What type of disease is most common in dogs and cats? If you guessed dental disease, you’d be correct. A majority of pets three years old and up are living with dental disease to some degree. This might come as a surprise, especially when our pets continue to behave as normal despite their condition. At All Creatures Animal Hospital in Amelia, OH, we strongly recommend daily brushing, oral exams, and routine cat and dog teeth cleanings (oral prophylaxis) to keep dental disease at bay for as long as possible. With proper care, you can spare your pet from the pain and infection of this preventable problem.
A clean mouth is a healthy mouth. Call (513) 797-7387 today to schedule an oral exam for your pet!
Signs Your Pet Needs an Oral Exam
Generally, dogs and cats are skilled at convincing their owners that they’re doing just fine, even though trouble may be brewing. This is especially the case with dental problems. While an aching tooth or sore gums would force any human to change their habits to relieve the pain, animals usually continue to function as normal for as long as they can.
However, there are some signs that can alert you to the problem, and if your pet is exhibiting any of these, you should contact your veterinarian right away:
- Strong, noticeably bad breath
- Drools all the time
- Drops food while eating
- Chews on one side only
- Avoids playing with chew toys and engaging in tug-of-war
- Paws/rubs at face
Steps to a Cleaner, Healthier Mouth for Your Pet
Cat and dog teeth cleanings are just one part of the overall dental care equation, but they do play a big role in slowing plaque and tartar buildup. At All Creatures Animal Hospital, we follow these steps to provide the most effective, comfortable, and lasting treatment for your pet’s teeth and gums.
- Physical exam to assess your pet’s health before putting them under anesthesia, which is required for all dental procedures
- Pre-anesthetic blood work to check organ function
- Anesthesia is administered based on your pet’s size and health
- We do full-mouth X-rays to more accurately assess oral health and check for signs of tooth and bone loss below the gum line
- We perform both hand scaling and ultrasonic scaling on both the crown and root of the tooth (under the gum line) to remove all traces of tartar (which also improves your pet’s breath)
- Then, we examine each tooth to check for pockets, or areas where the gum has detached from the tooth root
- All of our findings from your pet’s dental evaluation are recorded, along with the treatment they received
- We polish the teeth to make them smoother and less prone to plaque buildup
- If necessary, we can also do extractions (teeth that are very loose, broken, or decayed typically require removal)
- We apply sealants, which further reduce bacteria accumulation on the teeth
- For post-op care we’ll discuss further treatment options, including tooth brushing, dental diets, oral rinses, and chews
Maintaining your pet’s oral health is essential and can reduce the number of times they need to see us for a teeth cleaning. Please call us if you have any questions about our dental services, products, and more at (513) 797-7387.