Did you know 85% of animals over 3 years of age have some form of dental disease?
Why is it important?
We cannot stress enough how important dental care is to our pets. Dogs and cats instinctively do not show pain, as this is a sign of weakness making them vulnerable. Therefore it is up to us to pick up the signs and treat according.
Some of the clinical signs we see with dental disease include;
- Bad breath- even the common dog breath smell commonly described by owners is a sign of plaque build-up
- Leaving food behind
- Chattering
- Chewing on one side consistently
- Losing weight
- Lethargic- often not picked up by owners until they notice the massive improvement after dental clean has been performed. Many people claim their dog is like it is a puppy again.
Preventative care
So what can be done to keep your pet’s teeth in good condition?
- The ultimate would be to brush your pets teeth, just as we brush our own. Brushing your pets teeth removes 95% of plaque and allows them a healthier mouth! Surprisingly many pets actually tolerate this very well. We sell special brushes and paste here at the clinic – it is important to not use human tooth paste on your dog or cat as this can be toxic.
- Ensuring your pet is using their teeth as God designed them – this means fresh bones (not cooked!), chicken necks, pigs ears, or try Whimzees, Greenies or Oravet dental chews. Have a fussy pet – why not try an in the water additive ‘Oxyfresh’! We stock these here at the surgery so feel free to pop in.
- Dry biscuits are preferred rather than tinned food as the daily diet for your pet. Some brands of quality food, such as Advance and Hill’s, have their own ‘dental diet”. Dental diets work by being a bigger bite size and act like a toothbrush by the tooth having to penetrate through the biscuit to break it to chew and swallow. This action helps to keep the teeth clean. Even a few T/D biscuits added to your pets regular food everyday can help. We stock both Advance and Hill’s here at the surgery.
- Get your pets teeth cleaned here at the surgery – this means a full mouth examination where things such as root exposure, tooth abscesses, fractured, loose and painful teeth are detected, then teeth are all cleaned using our special dental machine, and polished. Cleaning your pets teeth requires a day stay at the surgery with a full anaesthetic as our pets don’t like to sit still in the chair for their procedure! Please ring to discuss how we conduct teeth cleaning at our clinic.
- Oxyfresh is an easy way to look after your pets teeth and is tasteless and odourless! Ideal for those fussy pets! Oxyfresh effectively and safely aids in the fight against plaque and tartar, promotes healthy gums, and gives them the freshest breath. It’s 100% safe for dogs, cats, and other pets.
- Whimzees are an all natural product using 6 main ingredients. They have been shown to provide a significant reduction in the formation of tartar and plaque, and subsequently have received the Veterinary Oral Health Council (VOHC®) seal of acceptance for tartar and plaque reduction. They take longer to chew than most other dental products and come in a range of very cute shapes such as the alligator, hedgehog, toothbrush and others.
Fresh bones need to be large enough that they don’t eat the whole bone as this can easily lead to constipation. Round bones are better as they allow the teeth to slide off the bone and are less likely to shard and fracture teeth. An example of a large round bone is a femur bone.
Don’t have these cut in half though as the middle has marrow in it that is too fatty for animals and can cause illnesses such as pancreatitis (inflammed pancreas) whilst increasing the risk of fracturing teeth.
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Business Hours Phone: 07 4693 2233