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Pet Article
DENTAL HYGIENE FOR YOUR PETS
As a child you are taught that brushing your teeth at least once a day was very important.
As you become an adult you truly learn the value of brushing your teeth.
If you are a pet owner do you know the value also of cleaning your pets teeth?
Periodontal disease is the most common disease in both veterinary and human medicine.
It is also one of the easiest to prevent. Some 80 percent of all animals over 2
years of age have some sort of dental disease that needs to be treated.
Home dental care is the first line of defense against periodontal disease in dogs and
cats, and the biggest weapon is the toothbrush. The mechanical action of the
toothbrush removes plaque. Ideally, brushing should be done daily, but a minimum of 3
to 5 times weekly is recommended. It is easy to do and usually requires no more than
30 seconds to complete. You should use a veterinary-approved toothpaste, not a human
toothpaste. Dogs and cats can't spit out the foam as we can. They tend to swallow the foam,
which can lead to irritation of the gastrointestinal tract and therefore create more problems
for the pet owner.
You should make brushing your pet's teeth a positive experience. Start early with your
puppy or kitten, this will get them used to having their mouth handled. A lot of dogs enjoy
having their teeth brushed. They love the attention and normally like the taste of the
toothpaste. The first step in the process is to have your pet get used to having you handle
him around his mouth. When first touching the mouth you could put a taste treat on your
finger to make the experience positive for your pet. Once your pet is comfortable with this,
begin rubbing the gums. Your pet's toothbrush should be soft bristled. Then gradually
increase the time you spend playing with the mouth. You can purchase flavored toothpaste
if prefered in most pet stores.
Adult teeth start to come through when the puppy is between 4 and 7 months of age.
Some pets can be difficult and won't allow their owners to brush their teeth.
Other than tooth brushing, several other approaches are available which may also help
prevent dental disease. These include gels and rinses that are rubbed on the gums and treats,
such as rawhides. There are diets formulated to help reduce plaque, ideally these should
be used along with brushing your dog's teeth, not instead of.
The goal of home dental care is to slow plaque formation. If plaque is not removed,
it stays on the tooth and mineralizes, forming the brown stuff on your pet's teeth,
which is called tartar. Plaque and tartar are composed mostly of bacteria, which
means it is actually an infection. Periodontal disease can cause negative effects throughout
the body. It can also make pre-existing diseases worse. By lessening the amount of bacteria
in your dogs mouth, decreases infection. Pets that receive home dental care are less likely
to need to have teeth extracted as they age.
In addition to providing home dental care, you should have your animal's teeth examined
every 6 months by a veterinarian. A 6 month span in a dog is equivalent to several years in a
person's life, and a lot can happen in that time. Professional veterinary dental
cleaning is necessary as often as twice a year depending on the animal and the amount of
home dental care that has given. Home dental care is recommended for both cats and dogs to
reduce infection and dental pain. It adds to your pet's quality of life and overall
wellbeing and happiness.
Mark Woodcock
1 Flea Control
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