How do you know when your dog needs a dental cleaning, and what do I do when my dog doesn't eat on and off?

Janelle,
California, Culver City, United States

Hi, Janelle--

Usually the first clue that you pet needs to have its teeth cleaned is an unpleasant odor from the mouth -- that is bad breath!  You, as the owner, should lift a lip and visually inspect the tooth surfaces -- particularly near to the gum line. Yellowish/brown tartar of varying degrees of accumulation will often be observed. The most tartar is usually seen on the rear teeth (molars). When the bad odor is consistently present you can assume that the odor is emanating from the mouth, but when it is only intermittent the source of the odor is usually from gas that is being burped up from the stomach, hence the term “sour stomach.” In the case of dirty teeth the only solution is to have the teeth cleaned. You should follow up by wiping the mouth with gauze and water -- along the gum line -- once or twice a week.

As far as not always eating consistently, this could be normal for that pet especially if this has been the pattern set over a long time. Any time there is a deviation from the established pattern of food consumption you should attempt to figure out a logical cause. Occasionally this will require the services of a veterinarian.