Short answer: Book a veterinary check if you notice any of the twelve signs below, from breath that has changed to chewing on one side. A few cannot wait: bleeding that will not stop, facial swelling, a mouth that cannot close, or not eating for 24 hours need your vet today. A 20-second lip-lift once a week, written down, is the simplest way to notice change early. Only your vet can say what a change means.
The 12 signs that mean book a veterinary check
These are the changes you can see or notice at home. The middle column explains, in general terms, what a vet may be thinking about. It is not a diagnosis, and several signs can have more than one cause.
| Sign | What it may indicate, in general terms | Urgency |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Breath that is strong, getting worse or suddenly different | Plaque and tartar building up, sore gums, or occasionally a cause elsewhere in the body | Check; prompt if sudden or if it smells sweet, of ammonia or rotten |
| 2. Red, swollen or receding gums, or a red line at the gum edge | Inflamed gums (what vets call gingivitis), or loss of the tissues around a tooth | Prompt |
| 3. Bleeding gums, or blood on toys, food or in saliva | Inflamed gums, an injury or a problem with a tooth | Prompt; today if it will not stop |
| 4. Yellow-brown build-up at the gumline | Tartar, with plaque around and below it that needs professional assessment | Check |
| 5. A broken, chipped or discoloured tooth | A fracture that may expose the sensitive inside of the tooth, or damage within it | Prompt; today if bleeding, swollen or clearly painful |
| 6. A loose or wobbly adult tooth | Loss of the tissues that hold the tooth in place | Prompt |
| 7. Chewing on one side, or tilting the head to eat | Discomfort on one side of the mouth | Prompt |
| 8. Dropping food, or avoiding hard food, chews and toys | Discomfort when chewing | Prompt |
| 9. Pawing or rubbing at the mouth or face | Discomfort, or something caught in the mouth | Prompt; today if distressed or something is stuck |
| 10. Drooling more than usual | A range of mouth problems, from sore gums to something stuck | Prompt |
| 11. A lump, sore or swelling on the gums, in the mouth or on the face | Several possible causes, including problems at a tooth root; all need a vet to assess | Prompt; today for facial swelling |
| 12. Head shyness, eating or grooming less, or a change in behaviour | Hidden discomfort; pets adapt quietly | Prompt |
Urgency key: Check means book a veterinary dental check at the next routine appointment. Prompt means contact your vet within 48 hours. Today means contact your vet the same day.
Urgent: signs that need your vet today
Contact your vet the same day, or the out-of-hours emergency service if your practice is closed, for:
- Bleeding from the mouth that will not stop.
- Swelling of the face, jaw, tongue or mouth, especially if it is developing quickly.
- A mouth that cannot close, or a jaw that looks out of line.
- No food eaten for 24 hours, or repeated attempts to eat that end in giving up.
- An injury to the mouth or face, or a broken tooth with bleeding or obvious pain.
- String, thread or an object stuck in the mouth, including around the tongue. Do not pull it: it may be anchored further down.
Difficulty breathing, choking, collapse or heavy bleeding is an emergency: go to the nearest emergency vet straight away.
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.
How to do a weekly check
Twenty seconds for the mouth, a minute for everything else. Same day each week, a calm moment, good light.
- Watch a meal. Does your pet chew on both sides, drop food or leave the hard pieces?
- Sniff. Is breath the same as last week, stronger or different?
- Lift the lips. Front, then each side: gum colour, the gum edge, the teeth at the gumline. Mouth closed, about 20 seconds.
- Notice the response. Is your pet as relaxed about it as usual, or pulling away?
- Look around the mouth. Swelling on the face or jaw, a wet chin, or less grooming in cats.
- Write it down. The date, what you saw, and "same", "better" or "worse".
Never force the mouth open, press on a tooth that seems sore, probe the gums or try to move a loose tooth. If your pet is stressed, or you think you might be bitten, stop and let your vet look instead.
Record it: notes, photos and PetPulse Dental
A record turns a vague feeling ("I think his breath is worse?") into something your vet can use. It does not need to be elaborate:
- a dated note on your phone or in a notebook, every week;
- photos of the front and each side, taken only if your pet is relaxed, in the same light each time;
- anything else you noticed about eating, drinking, grooming or play.
Change from your own pet's normal matters more than any single look. Three weeks of "slightly worse" says more than one bad day.
PetPulse Dental, in development from PetPulse Labs™, is being designed to make this record easier: short check-ins, consistent photos and a report you can share with your vet. It helps you notice and record changes; it does not diagnose or treat, and a reassuring check-in never rules out a problem that only an examination can find. It is being built so that an urgent sign always points you to a vet, never to a product.
What to tell the vet
Your vet sees your pet for a few minutes; you see them every day. Bring:
- What, when and which way. What you noticed, when it started, and whether it is getting better or worse.
- Eating and drinking. Which side your pet chews on, whether food is dropped or hard food avoided, and any change in drinking.
- Behaviour. Head shyness, pawing, drooling, grooming, play.
- Your routine. How you clean, and every product you use. Take the packs, so the full labels can be read.
- Health background. Any conditions, medicines or special diet.
- Your notes and photos.
Questions worth asking: What did you find? Does anything need X-rays under anaesthesia to assess? Should I keep cleaning, and is there anywhere to avoid for now? When would you like to see my pet again?
Why "wait and see" costs more
Mouths rarely stand still. New plaque forms every day and can start to harden within 48 to 72 hours, and pets adapt to discomfort so quietly that "wait and see" often becomes "wait and miss". Our first value at Petdentist® is that prevention is kinder, and usually cheaper, than dealing with problems later.
It can cost more in money, too. Dental work is often not covered: most UK insurers exclude routine cleaning, keep dental-illness cover for their most comprehensive policies and always exclude pre-existing dental conditions, according to Forbes Advisor UK. Daily care and early checks are the part of the cost you control. If you are comparing policies, Petdentist INSURE explains in plain English what dental cover usually does and does not include.
Cats: the quieter signs
Cats show mouth discomfort even more quietly than dogs. Feline veterinary guidance lists the signs owners can notice: bad breath; red, swollen or bleeding gums; chewing on one side or tilting the head; dropping food; pawing at the mouth; facial swelling; drooling; weight loss; grooming less; and eating less or refusing food. Many cats keep eating despite a sore mouth, so an empty bowl is not proof that all is well.
A red line along the gum edge is one of the most important things to look for in a cat, and some changes, such as tooth resorption, begin at or below the gumline, where only your vet can assess them. More in the cat guide.