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Healthy Teeth
**If
your pet is returning home from a routine dental and you are interested in post
operative instructions, please click
here*
Your pet's bad
breath could be mean more than you think!
When your dog or cat tries gives you a big kiss do you have
to turn away from the odor? Hey-that hurts their feelings!
Bad breath is often the first sign of gum inflammation or
gingivitis. The most common cause of gingivitis is
accumulation of dental plaque. As gingivitis progresses, it
can lead to tooth root infections and abscesses. Left
untreated, infections that start in the mouth can get into
the bloodstream and cause heart and kidney problems.
How do you know if your pet has dental disease? Bad breath
is the first sign. Pets cannot communicate their discomfort
as we do and may show dental pain by changing eating habits
or rubbing their mouths with the paws or on the carpet or
furniture. They may drool, “chatter”, cry out, or flinch
when touched around the gum or mouth areas.
If you suspect your pet has dental disease bring it in for
a physical examination. We may recommend that your pet be
anesthetized and have its teeth ultrasonically scaled and
polished. Pets having
dental cleanings usually
have the procedure done in the morning and are ready to go
home the same evening.
Many pets that have dental
disease are older and their owners fear they may not survive
the anesthesia required to clean their teeth. The newer
types of anesthetic agents available and screening blood
tests make anesthesia safer than ever. In fact, the risk of
kidney and/or heart disease if gingivitis is left untreated
is far greater than the risk of anesthesia.
You can prevent accumulation of the plaque that causes
gingivitis by feeding hard, dry food. The dry food is
crunchy and scrapes the plaque off the teeth as it is
chewed. It also helps tremendously if you brush your pet’s
teeth with a soft-bristled nylon brush or a finger
toothbrush aimed at the base of the tooth. There are many
special flavored animal toothpastes available these
days-poultry, beef, and even tuna!
So don’t wait until you’re
turning away from the smell-take a look in your pet’s mouth
today!
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