Pets and People Need Dental Care
What is the number one animal disease??? Gum Disease! That’s right, over 70% of all animals have infection in their mouths. Many people are willing to tolerate this disease although they would never allow a similar infection to go untreated in the eye or on the skin, for example. Here are some signs to look for: Bad breath-this is not normal; Tartar; Red/bleeding gums; Broken teeth; Changes in eating.
There are three things you can do to take care of your pets’ teeth.
Step 1. Visit a veterinarian at least once per year—just like your own dentist. At Middletown Animal Hospital we celebrate Pet Dental Month in February each year by offering a discount to encourage pet owners to get their pets teeth cleaned.
Step 2. Have a professional dental cleaning and treatment of dental disease. Pets need to be anesthetized for proper dental care, and so owners need to be prepared for this process. Just like your dentist, gum surgery, x-rays, extractions, or even root canals may need to be performed. X-rays are especially important since 2/3 of the tooth is hidden and 1/2 of all dental disease is below the gums!
Step 3. Perform dental care at home. Believe it or not, brushing your pets’ teeth is important and easy—really!! Just like you, it needs to be done daily to be effective. You only need to brush the outside so hold the muzzle shut and brush. Also, certain diets and snacks can help keep the mouth clean between cleanings. We recommend enzymatic CET Chews and mini carrots.
So, to prevent tooth loss, and to prevent infection from spreading from the mouth to other parts of the body, take care of your pets’ teeth. Like people with healthy mouths, pets will live longer and feel better if their mouths are healthy.