As a child you are
taught that brushing your teeth at least once a day was very important.
As you become an adult you truly learn the value of brushing your
teeth. If you are a pet owner do you know the value also of cleaning
your pets teeth?
Periodontal disease is the most common disease in both veterinary and
human medicine. It is also one of the easiest to prevent. Some 80
percent of all animals over 2 years of age have some sort of dental
disease that needs to be treated.
Home dental care is the first line of defense against periodontal
disease in dogs and cats, and the biggest weapon is the toothbrush. The
mechanical action of the toothbrush removes plaque. Ideally, brushing
should be done daily, but a minimum of 3 to 5 times weekly is
recommended. It is easy to do and usually requires no more than 30
seconds to complete. You should use a veterinary-approved toothpaste,
not a human toothpaste. Dogs and cats can't spit out the foam as we
can. They tend to swallow the foam, which can lead to irritation of the
gastrointestinal tract and therefore create more problems for the pet
owner.
You should make brushing your pet's teeth a positive experience. Start
early with your puppy or kitten, this will get them used to having
their mouth handled. A lot of dogs enjoy having their teeth brushed.
They love the attention and normally like the taste of the toothpaste.
The first step in the process is to have your pet get used to having
you handle him around his mouth. When first touching the mouth you
could put a taste treat on your finger to make the experience positive
for your pet. Once your pet is comfortable with this, begin rubbing the
gums. Your pet's toothbrush should be soft bristled. Then gradually
increase the time you spend playing with the mouth. You can purchase
flavored toothpaste if prefered in most pet stores.
Adult teeth start to come through when the puppy is between 4 and 7
months of age. Some pets can be difficult and won't allow their owners
to brush their teeth. Other than tooth brushing, several other
approaches are available which may also help prevent dental disease.
These include gels and rinses that are rubbed on the gums and treats,
such as rawhides. There are diets formulated to help reduce plaque,
ideally these should be used along with brushing your dog's teeth, not
instead of.
The goal of home dental care is to slow plaque formation. If plaque is
not removed, it stays on the tooth and mineralizes, forming the brown
stuff on your pet's teeth, which is called tartar. Plaque and tartar
are composed mostly of bacteria, which means it is actually an
infection. Periodontal disease can cause negative effects throughout
the body. It can also make pre-existing diseases worse. By lessening
the amount of bacteria in your dogs mouth, decreases infection. Pets
that receive home dental care are less likely to need to have teeth
extracted as they age.
In addition to providing home dental care, you should have your
animal's teeth examined every 6 months by a veterinarian. A 6 month
span in a dog is equivalent to several years in a person's life, and a
lot can happen in that time. Professional veterinary dental cleaning is
necessary as often as twice a year depending on the animal and the
amount of home dental care that has given. Home dental care is
recommended for both cats and dogs to reduce infection and dental pain.
It adds to your pet's quality of life and overall wellbeing and
happiness. |
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