February is National Pet Dental Month, which fortunately most people are aware of the importance of their dog and cat’s teeth. I mean nothing is worse than bad dog breath from rotten teeth! However, it is also important to remember that our small mammal and reptile species also have teeth that need to be evaluated. Just like in our dogs and cats, ferrets and bearded dragons can build up tartar on their teeth that requires dental scaling and polishing to keep clean. Tartar build up causes infection of the gums and roots of the teeth. Bacteria can even travel through the blood stream from the mouth to other important organs like the heart, lungs, and kidneys. It is very important that our exotic pets have bi-annual wellness exams to evaluate their overall health as well as their dental health. Making sure your pet’s teeth are normal size, shape, and length are essential to having a healthy pet! This is especially important in species that have constantly growing teeth, like rabbits, guinea pigs, and chinchillas. An oral exam at least twice a year will help with early dental disease detection. Sometimes, a diet adjustment is needed where as other times a dental cleaning is required. The only way to know is for an exotic veterinarian to perform an oral evaluation. If you can see visible brown spots on your pet’s teeth, this is evidence of tartar. Please make an appointment with us so we can discuss at-home care to prevent dental disease and/or receive a dental cleaning in hospital. Let’s work together to keep your pet’s pearly whites in good shape!