Have you ever
wished that Molly
doesn’t have such bad
“doggy breath”? Well
maybe it isn’t just
“doggy breath” and it
can be improved. Bad
breath is one of the
first signs of dental
disease in pets. Dental
disease is probably the
most common problem I
see in practice, with
over 80% of patients
being
affected.
Not only does
it cause unpleasant
breath, but dental
disease can cause many
other health problems.
We all know how painful
toothache can be, and
very commonly plaque
leads to tartar, which
leads to gingivitis and
root infections – both
very painful
conditions. And
ultimately, left
untreated this leads to
the loss of teeth. But
a more hidden, and
serious problem is that
dental disease can be a
route for infection to
get into the body. The
most frequent places
that bacterial
infection spreads to
are the kidneys and
heart – both very
important organs. But
we also frequently see
oral infections
spreading down the
throat to cause chronic
bronchitis, or
spreading into the nose
from infected tooth
roots.
Bad breath,
messy eating, red gums,
or a reluctance to eat
hard foods are all
indicators of dental
disease. However, we
really wish to detect
dental disease before
these nasty, painful
symptoms affect our
pets. We will always
check your pet’s teeth
at their annual health
check and vaccination
visit, but if you have
any concerns please
feel free to book them
in to be checked
sooner. You may even
want to take advantage
of Dental Month in
August when we offer
free dental checks here
at Gold Coast Vet
Surgery . The earlier
dental disease is
detected the easier
(and cheaper!) it is to
correct.
Whilst
brushing their teeth,
preferably
daily, is the gold
standard, it’s not
always practical. If
you have a puppy, get
them used to you
fiddling in their mouth
and brushing their
teeth from an early
age. Diet has a huge
influence on oral
health. Dry biscuit
diets are preferred –
they are far more
abrasive on teeth,
cleaning as they chew,
whereas wet foods
encourage plaque
buildup. Additionally
many premium dry foods
such as Eukanuba, Iams
and Royal Canin
incorporate technology
such as an enzyme
coating on the kibbles
to further enhance
their dental benefits.
There are also special
prescription dental
diets available (Hills
t/d and Royal Canin
Dental) which research
has shown are as good
as
brushing!
Other chews
are very beneficial too
– cleaning the teeth as
well as keeping the
gums healthy. Bones are
excellent but should be
large marrow bones
without pieces that can
be broken off.
Definitely avoid small
sharp bones such as
chops or T-bones.
Chicken necks or wings
are very popular, but
there is a risk of
sharp pieces or
salmonella poisoning if
the chicken is a bit
old. In my opinion
there are better
alternatives. Rawhide
bones are very safe and
effective, as are
treats such as
Greenies, Dentabones
and even smoked pigs
ears! You can pick up a
selection of these in
our
reception!
But if your
pet has tartar and
resulting gingivitis,
then only a dental
descale and polish
(sometimes called a
prophy) will restore
their teeth to a
healthy state. This is
done under a general
anaesthetic, and at the
same time all teeth are
checked, and if
necessary problem teeth
extracted if the damage
cannot be repaired. If
needed, X-rays may be
taken during the
procedure too.
Antibiotics may also be
needed to treat severe
infections and pain
relief medications are
frequently
prescribed.
If
you’re able to brush
your dog’s teeth (cats
seldom tolerate it)
then definitely use a
flavoured pet
toothpaste (chicken,
beef, malt etc).
Thimble-like finger
brushes are available
for small mouths, while
a regular adult’s
toothbrush is fine for
larger breeds. Also
popular now is a mouth
rinse for pets.
Aquadent is available
at Gold Coast Vet
Surgery without
prescription - it’s a
liquid that is simply
added to your pet’s
daily drinking water
and helps to reduce
bacteria in the mouth.
Remember,
pets cannot express
their pain in the same
manner as us, and often
they actually hide pain
because as a wild
animal it indicates
weakness to predators.
Therefore dental
disease can easily go
unnoticed. You wouldn’t
expect to go a lifetime
without dental care and
nor should our pets –
remember, pets need
dental care
too!
Call
us at Gold Coast
Vet on 5538 5909
to make an appointment
today.