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Educational Article from Pfizer Animal Health
KEEPING FIDO’S TEETH HEALTHY

Dental disease and dogs – two topics you generally don’t hear about together. But more and more dog owners are learning about dental disease and the damaging effects it can have on their pet.

Periodontal disease, which includes gingivitis and periodontitis, is an inflammation and/or infection of the gums and bone around dog’s teeth. It’s more severe form periodontitis is one of the most common health problems of dogs. In fact, it affects 85 percent of dogs over the age of three.[i]

Because many dog owners don’t really think about canine oral health, the initial signs can go unnoticed, allowing the disease to progress. If left untreated, the chronic disease can lead to inflammation, infection, severe pain and eventually tooth loss. These changes may be irreversible if not treated, prevention is preferable.

Veterinarians now have an additional tool available to aid in the prevention of canine periodontitis. Pfizer Animal Health recently launched the Porphyromonas Denticanis-Gulae-Salivosa Bacterin that gives patients an additional layer of prevention against canine periodontitis. The vaccine is the first and only vaccine of its kind.

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Comments from Dr. Webb on the periodontal vaccine:

Periodontal disease is a serious condition in small animals. Most commonly involved are toy breeds such as Chihuahuas, Toy Poodles, Pugs, Shih Tzu, Maltese; and dogs that have had very poor diets such as many retired racing Greyhounds. Chronic periodontal disease is a major contributor to kidney, heart and liver disease.

I have spoken to three different veterinary dentist about the new vaccine. All three think it will be an aid in the prevention of severe periodontal disease and its associated other problems. None of the dentist think it will be as effective as regular (> 3 times weekly) brushing and will not replace routine professional dental cleanings.
It is important to remember that this is a vaccine, a preventative, so ideally, it needs to be started in dogs before any evidence of periodontal disease shows up. There is a consensus that it should still benefit dogs with active oral infections and existing bone loss, but it will not reverse what has already happened in the mouth.

I have one primary concern about the new vaccine. This vaccine is a bacterin. It is made from whole, killed bacteria. Traditionally, the use of bacterin vaccines in dogs (and cats) has been associated with the greatest risk of allergic reactions, and since toy breeds in particular have the greatest genetic tendency toward serious allergic reactions, I tend to be hesitant to use bacterin vaccines in the toy breeds. Still, I do have a number of small breed patients that I have used other bacterin vaccines in due to personal risk factors (risk of the infection greater than risk of reaction). If you feel that this is a vaccine that you wish to consider using in a toy breed pet, I would recommend that you make a morning appointment when you can be home to monitor the pet for several hours afterwards (minimum of 3) on a day when you can get back into the office should a reaction occur. [what to look for in a vaccine reaction >]
To learn more about canine oral health or pet health in general, or to make an appointment with one of our doctors at the Stop 11 Animal Hospital: call 317/885-7297

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