iHerp Australia Issue 6 | Page 41

which the oral flora switches from being predominantly aerobic to including anaerobic bacteria .
Clinical signs . Dragons with periodontal disease may present with a range of signs . These include :
i .
Asymptomatic . Dragons , even those with advanced periodontal
disease , may show no signs of an issue and the condition is only
detected upon examination .
ii .
Loss of appetite .
iii .
Weight loss .
iv .
Pain on chewing .
v .
Bleeding from the mouth .
vi .
Loss of teeth and jaw bone .
vii .
Swelling of the jaw bone .
Grade 0 .
Grading . Veterinarians like to assign grading systems to conditions as it allows a more accurate description of the problem . The severity of periodontal disease in dragons can then be graded using the following system :
Grade 0 = Clinically normal . Grade 1 = Staining only . Grade 2 = Mild tartar development ; mild gum redness . Grade 3 = Moderate tartar development ; moderate gum redness and recession . Grade 4 = Severe tartar development ; severe gum recession ; +/ - bone infection ; +/ - bone fracture . Grade 5 = Loss of jaw bone .
Grade 1 .
Grade 2 .
Grade 4 .
Grade 3 .
Grade 5 .

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