Dental Care 

As more research is done, the importance of dental care for dogs and cats is becoming increasingly evident. Plaque is a natural response to food particles and bacteria along the gum line. As plaque builds up in the mouth, it begins to mineralize into tartar. Tartar irritates the gums and causes gingivitis and bad breath. If gingivitis is ignored, periodontal disease will follow. Periodontal disease is an irreversible condition in which the teeth are slowly loosened from the gums. Because of this, gingival pockets form. Gingival pockets allow for more room for the disease to perpetuate. Eventually, teeth are lost.

            A “dental prophylaxis” is similar to the type of cleaning procedure you or I receive at our own dentist. One major difference is that dogs and cats need to be anesthetized in order to accomplish this.

We recommend having your pet’s teeth checked with each annual vaccination appointment starting as early as their kitten or puppy appointments when it is important to check for retained baby teeth and indications of any other problems. The frequency at which your pet may need his or her teeth cleaned varies with the breed, age, and genetics of each animal. By checking their teeth often, we can schedule a cleaning before problems due to gingivitis arise.

Other things you can do at home to keep your pet’s mouth as healthy as possible include brushing their teeth (with toothpaste specially formulated for dogs), providing dental chews like Greenies or CET Chews, and feeding dry pet food instead of canned. All of these things help “brush” the plaque off the teeth, helping prevent tartar build-up.

CET chews are special rawhides treated with a special antiseptic to help remove plaque and reduce tartar from your pet’s teeth.

 

Greenies are another brand of chews for your dog. They are easily digested in the stomach, so if your pet swallows rawhides whole Greenies are a great alternative!

Clenz-a-dent is an antiseptic you can add to your pet’s water. It helps with preventing plaque and tartar build-up, and is a great way to keep your dog or cat’s teeth clean longer between dentals.

Clenz-a-dent toothpaste can reduce/prevent plaque build-up, tartar, and bad breath in dogs and cats.