Did you know that February is National Pet Dental Health Month? To celebrate, I thought I’d share the top 10 reasons dental care for pets is important to furry children and their parents. Your pet’s oral health is just as important as your own-it can prevent heart damage and other health problems.
Here goes-please feels free to talk about these with your buddies so most of us understand how important this is:
- A pet with healthy teeth is a furry friend with greater breadth. I think everybody understands that’ true-it’s the same for human beings, right?
- Dental disease in animals can lead to problems with different organs, such as the heart. Baby teeth that don’t fall out may cause problems, too. Did you know that adult dogs have 42 teeth and full-grown cats have 30? If a dog’s or cat’s baby teeth don’t come outside, it can result in gum irritation and tartar buildup.
- Periodontal disease can be caused by plaque buildup. Did you know that 4 out of 5 dogs over age 3 have some sort of gum disease? Because of this, it is important to remove plaque from the pet’s teeth. Maintain reading-we’ll go into “the way” in just a little bit.
- Pets that don’t get dental care can lose their teeth painfully.
- Dogs and cats are good at concealing pain-you might now know there is a problem until it’s serious.
- Teeth wear out-as down they wear, the tooth root may become vulnerable which can be debilitating.
Dental care for pets can be very costly if you get it done at a vet’s office. The last time I checked, it cost $300 at my vet’s. That might not be so bad for you personally, but if you have several pets, then that bill could run up into the thousands. Who can afford these days?
Save yourself some money and Have a Look at a few ways to tackle animal dental health in the home:
Bones
Offer your dog chewy bones. Chewy bones are created especially to prevent periodontal disease. That’s when bacteria causes the teeth to become inflamed which induces loose teeth.
Chew-bone toys also help eliminate plaque and promote decent breath.
Toothbrushing
Find a toothbrush that will fit your pet’s mouth-they are created for both cats and dogs. Try to find a toothpaste that has a nice flavor, like vanilla, and look for the ingredient “chlorohexidine”, which will help fight gum disease and germs.
If it sounds hard to you, here are a few videos that show how to perform it…
Additives
You will find products you can add to your pet’s water to kill germs that cause bad breath. It also protects your pet’s teeth.
Additionally, there are treats available for dogs and cats who wash their teeth and freshen their breath by utilizing chlorophyll.
What Have We Learned?
It is safe to say the motives for getting dental care for pets are the same reasons we’ve got it for human beings. Good breath and preventing harm to other organs are important for everyone.
If you want to take your furry friend to the vet for their dental care but can not afford it, you may check pet insurance to find out if a dental plan is provided (again, exactly like ours!).
I would love to hear any thoughts you need to keep your pet’s teeth clean. Perhaps you’ve done something which was not covered here. Simply leave them in the comments below and then we can all share them.
Pet Dental Care & Cleaning
At Animal Hospital of North Asheville, our veterinarians offer high-quality cat and dog dental care, including teeth whitening, dental check-ups, and dental surgery in Asheville. Learn more information right here.
You could be surprised to learn that periodontal disease is the most common disease for pets. Just like humans, they can also suffer from cavities, orthodontic problems, and cracked teeth.
Our veterinary team offers complete veterinary pet dental care, such as dental surgeries, dental x-rays, cleaning and polishing your pet’s teeth and teaching you on house dental care choices. Visit our website for more details.
