I see dental disease a LOT in practice.
Reports suggest that over 80% of our pets over the age of 3 have some form of dental disease.
I always make recommendations to owners about how to look after their pet's teeth but sometimes my advice isn't appreciated! Owners frequently don't think that the teeth are causing their pet any problems, but that's because dogs and cats don't always show obvious signs of discomfort or pain. Sometimes the signs are very subtle and don't become apparent until after the pet has had treatment and is feeling pain-free and happier.
The consequences of dental disease are many and can be more widespread than just in the mouth.
Bad breath!
Pain causing difficulties eating, dribbling sometimes with blood, head shaking, pawing at mouth (although these may only present when the dental problems are very advanced)
Infection in the gums (gingivitis) and in the roots, causing painful abscesses
Loose teeth and/or loss of teeth
Infection spread from the mouth, via the bloodstream, and can cause damage to organs such as kidneys, heart and liver
As with our teeth, it all starts with plaque build up on the surface of teeth, which isn't always obvious to the naked eye. Plaque is made up of debris and bacteria, and, without any dental care, builds up day by day. As more builds up, it hardens to form tartar, which is the thick brown layer that is much more obvious. The tartar then extends below the line of the gum causing big problems, namely infection, inflammation of the gums and loss of the tissues holding the teeth in place.
It always seems to be the patients with the worst teeth, who are that little bit older, when the owner is reluctant to pursue treatment. When the teeth are this bad (see photo), the pet will require a general
anaesthetic in order to clean the teeth and remove any teeth that are really bad. I do understand why owners are reluctant - there is a risk with the anaesthetic, which will be higher if the pet is older, and there is a significant cost involved with the vet bills, so why bother if it's not affecting their pet? Because we know that is it probably affecting our pets a lot more than they are letting on, and because if we do nothing, the dental disease will only get worse.
Prevention is better than cure!
If we undertake daily dental care in our pets from an early age, we will reduce the plaque and tartar build up and avoid all of the problems associated with dental disease. Also we will reduce the likelihood of our pets needing a lengthy and expensive dental procedure later in life.
Prevention is better for our pets and for our purses!
I will write some more blogs about how you can take the best care of your pet's teeth so keep a lookout! In the meantime, please feel free to browse the shop which contains all the products I recommend to my clients.
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