Staying on top of your pets oral health has many benefits to your pet as well as your pocket book. There are a variety of things you can do at home to maximize your pets oral health. You always have to consider that both dogs and cats have genetic influences and breed predispositions that effect the degree of dental disease they deal with. Some animals can be much more challenging to keep healthy than others. The number one thing any pet owner can do for any variety of dog or cat is brush their teeth daily or at minimum 3 times a week. This has all the same benefits it does for us as humans. Other things done at home are to provide dental diets, appropriate chew treats that promote plaque and tartar reduction, and oral rinses that minimize the bacterial load in the mouth that precursors plaque formation.
If needed, getting your pets teeth professionally cleaned by your veterinarian before there is significant dental disease and even teeth that require removal is ideal. It is much cheaper to perform a ROUTINE DENTISTRY than it is to address a mouth with progressive dental disease that includes severe tartar, gum recession, root exposure and even infected or fractured teeth that need to be extracted. It is also important to consider the systemic effects progressive dental disease has on your pets heart, lungs, liver and kidneys. Ultimately we all have a common goal of maintaining our pets comfort and quality of life and diseased teeth are not comfortable.
The veterinary technicians at Kingsbrook Animal Hospital will always be glad to help you grade the progression of dental disease in your pet and help you come up with a plan for maximizing their health. Feel free to call Ranee, Sara, Stacey, Melissa, Jen or Nora any time at 301-631-6900. We can even set up a no cost tech appointment to look at your pets teeth and make suggestions.
