Just as in humans, pet’s needs oral hygiene too! Unfortunately, dental hygiene for pet's is sometimes overlooked. Dental hygiene is just as important to your pet’s overall health as things like nutrition, proper exercise and routine grooming. Monitoring your pets Dental health 1. Simplest way to keep track are look at them on regular basis by lifting the lips all around the mouth. 2. Evaluated by veterinarian every 6-12 months at wellness check-ups. 3. Red gum,Tartar/plaque buildup, Bad breath, Gum recision, Crying out when chewing. Needs immediate attention of Veterinarian. The Dangers of Dental Disease Plaque builds up on th teeth and turns into tartar, or calculus. These areas grow bacteria and eat away at the teeth and gums. Bad breath, oral pain and tooth loss can occur due to bacteria. However, the bacteria not only cause disease in the mouth they can also affect other parts of the body, like the heart,liver and kidneys. The most important thing to do is address dental disease as soon as it is detected, no matter how minor. Best way to keep healthy mouth and teeth is prevention and treatment. 
Preventing Dental Disease in Dogs There are several ways you can help your pet teeth in good shape. 1. Start a dental care routine as early as possible in your pet’s life. 2. Brushing – Ask for Denville Animal Hospital Veterinarians for Some tips and demonstration. Try to brush as many times as possible in a week practically 2-3 times. Don’t use human toothpaste. Avoid real bones – not only can they lead to gastroinstinal upset, they may also cause tooth fractures. 3. Switch to dry food or/and specialised diets like t/d hills. 4. Veterinarian evaluation on regular basis, dental scaling and polishing or extractions as needed. Veterinary Dental Procedure: Most dental procedures will require general anaesthesia and pre-anaesthetic blood work. Blood work will generally consist of a Complete Blood Count and a serum chemistry profile. Comple Blood Count would check for anemia,allergies,infection and dehydration. The chemistry profile checks organ function, mainly kidneys and liver and it also checks blood sugar.This gives an opportunity to find any hidden disease and as well increases anaesthetic safety by choosing right protocol for individual pet. Under anesthesia, all vital signs are monitored and an extensive oral exam will be conducted. This will allow the doctor to examine any loose, broken, or missing teeth along with any oral tumors or lesions. The gums around the teeth are probed and any pockets are noted.The next step is to scale and polish much like what happens at a human dentist. In certain cases broken teeth or loose teeth will need to be extracted or a root canal will be recommended.Infected teeth/gums need antibiotics and pain medications during and after dentistry. My pet has bad breath. Are bad teeth and gums the cause? Most likely, YES. However, it is very important to schedule a visit to the veterinarian. In rare cases, some diseases or situations can cause bad breath in the absence of, or in addition to, tooth/gum disease. Conditions such as kidney failure, diabetes, nasal or facial skin infections, cancers, or situations where the animal is ingesting feces or other materials, can cause bad breath with or without periodontal disease. What actually causes the bad breath when tooth/gum disease is present? Bad breath, medically known as "halitosis", results from the bacterial infection of the gums (gingiva) and supporting tissues seen with periodontal disease (periodontal occurring around a tooth). What is the difference between plaque and tartar? Plaque is a colony of bacteria, mixed with saliva, blood cell, and other bacterial components. Plaque often leads to tooth and gum disease. Dental tartar, or calculus, occurs when plaque becomes mineralized (hard) and firmly adheres to the tooth enamel then erodes the gingival tissue. What can happen if my pet's teeth aren't cleaned? Both plaque and tartar damage the teeth and gums. Disease starts with the gums (gingiva). They become inflamed - red, swollen, and sore. The gums finally separate from the teeth,creating pockets where more bacteria,plaque, and tartar build up. This in turn causes more damage, and finally tooth and bone loss. This affects the whole body, too. Bacteria from these inflamed oral areas can enter the bloodstream and affect major body organs. The liver, kidneys, heart, and lungs are most commonly affected. Antibiotics are used prior to and after a dental cleaning to prevent bacterial spread through the blood stream But my pet is only 3 years old! Isn't this an "old dog/cat disease"? No - dental disease is NOT just for the senior pets. From the Pets Need Dental Care, Too web site: "Without proper dental care, 80 percent of dogs and 70 percent of cats show signs of oral disease by age three." How often my pets teeth are clean at Veterinarians facility? Some dogs need dental cleanings one or more times per year, while others can go longer. Be certain to follow your vet’s recommendations. And remember, what you do at home can really make all the difference |
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279 West Main Street (Rt 46), Denville, NJ 07834
(973) 625-5300
info@denvilleanimalhospital.com |
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