Short answer: Healthy gums are pink, or their natural dark pigment, and firm, with a thin, tight, clean edge where they meet each tooth. Once a week, lift your pet's lips for about 20 seconds and look for redness, swelling, bleeding or gums pulling back from the teeth; clean gently along the gumline every day. If you see bleeding, swelling or a red line along the gum edge, book a veterinary check within 48 hours.
What healthy gums look like
- Colour. Pink, or patched with dark pigment, which is normal in many dogs and some cats. Change matters more than shade.
- Edge. A thin, tight margin that hugs each tooth, with no red rim.
- Texture. Firm, not puffy, rolled or shiny and swollen.
- Level. The gum covers the roots: you see crown, not root.
- Response. No bleeding when you lift the lip or clean gently, and a pet who lets you look.
Get to know your own pet's normal. A photograph taken in good light while all is well makes a useful reference later.
What vets look for
This is education, not a home diagnosis. It explains what your vet is assessing, and why some of it can only be seen under anaesthesia.
- Redness at the gum edge, often a red line where gum meets tooth. Inflamed gums are called gingivitis.
- Swelling, puffiness or overgrowth of the gum.
- Bleeding when the gum is touched.
- Recession: gums pulling back and exposing the roots.
- Pockets and bone loss: gaps between gum and tooth, measured with a probe under anaesthesia, and loss of bone around the roots, seen on dental X-rays. Loss of the tissues that hold teeth in place is what vets call periodontal disease.
- Lumps, sores or discharge anywhere on the gums.
Important changes can be present even when the gums look normal from the outside. Your weekly look is a way of noticing, not a substitute for a veterinary examination.
The weekly 20-second lip-lift
- Same day, calm moment, good light. Daylight, or a phone torch held to one side.
- Front first. With the mouth closed, lift the upper lip at the front and look at the small front teeth and the canines.
- Then each side. Lift the lip at the corner of the mouth and look back along the cheek teeth, upper and lower.
- Stop at 20 seconds, or sooner. Reward, even if you only saw one side.
| Check | Healthy | Worth a vet check |
|---|---|---|
| Gum colour | Pink, or its usual pigment | Red, especially a red line at the edge. Very pale gums: contact your vet straight away. |
| Gum edge | Thin and tight to the tooth | Puffy, rolled or swollen |
| Bleeding | None | Any bleeding at a gentle touch |
| Gum level | Covers the roots | Pulling back, roots showing |
| Teeth at the gumline | Clean, or a light film | Yellow-brown build-up; a broken or discoloured tooth |
| Breath | Mild, as usual | Stronger, or different |
| Your pet | Relaxed about being looked at | Pulls away, flinches or paws at the mouth |
Write down the date and "same", "better" or "worse": trends matter more than any single look. Never force the mouth open, press on a tooth that seems sore or probe the gums, and if your pet is stressed or you think you might be bitten, stop and leave the look to your vet. For the full weekly check, see Signs to watch.
Cleaning along the gumline
The gumline is where plaque settles and where it matters most, so it is where daily cleaning should be aimed.
- Soft brush at 45°. Tilt the bristles about 45° towards the gum so they sweep the line where tooth meets gum, in small, gentle movements.
- Finger brush or textured wipe. Wrapped around a finger and run along the outer surfaces, a textured wipe cleans along the gumline in about thirty seconds, and many pets accept it before they accept bristles.
- Outer surfaces first. The cheek side of the teeth is the easiest to reach and the place where build-up shows first.
Done daily, cleaning along the gumline supports healthy gums. That is the honest scope of it: care for healthy mouths, alongside your vet. Gums that are already red or bleeding need a veterinary check first.
Gentle technique
- Light pressure. If the bristles splay flat, you are pressing too hard. Enamel is thin (about 0.1 to 0.6 mm in dogs, a fraction of a millimetre in cats) and gums bruise easily.
- Soft tools only. Ultra-soft bristles, never a stiff brush, and never anything to scrape with.
- Pet toothpaste only. Made for the species and safe to swallow; never human toothpaste.
- Stop at a sore spot. If your pet flinches at one area, or the gum bleeds, stop cleaning there and book a check. Brushing a sore mouth teaches a pet that brushing hurts.
- Short and regular. About 30 seconds a side once your pet is used to it, and far less at first.
Cats and the gumline
A red line along the gum edge is one of the first things vets look for in cats, and some of the most important changes in cats' teeth, including tooth resorption, begin at or below the gumline, where much of it can only be assessed on dental X-rays under anaesthesia. Age matters too: a 2023 Royal Veterinary College study found that cats over nine had more than six times the odds of a periodontal disease diagnosis of cats under three. No home-care product is designed to address these changes; what you can do is notice early and book the check.
Cats hide discomfort, so the weekly look matters even more. Guidance from Cornell University advises asking your vet before brushing a cat whose gums are badly inflamed, because brushing can hurt; if you see a red line, book the check before you start. When you do clean, use a finger brush, gauze or a textured wipe, a toothpaste labelled for cats and the lightest touch. The gentle 21-day method shows how.
When to see a vet within 48 hours
Book a veterinary check within 48 hours if you notice:
- bleeding from the gums when you lift the lip or clean gently;
- a red line along the gum edge, or swollen, puffy gums;
- gums pulling back from a tooth, or a tooth that looks longer than its neighbours;
- a lump, sore or discharge on the gum;
- a broken, loose or discoloured tooth;
- breath that has become strong or changed;
- pawing at the mouth, drooling, chewing on one side or dropping food;
- a pet who suddenly resists having the mouth touched.
Contact your vet the same day for bleeding that will not stop, swelling of the face or jaw, an injury to the mouth, or a pet who cannot close the mouth or will not eat. Gums that look very pale, white, blue-grey or yellow, especially with weakness or difficulty breathing, need emergency veterinary care.
When to see your vet
If you notice loose or wobbly teeth, swelling, discharge, bleeding that does not settle, reluctance to eat, dropping food, drooling, pawing at the mouth or any change in behaviour, please contact your veterinary surgeon promptly. Home care supports professional care — it never replaces it.