More Than 85% Of All Dogs Are Affected By Dental Problems

Pets have been an important part of our lives for many years. As such, dental care is important to extend your pet’s good health and quality years with you. Dental disease is the most common problem seen in our pet population today. More than 85% of all dogs and cats presented to veterinarians are affected by dental problems. Periodontal disease is what causes bad breath and eventual tooth loss; it can also lead to other severe problems such as kidney, liver or heart disease. The reason for this is that periodontal disease causes pockets of infection to form at the root of the tooth; this infection gets into the blood stream and travels to other organs in the body such as the kidneys, liver and heart.

Periodontal disease can be prevented through daily dental care and an occasional teeth cleaning preformed by a veterinarian. You should begin dental care around 8-12 weeks of age in puppies and kittens, but it is never to late to start! Steps in proper dental care of your pets teeth include daily-weekly brushing, dry food, and chew toys or raw hides. There are many dental products out there to choose from such as greenies, CET chews and many pet toothpastes!

It is recommended to brush your pet’s teeth at least once weekly, but daily is best if you are able to accomplish this. The act of brushing is the only way to completely remove staining and bacteria before it turns to tartar. When brushing you should use a pet tooth paste as human brand tooth paste contain products that will cause your pet to become sick. Another step in dental care includes using dry food, all pets should be on dry food only, this will help break up the tartar forming on the teeth. Often wet or soft allow for bacteria to grow in the mouth causing tartar build up to occur much faster. The next step in home dental care is using chew products such as greenies, CET chews, raw hides or rubber chew toys. All of these products allow you pet to use the act of chewing to break down tartar build up on there teeth.

Even with all of these home care steps you pet may still need a teeth cleaning done professionally by a veterinarian. A professional cleaning would include scaling and polishing the teeth to remove all tartar that is present. Many factors go into how often you pet may need a professional cleaning; these include at home care, breed, and age of your pet. Please contact your veterinarian for any more information on professional teeth cleaning or products they carry for at home dental care.

Cathy’s website Paw Prints Boutique is dedicated to pets and their owners. Providing pet lovers with the most fabulous Pet Accessories, including dog beds, pet carries, dog collars and more. This articles co-author is Cathy’s daughter Rachel she has a bachelors degree in Zoo Science. For the last two years she has been working as a small animal Veterinarian Assistant and is currently going to school through Purdue University for her Veterinary Technology degree.