February is national pet dental health month! Below are some dental tips and product information. Great dental care starts and continues at home. With regular visits to your veterinarian, along with good home care practices, you can prevent tooth loss, gingivitis, tartar buildup, heart problems, and kidney and liver insufficiency. Kidney, liver and heart problems occur due to the constant release of bacteria in the bloodstram from poor oral health.
One of the most frequently asked questions is "What can I do at home to care for my pet's teeth to prevent future professional cleanings?" Most of the time this is asked after a dental procedure is done becuase the pet owner wants to decrease the amount of times they need to repeat professional cleanings. Futhermore, the pet owner is so happy with the results of the professional cleaning they want to keep up on their pet's dental care at home to keep the teeth and gums healthy. The following are some dental tips and information to add to an overall wellness program.
Brushing your pet's teeth is one of the most effective ways to prevent gingivitis and tarter buildup. This needs to be done once a day or after meals. Every other day is fine too, but not as effective. It is never too early to start brushing your pet's teeth. You can start when they are very young by slowly sticking your finger in the mouth and massaging the gums. This will get them used to you going in their mouth. Do not use a finger brush or tooth brush at this time because your pet may be too small to fit a tooth brush in the mouth. Also, you want to get used to the "feel" of their mouth. Puppies have 28 deciduous teeth and adult dogs have 42 teeth. Kitten have 26 teeth and adult cats have 30 teeth. The best time to start brushing your puppy's or kitten's teeth is when adult premolars and molars are erupting. This can be between 3-1/2 to 6 months of age. Use a soft finger brush during this time because it is gentler than using a toothbrush and won't irritate the gums. Start using a tooth brush after all the adult teeth have erupted. Most cats will not let you brush their teeth but it is ok to try. Use only tooth paste that is made for dogs and cats.
It takes 12 to 24 hours to build a biofilm of plaque that will harden into tartar. This is why you need to brush your pet's teeth daily. Some pet owners are unable to brush their pet's teeth because they try to bite. Well, there is another alternative to brushing even though it may not be as effective. The solution is a water additive. We carry a product called Clenz-a-dent. This can used as a rinse too. This is great because you don't have to do anything but change the water daily and add the appropriate amount for the pet's weight and amount of water that is added. I've seen great improvement with a water additive product. It has a long contact time to act on the biofilm to reduce tartar (calculus) buildup and help eliminate bad breath (halitosis). The water additive reduces plaque formation and bad breath by killing bacteria in the mouth. This can be used for cats too.
Along with using a water additive, it is really effective to give your dog a rawhide chew daily. The action of them chewing massages the teeth and gums and can eliminate some of the tarter buildup. The chlorhexidine coated ones are the best because they are enzymatic and kill bacteria. Plain is ok too. Use only the ones that are flat, rolled into "cigar shape" or "doughnut rings". The reason for this is that the rawhide chews with the knots on the ends can come off. I've learned from personal experience that the knots are not secured and they slip off and can potentially be swallowed whole; causing possible obstruction or constipation. The rawhides from the USA or Mexico are safe. Avoid purchasing rawhide products from China due to processing practices. There is also a gel, called OraVet plaque prevention gel, that can be applied as a sealant after a professional cleaning and continued application once a week at home.
Thank you for reading this short article on Dental care. There are many other home dental care products that we carry that can improve your pet's dental health such as, food additives, dental sticks, and gels. There are also special dental diets from Royal Canine and Hills Science Diet. Please call us with any additional questions you may have concerning your pets oral health.
www.clenz-a-dent.com Product information and more
www.oravet.us.merial.com Explains OraVet gel
www.petproductnews.com/dentaltips For a downloadable handout on basic dental care for dogs and cats