When  we think about our pets’ health all too often we forget about a vital  part of their wellbeing – their dental care. As a species that are  routinely taught to brush our own teeth twice a day, we really ought to  make more effort to ensure that our animals’ teeth are as healthy as our  own. Some of the symptoms of poor oral care in pets include:

• Weight loss. Infected gums and tooth pain can result in a reduced appetite and significant weight loss.
• Bad breath due to neglected teeth and gums.
• Dirty, stained teeth that could be harbouring bacteria.
• Heart, kidney and liver disease which can all arise from untreated dental infections.
• Premature death. Bad teeth and gums can actually shorten the life expectancy of your pet.

One  of the primary causes of these problems is gum disease which sees  bacteria-harbouring plaque and tartar accumulating on your pets’ teeth.  This can in turn infect the gum tissue, causing pain and potential tooth  loss. The bacteria can also enter the blood stream and cause damage to  their internal organs, which untreated can lead to organ failure and  eventually death.

Cats
Research  has shown that dental disease is the primary health concern for cats,  with around 70% of felines aged over 3 experiencing some form of dental  problem. Between 4 and 6 months of age kittens lose their baby teeth and  develop their permanent ones. Once the permanent ones are present your  cat should have around 30 teeth.

Some of the symptoms of dental disease in cats include:

• Drooling
• Bad breath
• Decreased appetite
• Discolored teeth
• Blood in the saliva
• Bleeding, red or swollen gums
• Weight loss
• Receding gums
• Broken or missing teeth

Dental  prophylaxis, otherwise known as a clean and polish, is the most routine  dental treatment performed on cats. It usually takes around 60 minutes  and there is no need for your cat to stay with us afterwards. Whilst all  dental work requires that your pet has general anesthetic, the risks  are minimal and we can perform a pre-anesthetic screening test if  requested or required. Once your cat is under sedation we will perform  an oral examination before commencing with cleaning and polishing. If  any radiographs or extractions are required then we will do them at this  time.
It  is vitally important for you to carry on your cat’s dental care at  home. There are a variety of brushing kits available that usually  include a finger brush, small pet toothbrush and special toothpaste.  Never use human toothpaste on your pets’ teeth. Make brushing your cats’  teeth an integral part of their daily routine to ensure that you are  providing the best preventative care to dental disease possible.

Dogs

Doggy  dental care is also extremely important. Most adult dogs will have 42  teeth by the time they are 7 or 8 months old but many show signs of gum  disease by the time they are 4 years old due to a lack of proper  cleaning.Symptoms of poor dental or oral health can include:

• Excessive drooling
• Inflamed or red gums
• Loose teeth
• Cysts under the tongue
• Tumours in the gum
• Particularly bad breath

As  with cats, brushing your dogs’ teeth as a part of their regular daily  routine can help prevent the onset of oral decay. There are plenty of  canine brushing kits available, or alternatively you could use gauze  wrapped around your fingers. Again, make sure you purchase special pet  toothpaste as human toothpaste can make them very sick.