paw at its mouth. After a while, you would also notice that your pup has loose teeth, and those teeth will start falling out after some time.
Your pet might also show signs of behavioral changes, such as irritability, aggressive behavior, and unwillingness to play with you or their toys. An affected Teacup Pomeranian would start chewing differently and not want you anywhere near their lips or teeth, especially when you want to brush their teeth.

How To Care for and Treat Your Teacup Pomeranian for Chronic Teeth Infections

Before we talk about the treatment of chronic teeth infections, we would have you know that the first stage – gingivitis – of the gum disease is reversible. The first stage is simply an inflammation of the dog‘s mouth, and the teeth are still unaffected by the gum infections.
Once the dental disease moves from the first stage to the second, the disease isn’t reversible anymore. The best thing you or the vet can do in the second or third phase is to ensure that the infection doesn’t move to the advanced stage. And you can do this with the proper treatment.
To further investigate, Teacup Pomeranians can be taken for an x-ray or examination to determine just how far the bacterial infection has progressed. While the dog is undergoing the test, your vet may administer antibiotics to stop the spread of the bacteria. Proper treatment will begin after the tests have been taken. If your Teacup Pomeranian is still in the first or second stage of gum infections, the doctor will do a dental cleaning on the dog‘s teeth to remove the plaque. Usually, pets are given anesthesia before dental cleanings because the procedure is best done when the Pom is not awake. The vet will also use an ultrasonic scaler to get rid of the dental calculus, and they’ll also fill in any gaps in the dog‘s mouth so that the bacteria won’t cause trouble again. If it’s discovered that the infection is in stage three or four, besides dental cleaning, other treatments will be administered, like root planning and subgingival curettage, gingivectomy, and periodontal surgery.
Root planning involves smoothing the subgingival root surfaces in an attempt to remove periodontal deposits in the teeth. This procedure is usually performed alongside subgingival curettage, which is the removal of infected tissue. This treatment is done to reduce periodontal pockets in the teeth and root surfaces. Another treatment for advanced chronic teeth infections is gingivectomy, which is the removal of infected gum tissue. The main objective of this procedure is to get rid of periodontal pockets between gums and teeth, and an oral surgeon usually handles this treatment.
Another form of treatment is periodontal surgery. During the surgery, the infected gums are opened so that the affected roots can be washed, cleaned, and treated with antibiotics. Bone growth stimulants will also be given in this procedure.
In some extreme cases of tooth decay, tooth extraction of cracked or loose teeth might be the only solution. Then the doctor would prescribe pain relievers and soft dental diets for the next few weeks after this procedure. The recovery time of a treated Teacup Pomeranian depends mainly on the procedure used. For regular cleaning and scaling, most dogs recover the next day, although this also depends on how they react to the anesthesia that was administered to them. Dogs also recover fast from tooth extraction, although it might take up to a week for the extraction site to heal.
black pomeranian sitting outside
A Teacup Pomeranian treated for the third and fourth stages of chronic teeth infections usually needs more time to recover, and owners have to do a lot to help their pets get back to their everyday lives. They have to constantly give their Poms the prescribed pain medications and take their dogs back to the vet for follow-up checkups.
If a Teacup Pomeranian isn’t treated on time, there can be more severe health implications besides tooth loss or decay. Gum infections can affect not just the mouth but other parts of the body. Some dogs can suffer from jaw fractures, eye problems, heart disease, oral cancer, etc.

How To Help Your Teacup Pomeranian Live a Fulfilling Life With Chronic Teeth Infections

While it’s better to deal with dental health issues in Pomeranians early, the best way to keep your Teacup Pomeranian healthy is to prevent chronic teeth infections. Your pet doesn’t have to suffer from dental disease if you help your dog maintain good dental health. There are different ways you can manage your Pom’s teeth, and you can choose whichever is more convenient for you and your pet.

Teeth Brushing

This is the most common and effective way of maintaining your dog‘s teeth. Teeth brushing removes plaque in the dog‘s mouth, discouraging harmful bacteria from thriving in the oral cavity.
For this method to be as effective as you want it to be, you should try to brush your pet’s mouth every one to two days. This is because plaque is very stubborn and doesn’t take time to form in the mouth. It takes a day for plaque to appear in the mouth and two more days to harden. So, it’s a lot of work, but you have to be diligent about brushing your dog‘s teeth constantly. You can use canine toothpaste to get this done – never use a human’s – but take note not to use too much toothpaste to brush their teeth. Human toothpaste contains fluoride, which can be harmful to the dog. On the other hand, canine toothpaste does not contain fluoride and any foaming agents that can choke the dog.
Since a Teacup Pompom is a small dog, you should easily use a tiny canine toothbrush to reach every corner of their mouth. Some dogs might not like the sensation of a toothbrush. In this case, you can opt for a finger brush. This is a tiny rubber piece that you insert your finger into and use to scrub your pup’s teeth.

Feed Your Pup Daily Dental Chews

You can also prevent plaque and dental calculus by giving your Teacup Pomeranian daily dental chews. There are many reasons why this option is highly recommended for pet owners. Apart from the apparent reason to get rid of plaque and tartar, the chew also helps prevent bad breath in your Pomeranian. It can also serve as treats to your Teacup Pomeranian, so you’re killing two birds with a stone – maintain your dog‘s dental health while keeping her happy with something delicious at the same time.
To ensure that your pet eats this treat and even looks forward to eating it, get a tasty dental chew for it. You should also get small-sized chews for your Teacup Pomeranian so that she can comfortably eat it without issues. Also, pay attention to your dog‘s dietary requirements and buy treats that meet those specifications.

Use Oral Sprays

Some Pomeranians might not enjoy having their teeth brushed, or maybe you find it challenging to reach every nook and cranny of your dog‘s mouth. In this case, you should consult with your vet for a suitable alternative. In most cases, they will recommend an oral spray. It’s as effective as using a canine toothpaste and toothbrush and will also help to reduce tartar buildup in the dog‘s mouth. Same as the toothpaste, you have to spray your Pom’s teeth and gum every day to get
the best results.
beige pom laying on grass

Use Liquid Supplements

Besides brushing or using an oral spray, you can also prevent chronic teeth infections in your Teacup Pomeranian by adding a dental supplement to its water. Still, you shouldn’t use this supplement to replace brushing – just as an addition.
So that your pet can use it without issues, you should get a flavorless liquid – your Teacup Pomeranian might not appreciate a flavored one – and add it to their water. The supplement also helps kill bacteria, prevent tartar buildup. It also helps deal with bad breath in dogs.

Natural Diet

To reduce the risk of your Teacup Pomeranian having buildups in their mouth, you should feed your dog a healthy and rich natural diet. Avoid foods that are high in starch and sugar content. A natural and healthy diet will reduce the buildup of tartar and keep your pet healthy for a long time.
As a bonus point, one other reason why pet owners should stick to a low sugar diet in their Teacup Pomeranian is that they are prone to obesity. Due to their small size, anyone can end up overfeeding them, which will lead to obesity. So in an attempt to prevent gum disease, feeding Pomeranians healthy foods will also prevent obesity.

Regular Checkup

It isn’t easy to detect chronic teeth infections when it’s still in the early stage. This is why you have to pay close attention to what’s happening in your dog‘s mouth. Regularly check your Pom’s mouth for signs of redness or inflammation or other slight indications that something might be going on with your pet.
Dogs also need regular checkups as much as humans, so you should take your Teacup Pomeranian to visit the vet now and then. When you do this, it will be easier for you and the doctor to spot early signs of the bacterial infection in your pet and provide treatment to stop it from getting worse.
smiling pom sitting outside

Conclusion

While a Teacup Pomeranian is prone to chronic teeth and gum infections, your pet doesn’t have to suffer from the disease throughout its lifetime. You can prevent chronic teeth infections in your Pom with proper dental care. That includes brushing its teeth regularly, feeding it dental chews, and feeding your pet a healthy natural diet. You should also be vigilant to notice the early signs of gum infections so that you can get rid of them on time.
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