Dental Care

Did you know that up to 50% of pets over three years old are suffering with dental disease?

Dental disease is one of the most common problems we see in veterinary practice, and while more common in older pets, younger animals may also be affected. Pets have similar problems to us with plaque, tartar, gingivitis and periodontal disease. Poor dental hygiene can lead to bad breath, infection, pain and the loss of teeth. Many pets will continue to eat and suffer in silence with mouth pain related to these issues.

‍Signs to look out for

Below are some common signs of dental disease in dogs and cats:

• Bad breath
• Drooling
• Sore mouth
• Difficulty eating
• Loose teeth or tooth loss
• Pawing or rubbing at the mouth
• Bleeding gums
• Yellow or brown tartar on the teeth

Prevention

Our philosophy is to focus on preventative care and regular dental check-ups. At-home care is a crucial step in the success of achieving a health mouth. Developing an oral care strategy early in your pets life is key at reducing the progression of dental disease. This may include:

• Brushing teeth
• Dental kibble like Hills t/d or Royal Canin Dental
• Appropriate dental treats - NOTE bones, antlers, nylabones are not recommended due their hard nature and tendency to break teeth

Treatment

The promising news is that most dental issues can be managed in our clinic. If our team spots any indication of dental disease, they may recommend a full dental assessment under general anesthesia which will entail: full dental scaling and polishing, probing of teeth, and full mouth x-rays. If they suspect extractions (removal of teeth) are necessary, they will try to be up front with the expected outcome, cost, and prognosis. Please note with dental issues, we are often unaware of the extent of what is involved until after x-rays have been taken. General anesthesia is required for a full dental exam and treatment. You may see advertisements for anesthetic free cleaning - these are little more than superficial cleaning and do not treat any if the important areas such as the gingival margin and cannot treat every tooth. See here for more information.

If surgery or extractions are required it is very important to have and use a dental x-ray. Mill Street Animal Clinic veterinarians have years of experience and training to deal with these common and difficult health issues. For dental issues beyond our scope of treatment, we have options to refer to veterinary dentists located as close as the GTA.

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