Caring for your pet’s dental health at home
Did you know that dental disease is one of the most common health conditions that our pets can suffer with?
It’s important that our pets’ mouths are checked regularly as dental disease can be painful if left too long. If possible, a vet will check your pets mouth every 6-12 months when they come in for their regular health checks.
Below are some common signs that may indicate a problem:
- Halitosis (smelly breath!)
- Difficulty chewing or favouring one side of their mouth to chew with
- Red, inflamed gums
- Facial swelling
- Preference for softer food over dry food
Prevention is better than cure! There are lots of different ways that we can try and prevent dental disease which are listed below.
Tooth brushing! The best way to prevent is to brush away plaque before it becomes tartar. Getting your pet used to their teeth being brushed is the first step and it’s important to take this slow to make it a positive experience. Start with purchasing a pet-friendly toothpaste (speak to our team who will be able to point you in the right direction), which are often tasty flavours. If your pet doesn’t like their mouth being touched it’s good to desensitise them to this first using positive reward-based training. Once they’re used to this, start using a finger toothbrush that you can brush along the teeth and the gums to start removing plaque. Once the finger brush is mastered, moving on to a full-sized doggy toothbrush will help to reach those back teeth! Brushing at least 3x weekly will help to reduce the risk of dental disease.
Dental treats or chews: there are lots of dental chews out there, we recommend looking for products that are approved by the Veterinary Oral Health Council (VOHC) which will be on the packaging.
Diet: feeding dry food will encourage your dog to chew and help to break off any plaque from their teeth. There are also diets specifically for dental health which are manufactured to maximise chewing.
This is just some of the ways that you can reduce the risk of dental disease. If you have any concerns about your pets’ dental health, then get in contact with our team who can book you in for an assessment.
