Pet Tips
Pet Dental Health Awareness
February is pet dental health month. This is a
perfect time to review or initiate a dental hygiene plan for Fluffy.
Pets have teeth too and it is unwise to take those pearly whites
for granted - or are they pearly white? Dogs and cats have teeth
that are similar to people. Their "baby" or deciduous
teeth are replaced at 4-6 months of age by adult teeth. These
teeth need to last a lifetime. Improper care for teeth can lead
to dental disease. This can have undesirable effects in the oral
cavity such as tartar build-up, inflammation of the gums, bad
breath and dental pain. In addition dental disease can have detrimental
effects on the rest of the body. Bacteria from the mouth can lead
to disease in the kidneys, liver and heart.
So how can you best take care of those teeth? The
best first step is to have a professional dental examination.
This will give your veterinarian an opportunity to evaluate Fido's
gums and teeth. From here an appropriate oral hygiene program
can be established to meet your pet's needs and temperament and
your lifestyle.
Home care should
ideally include brushing of the teeth on a regular basis (at least
twice a week). There are numerous pet pastes available. When choosing
a paste be certain it does not contain fluoride (fluoride can
lead to stomach upset). Pastes provide you with an abrasive action
on the teeth helping you to remove soft plaque on the teeth before
it turns into hard tartar. Many also contain an antibacterial
enzyme system. While brushing is the best plaque remover - if
not possible - alternatives include antibacterial gels, chew toys
/ rawhides and treats. They will have abrasive action and also
enhance saliva production (saliva has enzymes that are antibacterial).
Some caution should be used with chew toys to avoid foreign body
ingestion (supervision is recommended). There are also dental
diets that can be used as maintenance diets with kibbles formulated
for maximum tartar control.
Professional care
may also be advised. This is a multi-purpose procedure. It includes
scaling of the teeth to remove tartar both above and below the
gumline followed by polishing to smooth the enamel surface and
to remove and small residual tartar. The gumline will also be
probed to detect any pockets around the teeth. If present these
pockets are flushed with antibacterial to prevent bacterial growth.
A fluoride treatment is often performed as well. Extractions can
also be performed at this time if deemed necessary. Once the teeth
have been professional cleaned home care to maintain good oral
hygiene is very important.
Just a few days ago, Toby the cat was seen for
his annual visit. Last year he had mildly inflamed gums and tartar
was starting to accumulate on his teeth. His owners were able
to bring his teeth back to kitten-like condition with routine
brushing. Despite laughs from friends they say they happily wield
their kitty brush in front of friends. Toby is all the healthier
and happier for it and smiling back at them with 30 shining teeth!
Articles by Dr. Emma Raghavan
Appearing in the Halifax Daily News
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