
As we come to the end of our five-part dental series and the end of National Pet Dental Month, I thought I would share two cases I had where chronic and severe periodontal disease resulted in life-threatening diseases.  Chronic and severe periodontal disease when left untreated not only does damage to a pet’s mouth but can also result in damage to the liver, heart, and kidneys.  The bacteria that are a direct result of periodontal disease eventually travel throughout the body and play havoc with a pet’s primary organs. Â
Case #1: A small, 8 year old dog had been previously diagnosed with a heart murmur. Â Due to his heart murmur, his parents were cautious of putting him under anesthesia and therefore chose not to pursue dental cleanings. Â Unfortunately, the dog also suffered from periodontal disease that could no longer go untreated. Â To ensure the patient was healthy enough to undergo an anesthetic procedure, an echocardiogram of his heart was performed. Â To my dismay, the echo showed bacteria plaques in his heart valves resulting in endocarditis. Â The bacteria stemmed from his periodontal disease. Â Thankfully, heavy antibiotics were able to clear the infection and I was able to perform the dental cleaning.
Case #2: A 10 year old dog was diagnosed with severe periodontal disease; heavy tartar buildup on his teeth and pus lined gums. During routine pre-surgery blood work renal abnormalities were discovered, which prompted a urine analysis. Â The patient was diagnosed with a urinary tract infection. Â Upon further testing, I found out he actually had a resistant bacterial infection of his kidney. Â Again, bacteria from periodontal disease spread to a primary organ, in this case his kidneys. Â It took 4 months and expensive antibiotics to clear his infection before I could safely perform his much needed dental cleaning.