SVHNews - Smith Veterinary Hospital's Newsletter

Would you let years go by between visits to the dentist? Probably not! Your pet's dental health is just as important to his or her overall health as your dental health is to your general health.

WHY DENTAL CARE?
Dental care of dogs and cats is one of the most commonly overlooked areas of pet health care. In fact, a recent AAHA (American Animal Hospital Association) study showed that approximately two-thirds of pet owners do not provide the dental care that is recommended as essential by veterinarians. What’s more, the American Veterinary Dental Society reports that 80 percent of dogs and 70 percent of cats show signs of oral disease by age three.

Dental disease doesn’t affect just the mouth. It can lead to more serious health problems including heart, lung and kidney disease, which makes it all the more important that you provide your pets with proper dental care from the start.

PERIODONTAL DISEASE
Fido’s dog breath and Tabby’s tuna breath aren’t something to be ignored - they could be indicative of an oral problem, and the sooner you have it treated by your veterinarian (and learn to care for it yourself), the sooner you and your pet can smile proudly.

Periodontal disease is an infection of the tissue surrounding the teeth that takes hold in progressive stages. It starts out as a bacterial film called plaque. The bacteria attach to the teeth. When the bacteria die they can be calcified by calcium in saliva. This forms a hard, rough substance called tartar or calculus which allows more plaque to accumulate.

Initially, plaque is soft and brushing or chewing hard food and toys can dislodge it. If left to spread, plaque can lead to gingivitis, an inflammation of the gums, causing them to become red and swollen and to bleed easily.

As plaque and calculus develop below the gum line, professional cleaning will be needed to help manage it. If the plaque and tartar buildup continues unchecked, infection can form around the root of the tooth.

In the final stages of periodontal disease, the tissues surrounding the tooth are destroyed, the bony socket holding the tooth in erodes and the tooth becomes loose. This is a very painful process for your four-legged friend, but these problems can be averted before they even start.

DENTAL CARE AT THE VETERINARY PRACTICE
There are two critical components of your pet’s veterinary dental care: oral examinations and dental cleanings.

Veterinary dental care begins at the puppy and kitten life stage. Your veterinarian will evaluate your puppy or kitten's mouth for problems related to the deciduous (baby) teeth, missing or extra teeth, swellings and oral development. As your pet ages, your veterinarian will look for developmental anomalies, the accumulation of plaque and tartar, periodontal disease and oral tumors.

Veterinarians can perform a basic oral examination on patients that are awake. However, a short-lasting anesthetic is required in order to provide a complete and thorough examination as well as dental cleanings.

PREANESTHETIC EXAM
Whenever anesthesia is needed, special considerations are taken to help ensure the safety of your pet. Your veterinarian will thoroughly examine your pet to make sure he/she’s healthy enough to undergo anesthesia. Depending on your pet’s age and general physical condition, your veterinarian may also run blood, urine, electrocardiograph, and x-ray tests to check for any dangerous heart, kidney, or other conditions. Though there is some risk associated with any medical procedure, modern anesthesia is usually safe, even for older pets.

ANESTHESIA MONITORING
During anesthesia, the monitoring and recording of your pet’s vital signs (such as body temperature, heart rate, and respiration, as well as other important factors) is important. This helps ensure the safety of your pet while undergoing anesthesia.

SCALING & POLISHING
Veterinarians use similar instruments as human dentists to remove plaque and calculus from your pet’s teeth. To smooth out any scratches in the tooth enamel, polishing with a special paste is also performed.

HOME DENTAL CARE
Your pet’s dental care doesn’t rest with your veterinarian alone. As a pet owner, you play a pivotal role in helping ensure your pet’s dental health through regular teeth brushing.

Good to Chew - There are a wide variety of dental chews on the market that can assist you in your quest to keep your pet's teeth clean. Remember: not all chews are created equally. Some rely only on the mechanical action of chewing while others have special added ingredients that are designed to break down tartar and help prevent plaque from adhering to the tooth's surface.

Better to Rinse - Many rinses exist on the market that are designed to help break down plaque and prevent tartar from sticking to the tooth's surface. Some of these rinses are better than others so be sure to speak to your vet to find out which ones are recommended for your pet.

Best to Brush - In a perfect world, all pets would have their teeth brushed at least three times a week. Just like us, pets benefit from the mechanical brushing action which helps break up tartar before it advances and becomes calcified. When brushing your pets' teeth, always be sure to use a toothpaste that is designed for pets only. Human toothpastes contain fluoride and foaming agents that can be harmful to your pet.

Talk to your veterinarian about developing a dental care plan for your furry friend!

Go to www.felinevideos.vet.cornell.edu/ for an instructive video by the Cornell Feline Health Center on brushing your cat's teeth. Though this video features our feline friends, the methods they demonstrate can be applied to our canine pals as well!

Tooth brushing doesn't happen overnight. It requires training, just like “sit,” “stay” and “come.” First, select a convenient time when you and your pet are both relaxed.

For the first few days, simply hold your pet as you normally do when petting him/her. Gently stroke the outside of your pet’s cheeks with your finger for a minute or two. Then, after a few days, place a small amount of toothpaste on your finger and let your pet sample the flavor. Many pet toothpastes come in pet-friendly flavours such as chicken or beef so your dog or cat will actually see it as a treat!

Next, introduce your pet to a toothbrush or fingerbrush. Place a small amount of toothpaste on the brush and gently brush one tooth with a slow circular motion. Gradually increase the number of teeth brushed until you’ve built up to 30 seconds of brushing per side.

It is important to reward your pet with a healthy treat and plenty of praise after every step of this process. Soon, both you and your pet will look forward to the time you spend together during this important health care procedure.

As with any other routine, it’s best to begin a dental care program when pets are young puppies or kittens. Follow up home care with regular complete dental cleaning by your veterinarian.

Remember... pets can live longer, healthier lives if oral health care is managed and maintained throughout their lives. In fact, proper dental care may add as much as five years to your pet's life!