ABOUT THOSE TEEFIES

Are doggy dental issues having a moment?

- LISA FREEDMAN

IN JUST THE LAST few months, three REAL SIMPLE staff pups have had to deal with serious dental problems. Poor Rusty, Pepper, and Leslie Knope needed to be put under for deep cleans and multiple extractions. (In Leslie’s case, it was 38!!!) The surge seemed to come out of nowhere and had us scratching our heads—in addition to theirs. Feeling a little lost, we called up some experts to get some answers.

Why Are Doggy Dental Issues Such a Thing Now?

There are two main reasons, says Naomi Hoyer, DVM, associate professor of dentistry and oral surgery at Colorado State University’s Veterinary Teaching Hospital. “Veterinary medicine is growing by leaps and bounds every decade, and the recognition of how chronic dental disease affects the body is one of those growing areas of understanding.” Also: All these medical advancements mean our pups are living much longer than they used to. Yay! But periodontal disease—one of the most common issues to affect the mouth—often gets worse as pets age, Hoyer says. Not yay.

Is It Just Us, or Do Small Dogs Seem to Have the Most Issues?