Dental Health Care for Your Pet

Dental hygiene is one of the most important aspects of pet care. As plaque and tartar build on the teeth, the balance of healthy bacteria versus unhealthy bacteria in the mouth is thrown off and the opportunity for disease arises. As the tartar builds up under the gums they become inflamed and sore. Slowly the gums begin to separate from the teeth and recede. Plaque builds even more rapidly in the upper, softer part of the teeth and infection begins. In cats, cavities develop with even more opportunity for infection. Dogs are less prone to cavities. The bacteria and toxins are absorbed into the bloodstream where they circulate and begin to build in kidney, liver, and heart tissue. The toxins released can even affect brain tissue. The inflammatory process involved can aggravate deteriorating joints. 

Plaque builds up on your dog’s or cat’s teeth every day. A combination of teeth brushing and healthy chew “treats” will go a long way to maintaining your companion’s overall health and extending their life expectancy.

Steps to prevention of periodontal disease:

Daily Brushing - Daily brushing is important - at a minimum every other day if your pet is also getting good dental exercise. If you’ve never brushed your companion’s teeth before, go SLOWLY. First get them accustomed to letting you look in their mouth a bit, then just massage the gums with your finger a little, eventually brush one or two teeth, and keep working day by day until you can brush the whole mouth. Plaque tends to build most on the upper teeth, so be sure to focus some time there. Be patient – it may take over a month to get them used to it. It is TIME WELL SPENT.

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