In Celebration of our “Dentiversary”, we are taking $100 off of dentals in the month of May!

It is hard to believe our dental suite and clinic remodel was completed one year ago!  During that time, we have streamlined our check in/check out process and have enjoyed settling in to our space.  We have a state of the art dental table and the most up to date equipment for veterinary dentistry needed in a primary care facility.  Right now, you may be asking “why does my dog need a dental”?  Aside from the obvious benefit of eliminating bad breath, there are many reasons to provide dental care to your beloved pet. Bacteria from the mouth can enter the bloodstream and infect other organs including the kidneys, heart and liver. Good oral hygiene can extend the life of your pet up to two years!

Dental care you can do at home

Good preventative dental care should be done at home on a daily basis.  The gold standard is brushing your pet’s teeth daily.  The best way to get your pet used to you brushing their teeth is to start young and go slow. Toothbrushes come in many sizes that can better accommodate different size mouths. Veterinary specific toothpaste should be used to avoid swallowing harmful detergents. Start by putting something that tastes desirable to them on the toothbrush.  Allow your pet to lick it off and repeat this several times over several days.  When your pet is used to having the toothbrush in and around their mouth you can start gently rubbing their teeth with it.  Slowly increase the amount of time and pressure on their teeth. 

Some pets are not a fan of the toothbrush and no amount of work can convince them otherwise. For these pets, consider dental chews, wipes or gels. Tooth paste or dental gel can be put on a 3 inch by 3 inch gauze square that you can wrap around your finger and rub on the surface of the teeth. Avoid the occlusal surface of the teeth to avoid getting accidentally bit!

The Veterinary Oral Health Council (VOHC) was created over 25 years ago and has a list of approved products that have shown to make a difference in oral health.  Follow this link to their comprehensive list:

https://vohc.org/accepted-products/

Signs your pet needs a dental

Despite the best home care routine, most dogs need a professional cleaning at some point in their life, and for some, it is a yearly ritual (I mean you small fluffy dogs!) The reality is that most dogs and cats do not tell you when they have mouth pain. 

The obvious symptoms of dental disease:

• Bad breath
• Bleeding or swollen gums
• Pawing or rubbing at the face
• excessive drooling
• sneezing
• changes in eating habits

Often the signs are much more subtle and can be confused with “slowing down”:

• they no longer want to play
• they seem grumpier to family members 
• unwillingness to play with or carry a favorite toy

Facial swelling is a common finding if there is a tooth abscess with bony involvement. A Comprehensive Oral Health Analysis and Treatment (COHAT) should be discussed with your veterinarian if you see any of these symptoms.

A final word to the wise

While I have been known to offer my dogs hard things to chew on (I am no stranger to the chewing habits of a 6 month old Labrador Retriever), hard bones and chew toys break teeth! The enamel on a dog is actually thinner than that of a human, ranging from 0.1 mm to 1mm with the mean thickness being 0.3mm. If the pulp cavity is exposed, the tooth can be treated one of two ways: extraction or root canal.  Reach for tooth friendly toys  which mean the toy has a little “give” to it. A Kong filled with canned food or peanut butter and frozen is a good option too!

So come join us for “Dentiversary” and let us help you care for your beloved furry family members!