Stomatitis is a common internal disease in dogs.

Stomatitis can be classified by the nature of the inflammation into catarrhal, vesicular and ulcerative stomatitis, with catarrhal stomatitis being the more commonly seen type.

[Causes]

The most common cause is direct injury to the oral mucosa by coarse hard bones, sharp teeth, nails, wire and the like, followed by secondary infection resulting in stomatitis; next is accidental ingestion of quicklime, ammonia water, moldy and spoiled feed, or irritating drugs at excessive concentration; and then cases secondary to tongue injury, pharyngeal fire or certain infectious diseases.

[Key points of diagnosis]

The sick dog refuses coarse hard feed and prefers liquid feed and softer meat, swallowing without chewing or chewing a few times and then spitting the bolus out. Saliva increases, appearing as white foam on the lips or flowing out in strings. When the inflammation is severe, drooling is more obvious. On examination of the oral cavity, the mucosa is seen to be reddened and swollen, with increased oral temperature, hyperesthesia, and foul-smelling breath. In vesicular stomatitis, vesicles of varying sizes can be seen. In ulcerative stomatitis, erosion, necrosis or ulcers can be seen on the mucosa. A definite diagnosis can be made based on the history, causes and clinical symptoms.

[Prevention and treatment measures]

(1) Eliminate the causes: remove foreign bodies stuck in the mucosa, trim sharp teeth, and stop oral administration of irritating drugs.

(2) Strengthen nursing care: give liquid food, let the dog drink clean water frequently, and rinse the oral cavity with clean water after feeding, etc.

(3) Drug treatment: generally, 1% saline, or 2-3% boric acid solution, or 2-3% sodium bicarbonate solution can be used to rinse the oral cavity, 2-3 times daily. For foul oral odor, 0.1% potassium permanganate solution can be used to wash the mouth. When saliva is excessive, 1% alum or tannic acid solution can be used to wash the mouth. When there is erosion or ulceration on the oral mucosa or tongue surface, after rinsing the oral cavity, apply iodine glycerin (5% iodine tincture 1 part, glycerin 9 parts), or 2% gentian violet, or 1% sulfonamide glycerin emulsion to the affected surface, 2-3 times daily. For severe stomatitis, a sulfonamide-alum mixture (long-acting sulfonamide powder 10 g, alum 2-3 g, placed in a cloth bag) can be held in the mouth; or the Chinese herbal medicine Qingdai San can be given, both of which have fairly good therapeutic effects.