Updated August 2026

Bad breath may be the first dental problem a pet owner notices, but dogs and cats can show many other signs of oral pain or disease. Because pets often continue eating even when their mouths hurt, dental problems may progress quietly beneath the gumline.

A professional veterinary dental procedure is more than a cosmetic cleaning. It allows the veterinary team to evaluate the teeth and gums, remove plaque and tartar above and below the gumline, take dental X-rays when indicated, and treat painful or damaged teeth.

The following signs do not automatically mean that your pet needs a cleaning. They do mean that your dog or cat should receive a veterinary dental examination so the appropriate next step can be determined.

1. Persistent Bad Breath

A temporary odor after eating may be harmless, but consistently foul breath should not be dismissed as normal “dog breath” or “cat breath.” Persistent odor can accompany plaque buildup, inflamed gums, periodontal disease, an infected tooth or another oral problem.

Breath that suddenly becomes much worse, especially when accompanied by swelling, bleeding, drooling or difficulty eating, deserves prompt veterinary attention.

2. Yellow or Brown Tartar on the Teeth

Plaque is a sticky bacterial film that develops on teeth. When it mineralizes, it becomes hard tartar, also called dental calculus. Tartar is commonly visible as a yellow, tan or brown layer near the gumline.

The amount visible on the front of the teeth does not reveal everything happening below the gums. Some pets have significant periodontal disease in areas that cannot be evaluated during a quick look at home.

3. Red, Swollen or Bleeding Gums

Healthy gums are generally firm and should not bleed easily. Redness, swelling or bleeding may indicate gingivitis or more advanced periodontal disease.

You may notice blood on a chew toy, in the water bowl or along the edge of the gums. Do not force your pet’s mouth open when it appears painful or when there is a risk of being bitten.

4. Drooling More Than Usual

Some pets naturally drool, but a new increase in saliva can be a sign of oral discomfort. Dental disease, a fractured tooth, an oral injury, a foreign object or abnormal tissue inside the mouth may all cause excessive drooling.

Saliva that is blood-tinged, has a strong odor or appears together with facial swelling should be evaluated promptly.

5. Dropping Food or Chewing on One Side

A dog or cat with a painful tooth may pick up food and then drop it, chew only on the more comfortable side, take longer to finish a meal or swallow kibble without chewing.

These changes can be subtle. Watch your pet during meals rather than relying only on whether the bowl eventually becomes empty.

6. Avoiding Hard Food, Treats or Chew Toys

A pet that suddenly prefers canned food, hesitates before taking a crunchy treat or loses interest in favorite chew toys may be protecting a painful area of the mouth.

A normal appetite does not rule out dental pain. Many dogs and cats continue eating because they are hungry, even when chewing is uncomfortable.

7. Pawing at the Mouth or Resisting Facial Touch

Pawing at the face, rubbing the muzzle, pulling away when the head is touched or becoming unusually resistant to tooth brushing may indicate discomfort.

Cats may show oral pain by chattering the jaw, turning their head while chewing, hiding more often or becoming irritable. They may also groom less because moving the tongue and jaw is uncomfortable.

8. A Broken, Loose or Discolored Tooth

Broken teeth can expose sensitive internal structures and allow bacteria to reach the tooth root. Loose teeth may indicate loss of the tissues and bone that normally support them. A tooth that turns gray, purple, pink, brown or unusually dark may no longer be healthy.

Dogs commonly fracture teeth while chewing antlers, bones, rocks, hard nylon objects and other rigid items. A damaged tooth may need more than a cleaning, so it should be examined even when the pet still eats normally.

9. Facial Swelling or Swelling Beneath an Eye

Swelling along the jaw, muzzle or beneath an eye can occur with a tooth-root infection or another serious oral problem. Facial swelling is not a routine sign to monitor at home for several days.

Call the hospital promptly. Rapidly increasing swelling, difficulty breathing, severe bleeding, significant trauma or an inability to close the mouth may require emergency care.

10. Your Veterinarian Finds Dental Disease During a Wellness Exam

Dental disease is sometimes discovered before owners notice obvious changes at home. During a routine

preventive care examination
,
the veterinarian may identify tartar, gum inflammation, a retained baby tooth, a fracture, tooth mobility or another abnormality.

An awake examination is valuable, but it cannot show every part of the mouth. Much of each tooth is hidden beneath the gumline, and some abnormalities are visible only with a complete anesthetized oral examination and dental X-rays.

Why Dogs and Cats Hide Dental Pain

Pets do not always cry, stop eating or show dramatic signs when their mouths hurt. Many gradually adjust how they chew and behave. Because these adaptations develop slowly, owners may not recognize how uncomfortable a pet was until the dental problem is treated.

Changes in appetite, behavior or grooming can have many possible causes. A veterinary examination is important because dental disease is only one possibility.

Does Every Pet With These Signs Need a Dental Cleaning?

Not necessarily. The correct treatment depends on what is causing the sign. Some pets need a professional dental cleaning, while others may require treatment for a fractured tooth, tooth resorption, an oral mass, a foreign object or another condition.

A veterinarian begins with the pet’s history and an awake oral examination. When a professional dental procedure is recommended, general anesthesia allows the team to safely examine each tooth, clean below the gumline, take properly positioned dental X-rays and treat disease without causing fear, pain or sudden movement.

Anesthesia-free scraping may make visible tooth surfaces look cleaner, but it cannot provide a complete examination or treat disease beneath the gums.

How to Protect Your Pet’s Teeth at Home

Home dental care can help slow plaque accumulation between veterinary visits, but it cannot remove established tartar beneath the gums or repair a damaged tooth.

• Brush with toothpaste made specifically for dogs or cats. Never use human toothpaste.
• Introduce brushing gradually and stop when your pet becomes frightened or painful.
• Ask your veterinarian about dental diets, chews, water additives and other appropriate products.
• Consider products accepted by the Veterinary Oral Health Council.
• Avoid antlers, hard bones, rocks and other objects that may fracture teeth.
• Have your pet’s mouth checked during routine wellness examinations.

The American Veterinary Medical Association
provides additional guidance about recognizing dental problems, and the
American Animal Hospital Association
explains professional cleanings, dental X-rays, anesthesia and home care.

Schedule Pet Dental Care in Cave Creek, AZ

Desert Forest Animal Hospital provides dental examinations, professional teeth cleaning and dental X-rays for dogs and cats from Cave Creek, Carefree, Tatum Ranch, Desert Hills, North Scottsdale and nearby North Valley communities.

Do not wait for your pet to stop eating before asking about dental care. Earlier evaluation can identify problems before they cause more extensive pain and damage.

Request an appointment online

or call (480) 488-2010.

Learn more about

pet dental cleaning and dental X-rays at Desert Forest Animal Hospital
.