February is Dental Awareness Month!
Dental care is very important when it comes to your dog and cat family members! The doctor will always check your pets teeth at their yearly wellness exam, and determine the level of dental disease they have acquired over time, from Grade 1 to Grade 4. Grade 1 being minor and Grade 4 being more severe.
Signs of oral and dental disease include:
- Bad Breath
- Loose teeth, discolored teeth, or tartar build up
- Your pet is shying away from you when you try and touch around their mouth
- Drooling or dropping food while eating
- Bleeding from the mouth
- Loss of appetite or loss of weight
A dental cleaning will consist of a full physical exam, then follow with pre-op bloodwork and possibly an ultrasound if recommended by your veterinarian. Your pet will then be given a pre-anesthetic medication to lower stress and mildly sedate them to place an IV catheter. They will then will be induced, placed under anesthesia, and monitored throughout the full procedure. The dental cleaning consists of a full scale and polish, following with full mouth radiographs to help look for any abnormalities under the gumline. Radiographs are very helpful to know if any extractions need to be done, or any possible issues that may become a problem in the future, as 60% of all dental disease occur under the gumline.
Before and after photos showing the difference after scaling and polishing the teeth.
To avoid the progression of dental disease, we recommend brushing your pet’s teeth once daily for best results, starting as young as a puppy or kitten. We carry many dental care products to help keep your pets teeth clean and healthy as well!
Test your knowledge about brushing your pet’s teeth with this fun and informative quiz and video: https://www.avma.org/events/national-pet-dental-health-month
For more information about dental health, visit VOCH (Veterinary Oral Health Council)
This month we are offing 10% off all dental products including Hill’s t/d (tartar diet).
If you have any questions about your pets dental health, please give us a call or email! We also have information on our website.
970-879-5273
mail@petkareclinic.com