Dental Awareness
By Dr. Karen Roach
Our pets are part of our family! We love them, feed them, provide fresh water,
keep them warm and take care of all their needs, even sometimes before our very
own! In return, they are there for us,
unconditionally. Current vaccines, parasite
preventative medications and pet friendly activities will help keep them
healthy and long-lived. However, there
is one aspect of care that is often ignored…dental health.
Most pets will suffer from some form of
dental disease during their lifetime.
You don’t have to let this happen to your pet though!
Most pets will suffer from some form of
dental disease during their lifetime.
You don’t have to let this happen to your pet though! |
| Mild Gingivitis |
 |
| Advanced Stage of Periodontal Disease |
Another important form of dental disease seen in pets is
tooth fracture. Dogs bite down on
objects of all kinds with tremendous force.
Items, such as real bones (including knuckles), antlers, cow hooves, hard
plastic toys, sticks and sometimes ice cubes are common causes of fractures of
the largest chewing teeth in the back of the mouth. Avoid these items as much as possible. Opt instead for Veterinary Oral Health Council Approved dental chews.
Cats more often break the fang teeth, called canine teeth,
during falls or hunting. If the pulp
canal (the live center of the tooth that contains the nerve and blood supply)
is compromised by the fracture, the tooth is lost. It will need to be extracted or have a root
canal to treat pain and infection. More
often, extraction is advisable since a tooth that has had a root canal
eventually becomes more brittle and easily broken again.
In puppies and kittens, malocclusion can occur. This is when the teeth do not line up
correctly. This can cause painful sores
inside the mouth or the lips and lead to permanent damage of emerging adult
teeth.
All puppies and kittens have
“baby teeth” called deciduous teeth until about 6 months of age. Some puppies, especially smaller breeds and
rarely kittens, can retain deciduous teeth inappropriately. This is easily treated with extraction of the
baby teeth, usually when they are under anesthetic during spaying or neutering.
All puppies and kittens have
“baby teeth” called deciduous teeth until about 6 months of age. Some puppies, especially smaller breeds and
rarely kittens, can retain deciduous teeth inappropriately. This is easily treated with extraction of the
baby teeth, usually when they are under anesthetic during spaying or neutering.
Does your pet need dental care or even a professional dental
cleaning? Lift up your pet’s lips. Are the teeth shiny and white or covered with
a yellow film or hard tartar? Is your
pet’s breath pleasant or not? Review
your pet’s last veterinary health report card.
Follow your veterinarian’s advice!
Remember, the goal is to prevent disease in the mouth and avoid periodontal
disease. If a dental cleaning is
recommended, do not wait. Do not let a
fear of anesthesia prevent you from caring for your pet’s teeth either. The anesthetics and monitoring equipment used
today are very safe and veterinary teams are often trained in identifying
trends in vital signs so that they can prevent adverse events. Also, it takes less time under anesthesia to
clean and treat teeth that are not in a state of advanced gingivitis or
periodontal disease.
Professional cleaning is the best way to take care of your
pet’s teeth when your veterinarian thinks it is time to do so. You can help at home too. There are many products available for caring
for your pet’s teeth at home. The very
best is to teach your pet to sit for brushing.
Our recommendation is to use a human toddler soft
toothbrush. Even the handle is soft so
you cannot hurt your pet with it. Use a
flavored pet toothpaste or even just a tiny bit of baking soda mixed with
water. (Human toothpastes have more
fluoride content than a pet should have.)
Focus on the outside surfaces of the teeth along the gumlines. Do not try to pry your pet’s mouth open,
just pull the lips back.
It is best to brush as often as possible, even daily. This prevents the soft plaque film from hardening into tartar. Tartar cannot be brushed away. Give a small treat reward afterward. Start with just touching the teeth and work up to brushing. Even adult dogs can learn to sit for this! Hills Pet Nutrition makes a prescription diet for helping to clean pets’ teeth while eating called t/d®.
Your veterinarian should have a variety of other options for your pet. Try to use Veterinary Oral Health Council Approved products.
It is best to brush as often as possible, even daily. This prevents the soft plaque film from hardening into tartar. Tartar cannot be brushed away. Give a small treat reward afterward. Start with just touching the teeth and work up to brushing. Even adult dogs can learn to sit for this! Hills Pet Nutrition makes a prescription diet for helping to clean pets’ teeth while eating called t/d®.
Your veterinarian should have a variety of other options for your pet. Try to use Veterinary Oral Health Council Approved products.
Go ahead and sit down with your pet. Lift up the lips. What do you see? Now that you are dental-aware, you will know what to do!
Dental Special Month!
From now through February 28th, Noah’s Animal Hospitals are featuring our annual Dental Special Month! (OK, it’s longer than 1 month, but we are the generous type!) If your pet receives a dental cleaning during our special, he or she will go home with a FREE bag of Hill’s Prescription diet t/d OR Hill’s Healthy Advantage food! Other promotional deals may be available during this time. Call your Noah’s Animal Hospital today to schedule an appointment!
