Pet Dental Care
As a caring pet parent, you want to keep your pet’s teeth in great shape. You visit your dentist regularly and have begun wondering if you should do the same for your own pet. But how often should you take your pet for a dental check-up? More importantly, what goes on in the treatment room?
Periodontal disease
80% of dogs and 70% of cats, two years of age and older have periodontal disease, the most common clinical condition affecting adult pets. The sad part is, it is almost entirely preventable. People don’t spend that much time looking at their pet’s teeth. If you do, you’ll notice that the teeth get discolored after a certain time. This is usually a red flag because if it progresses beyond this point, the gums will get red and the pet will have a certain amount of gingivitis, which causes damage to the gum tissue. This damage extends beyond the gum line causing bone damage to the jaw and the structures that hold the gum in place. It destroys the bone around the root of a tooth which is painful and after a while, the teeth will fall out.
Dental cleaning
In order to prevent this from happening, pet dental care is highly recommended. Dental care helps get rid of the plaques and the bacteria which normally precipitates those conditions. According to most veterinarians, pet dental cleaning should take place at least once or twice a year, depending on the health and age of the pet.
Proper dental care is essential to the overall health of your pet. Periodontal disease is very painful and can be quite costly to treat. As mentioned earlier, it happens under the gum line and causes the following:
- Pain
- Loss of appetite.
- Infections to the teeth and gums
- Tooth loss if untreated
You can assist in maintaining the teeth between dental visits by ensuring you brush your pet’s teeth every day. Book an annual appointment with your vet so that the pet can have a professional look and dental cleaning.
The Process
The first thing that takes place during a dental cleaning visit is an exam. The vet performs an examination of the pet to determine its overall oral health status. Depending on the outcome, they may prescribe pain medications or an antibiotic before the procedure. Anesthesia helps the vet to clean safely below the gum line, where the periodontal disease occurs, without hurting the animal. They will need to make sure the pet is healthy enough for general anesthesia. Therefore, the next order of business would be to check the bloodwork to determine the status of your pet’s health.
The vet measures the periodontal pocket depth around each tooth, which helps assess the level of periodontal disease present beneath the gum line. If a tooth is broken or there’s a significant amount of tooth-erosion, the vet removes it. The vet then proceeds to remove the plaque and tartar from the remaining teeth using an ultrasonic scaler. Meanwhile, another member of the vet-team will be monitoring the vitals of the pet during the whole procedure and even in recovery.
The Shot Spot
At The Shot Spot, we’re dedicated to providing affordable and convenient dental care. We are open 7 days a week to offer our services and ensure that all pets lead a long and healthy life by receiving the kind of care they deserve.
Kindly contact us to schedule your pet’s dental procedure today.