Dental Care

Good oral health is an important part of good general health for your pet. Did you know that dental disease can contribute to kidney and heart disease and cause chronic anemia, weight loss, respiratory difficulties? How do you know your pet has oral and dental disease?

Signs:

Bad breath

Shies away from you when you touch the mouth area

Drooling or dropping food from the mouth

Bleeding from the mouth

Loss of appetite or loss of weight (this combination can result from diseases of many organs and early veterinary exam is important)

Nasal discharge

The major cause of halitosis is periodontal disease. This is an infection of the gums and potentially the other supporting structures of the teeth. Plaque builds up every day on the tooth surface including at the gum line. Left in place, the plaque can mineralize, or harden, in less than 2 days, forming calculus or tartar. The tartar will stick to the tooth surface forming a scaffold for more plaque accumulation. The continued build-up of tartar both above and below the gum line can eventually produce an environment that is a haven for certain types of bacteria that may be more destructive to the periodontal tissues and also produce a more noticeable odor.

Prevention is our motto. Prevention consists of frequent removal of the dental plaque and tarter that forms on the teeth that are not kept clean. This is an procedure that will require anesthesia in order for us to properly scale and polish your pet's teeth. Once clean, we will educate you about the many products that available to aid in decreasing oral bacteria that contributes to diseased teeth and gums.