Dental Disease in Dogs and Cats
Dental disease is a common and often overlooked problem in dogs and cats. While cavities represent the most common dental disease of humans, our small animal companions are more frequently bothered by gingivitis, tartar build-up, and periodontal disease. Left untreated tartar accumulation can lead to irritation, infection and tooth loss. Infection of the mouth can also spread and cause tonsillitis, and pharyngitis (sore throat). If the infection gets into the blood stream it can also be carried to other parts of the body. Kidney and heart valve infections usually begin from the mouth.
Predisposing Factors:
Genetics – individual body chemistry can play a role in how fast tartar accumulates in the mouth. Some individuals require yearly cleanings while others may only need one or two in a lifetime.
Diet – dry food is better than canned for dental health because it sticks to the teeth less, in addition the mechanical crunching action does work some to keep plaque from building up
SIGNS THAT YOUR CAT OR DOG MAY HAVE DENTAL PROBLEMS INCLUDE…
Dental Examinations
Dental examinations are part of every standard physical examination. Our veterinarian will perform an oral exam and comment on the healthiness of your pet’s teeth and gums. (In some cases, due to temperament, a full oral exam cannot be completed without anesthesia.)
Dental Cleanings
In some cases the veterinarian may suggest a dental cleaning for your pet. A dental cleaning requires complete cooperation of the patient so that the tartar can be removed, and any teeth extracted if necessary. Anesthesia is therefore required.
Pre-anesthetic blood work is required before any dental/anesthetic procedure. This allows the veterinarian to know how your pet’s organ systems are working, and to be able to choose the safest possible anesthetics for the procedure. Although there is always a degree of risk with any anesthetic procedure, be aware that delaying proper dental care may ultimately do more damage to compromise your pet’s health.
The Cleaning Process …
Prevention - Several preventive measures can be recommended to aid in oral hygiene
Home Dental Care
Just imagine how much plaque and tarter would build-up on your teeth if you didn’t brush for a week, a month, a year, or ten years? Left untreated, tartar can lead to the build-up of bacteria leading to decay, and tooth loss. Bacteria may also spread to internal organs such as the heart, kidney or liver resulting in serious health issues for your pet.
The best defense against dental disease – tooth brushing. Unfortunately this is one trick that you probably won’t be able to teach Fluffy to do on her own, but take heart, brushing your pet’s teeth is not as hard as you might think.
First Steps:
Ideally dental care should begin when your pet is a puppy or kitten when other training is taking place. Also, it is important to start with a clean slate. If the plaque that builds up on your pet’s teeth is not removed within 24-36 hours after eating, it hardens and becomes tartar. Once this happens it takes a professional cleaning to remove it.
We discourage the use of metal tooth scalers. Although you can purchase these instruments over the counter and they do remove tartar, the damage they create may be worse than the tartar. Scalers can cause damage to gums if not used correctly, then also create grooves in the enamel of the tooth which may promote the build-up of plaque by providing a space for bacteria to grow in. During a professional cleaning a scraper is used, but it is followed up by polishing the grooves out of the teeth.
How to:If all else fails:
For pets that do not want to cooperate, there are some
alternatives to consider.
Dental gels – applied to the gumline, these products can reduce plaque and tartar formation
Dental wipes and rinses act like mouthwash to keep bacteria levels lower and promote fresh breath.
Dental diets- certain diets (like Science diet oral care or T/D) are specially formulated to fight plaque and tartar as well as scrape plaque from the teeth.
If interested, please ask us about these dental products.
Brushing your pet’s teeth may seem like a challenge at first. However, after a few weeks of working with your pet, you might find that it becomes as routine as brushing your own.
Groton City Animal Hospital
794 Cortland Rd. (Rte. 222)
Groton, NY 13073
(607)898-4482