February is National Pet Dental Health Month!
For most of us, regular dental care is part of our daily routine. Remember, pets need dental care too. This includes regular exams from your veterinarian and effective daily home care from you to keep your pet’s mouth healthy.
There are many signs of dental disease, also known as periodontal disease, that you can look for at home. These signs include:
· Bad breath
· Yellow-brown crust on teeth (Tartar)
· Bleeding gums
· Change of chewing or eating habits
· Tooth loss
· Change in behavior
· Abnormal drooling
Don’t wait for the signs to show before you start an at home dental care regimen for your pet. Brushing is always the best way to prevent periodontal disease, but you may also feed a dental food to ensure your pet receives some form of dental care. Feeding hard kibble, such as Hill’s Prescription Diet t/d, which is specially formulated to clean teeth, makes it easy to maintain good oral health.
The first steps to better your pet's oral care are:
· Visit your veterinarian so that we can assess the degree of periodontal disease by grading on a scale of 1 to 4; 4 being the worst. Depending on the grade of periodontal disease, we will recommend a dental care plan.
· Start an oral care routine at home. Removing the plaque by brushing your pet's teeth daily or feeding a dental diet every day will control plaque buildup. We will be sure to help come up with a plan that works best for you and your pet.
· Schedule regular dental checkups so that we can monitor the progress of your at home dental care. Some animals are more prone to form tartar faster than others, or may have a history of oral problems, therefore more frequent exams may be necessary.
The First Dentals of National Pet Dental Health Month!!!
Before Dental Cleaning
After Dental Cleaning
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