Lets face it, when in comes to caring for our pets (vaccines, heartworm prevention, parasite prevention, etc) one of the last things anyone want to hear the vet say is, “Fluffy also needs to have a dental.” Everyone has that little voice inside their head saying, “But all he has is a little bad breath?”
BUT Imagine what your dentist would say to you if you didn’t brush your teeth for…
Here are a few other points to ponder:
- Its more than just bad breath! At minimum its inflamed gum tissue caused by bacteria; at worse it’s abscessed (infected) and loose teeth. Either way it’s painful!
- Routine dental cleanings are just as important for pets as they are for people. Bacteria from a pet’s mouth can also enter the blood stream where it can travel to the heart, lungs, liver and kidneys. They can all have dangerous and long term effects from untreated dental disease. Yearly dental cleanings not only minimize the amount of tartar and plaque build up that can infect and kill teeth, but it can help prevent long term adverse effects throughout the body.
- Prevention is KEY!!!!! The preventative care you do at home decreases the frequency and severity of the dental cleanings needed with your vet.
There are special dental diets and treats available from your veterinarian that are designed to help break down tartar, prolonging the time between dental exams and cleaning procedures.
Oral rinses or additives to a pet’s drinking water are available to help minimize the amount of harmful bacteria present in your pet’s mouth.
BUT NOTHING BEATS BRUSHING YOUR PETS TEETH!
Ask your vet about special toothpaste and tooth brushes that you can use. Dogs and cats require a special kind of toothpaste. DO NOT USE HUMAN TOOTHPASTE. Most human toothpaste is not meant to be swallowed. Brushing your pet’s teeth at home decreases the amount of periodontal disease and plaque build-up in your pet’s mouth.