Here at Boundary vets, we believe your pet's dental care is very important. Pets just like humans can develop tartar build-up which can lead to gum disease and tooth decay. Brushing your pet’s teeth at least once a day is a great way to ensuring good oral hygiene.
Cats and dogs pet dental care
Both cats and dogs can be very good at hiding signs of oral pain, even animals that have severe dental disease will continue to eat and behave normally. Tooth infections, severe gingivitis, and root exposure can all cause your pet pain, problems like this can lead to an animal requiring multiple teeth extractions.
What are the signs of dental disease?
There are many signs to look out for including bad breath, visible tartar builds up, inflamed or red gums, drooling, loose teeth, slowness, or a reluctance to eat, dropping food when trying to eat.
How do I prevent dental disease in my pet?
Dental disease will occur if plaque from the teeth is not removed, food and saliva left behind on the teeth will cause this. Bacteria can then spread below the gum line, causing infection and jawbone infections.
Pet dental care is like our own, the best way to maintain healthy teeth is to brush them daily, (using toothpaste specially formulated for animals). We would suggest getting your pets used to tooth brushing from an early age, simply because it makes it easier, but you can introduce pet dental care at any age. Ask our team here at Boundary Vets for advice on the best way to go about this.
We can offer a scale and polish here at Boundary Vets, again this is like the sort of treatment a human would receive at the dentist, however, for your pet dental care this can be done under a short general anesthetic as our animal friends are less likely to sit still through the procedure.
Dog dental care
Boundary Vets have put together a step by step guide on how to brush your dog’s teeth.
We recommend starting to slowly introduce your dog to having their teeth brushed when they are young, at around 3 months old.
We recommend using Logic toothpaste, it’s safe to use on puppies from 3 months old along with a finger brush. Logic is a highly palatable formula containing enzymes that help control the bacteria responsible for the development of plaque and bad breath.
Daily brushing of your dog’s teeth is the single most effective means of removing plaque and therefore is highly recommended.
(Never use human toothpaste on dogs)
Step by Step guide
- Pet Dental Care Practice lifting up your dog’s lip while they are sitting still and have a look at their gums and teeth. Repeat this over time to get them used to this feeling. You can praise your dog and reward them for allowing this behavior (This is highly recommended as it will also make your vets/ vet nurses' life a lot easier when looking in your dog's mouth).
- Squeeze a small amount of toothpaste onto your finger brush and get your dog to lick it off. This will get them used to the taste and texture of the toothpaste and finger brush. You can repeat this a few times until they are happy with the taste.
- Once your dog is used to step 1 and 2, you can squeeze a small amount of toothpaste onto the finger brush. Slowly and softly start to brush your dog’s front teeth. This is because they are the easiest to reach. Once they are comfortable with this task you can reach further and further back until you can brush all your dog's teeth. (This may take time but be patient with your dog as you don’t want to make this a scary experience).
Note: While your puppy is teething we do not advise brushing their teeth as this may not be a pleasant experience for them but please do continue to practice step 1 and 2 to keep your puppy happy with the handling of their mouths.
- Once your puppy has all of their adult teeth through and their gums have settled down you can then continue to brush their teeth again. Once they are happy with a finger brush you can then start to introduce an actual toothbrush for best results.
Why not give us a call here at Boundary Vets, our professional and friendly team is on hand to answer any questions about pet dental care you may have.
