Dental Health
Dental health in your pet
Signs of dental problems in your pet may include:
- Bad breath (halitosis)
- Excessive drooling
- Reluctance to eat, especially dry food, or to play with chew toys
- Chewing with or favoring one side of the mouth
- Pawing at or rubbing the muzzle/mouth
- Shies away from facial contact
If you are seeing any of theses signs we recommend to schedule an appointment with one of our doctors. A comprehensive oral exam can help us determine the best course of action for you and your pet.
Animals need a general anesthetic to be able to evaluate and clean each tooth individually, unfortunately telling them to open wide doesn't quite work.
Once anesthetised the large pieces of tartar are removed then the surface of the tooth is fully cleaned with an ultrasonic scaler.
One of the most important things done is to clean gently but thoroughly below the gum line in whats called the periodontal space. This is the area where plaque and bacteria can build up leading to tartar which destroys the tooth's attachment to the bone.
The next step is to use a special tool to evaluate the gum pockets for periodontal disease on each tooth.
Once fully cleaned and evaluated the teeth are polished to smooth out any abrasions that may be left post scaling and a final disinfection wipe is done.
It is important to not that the process described above cannot be replaced with "anesthetic free" dental cleanings. These cosmetic cleanings do not address the area below the gum line where periodontal disease occurs.
Preventative Dental Health
There are multiple management strategies you can implement at home to help keep your pets mouth as healthy as possible
- Routine brushing to remove food particles and plaque
- For best results brushing should be done at least every 3 days but daily brushing is best
- Use pet toothpaste only as human varieties are unsafe
- Dental wipes can be used as a close second if your pet does not allow brushing. These wipes are able to remove plaque from the surface of the teeth but not food particles from the gum pockets
- Dental chews can be fed to help control plaque and tartar accumulation on the teeth
- Chews need to be size appropriate for your pet to avoid choking hazard
- For best results chews need to be given daily (careful of extra calories!)
- Pet needs to actually CHEW them for them to be beneficial
- Dental specific diets can be extremely helpful in controlling plaque and tartar
- The kibbles are very large requiring the animal to chew them
- The kibbles are designed so the tooth penetrates the kibble not shattering it, allowing for the plaque to be "scrubbed" off
There are multiple products that you can use to help keep your pet's mouth happy and healthy. Bones of any variety and antlers are not recommended as they are too hard and will break teeth easily.
The VOHC
The Veterinary Oral Health Council (VOHC) evaluates pet dental products to ensure they actually do what they claim to do in regards to plaque and tartar control. Click on the link below to see a list of VOHC approved products .
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