The Month of March is Dental Month! 15% off all Small Animal Dentals in Emerald and Blackwater.
Dental health is an important part of every pets overall health. 85% of adult cats and dogs over 3 years old have some form of dental disease. You can prevent your pet from getting dental disease with many different ways at home, the most common, similar to humans is regular check-up and cleans with your dentist/vet.
Periodontal disease causes inflammation of the gums, if left untreated it can cause damage to the teeth and the gums can recede. Infections can become worse and spread into the blood stream of your pet and cause damage to internal organs including the heart, liver and kidneys. Teeth can develop cavities/decay and become painful for the pet once the infection reaches the nerve of the tooth. This can also cause problems with eating, however, pets are extremely good at masking their pain, so if you are seeing them struggling to eat, you should get them checked out straight away.
Signs that your’ pet may have dental disease:
· Bad breath
· Red/swollen gums
· Decreased appetite
· Drooling
· Bleeding from the mouth
· Tartar on teeth
· Loose or missing teeth
· Difficulty eating
During dental month we offer complimentary nurse dental checks. This allows you to bring your pet in for a dental check and the nurse can assess your pets’ teeth and see if they require a dental scale and polish and the severity of it. A plan can then be developed for your pet to ensure the best dental care for you and your pet.
If a dental scale and polish is required your pet will be required to be dropped off with us in the morning, they will have a physical exam with the veterinarian taking care of them for the day. They will then receive premedication and get set up in a cosy kennel while awaiting their General Anaesthetic procedure. The patient will undergo the general anaesthetic and then have a full mouth radiographs and a full oral exam by the veterinarian. The patient will then receive a scale and polish and any tooth extractions that may need to happen. The patient will then be gently woken up and the owners will be called once they are out of surgery and in recovery with an update and expected time to go home that afternoon.
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Before Dental Scale and Polish | After Dental Scale and Polish |
At home oral health care:
- Brushing twice a week can remove most plaque before it is able to mineralize into calculus. Never use human toothpaste, as it is not able to be swallowed in large quantities. Special pet toothpaste and brushes can be purchased for your pets.
- Chewing a proper dental chew daily can substantially reduce plaque and calculus build up by 69%. Ensure that the size of the dental chew is correct for your dog.
- Dental diets have large kibbles ensuring your dog chews them before swallowing. They are also high in fibre to allow the tooth to sink in to the kibble and be scrubbed clean.
- It also helps to become comfortable for you and your pet to be able to look into their mouth, practice lifting the lip to look at their teeth, open the mouth and look at the inside of their teeth and tongue. This will help them become more comfortable for the vet when they come in for their regular check-ups.
If you have any questions about your pets oral health you can give our friendly team a call on 07 4987 6800 or visit our website at https://www.maraboonvet.com.au/dental-disease . Alternatively if you are wanting to book your pet in for their complimentary nurse check-up or their dental appointment give our helpful team a call on 07 49876800.