Dental HEALTH
Dental care is an extremely important part of your pets health. Good oral hygiene not only greatly improves a dog’s quality of life, but may also promote longevity. Furthermore, poor dental health can contribute to very serious conditions such as heart disease and kidney disease and causes every day discomfort to affected animals. For this reason, a dental consult is complimentary to our clients and allows us to examine your pet and recommend appropriate dental care.
Common signs of dental disease include:
- Yellow or brown buildup (tartar) on the teeth
- Sensitivity around the mouth
- Red, swollen, or bleeding gums
- Bad breath
- Excessive drooling
- Changes in eating or chewing habits
- Pawing at the face
- Loose teeth
- Depressions in teeth
Even if your dog or cat doesn’t have these symptoms, we recommend that you have a veterinarian evaluate your pet’s dental health at least once a year. We can show you how to brush your pet’s teeth and recommend foods, treats, and water additives that will help combat plaque and tartar buildup.
Unfortunately, unlike people, pets aren’t able to sit still and say ‘aah’ while we explore and examine the mouth with sharp instruments, so dental procedures including cleaning/scaling/polishing and tooth extractions are performed under a general anesthetic. We take the same necessary precautions prior to any planned dental work, just like any other procedure that requires an anesthetic. We are progressive with pain management and dental techniques, aiming to make any dental work as painless as possible and recovery time minimal for our patients.