Bless you Bonnie and may every homeless dog and cat find a group of caring humans like the ones you were so lucky to find. I can only hope that everyone realizes how incredibly low the euthanasia rate is at the La Plata County Humane Society. If Bonnie had found herself at almost any other shelter across the country she would almost certainly have been instantly euthanized. Colds noses and warm hearts hold the human-animal bond dear, but plaque, teeth, and doggie breath keep the pet on the porch. Dental problems can be the cause of a number of ailments in your pet, and these dental diseases start the same way they do for humans.
Bacteria build up on the teeth can cause bad breath, gum disease, and tooth loss.
This bacteria build up is initially known as plaque. As it remains on the tooth it calcifies into that hard yellow coating you see on your pet's teeth, called tartar or calculus. When the bacteria build up they can travel into the bloodstream and can cause damage to the heart, liver, kidneys, and lungs. Plaque traces its origin to the accumulation of food particles in the space between the gums and teeth. T he Conventional genesis of plaque as it develops in dental disease includes a mingling of saliva and other mouth bacteria with the food particles, proliferating into more bacteria that die and leave waste.