Pearly whites - looking after your pet's teeth

Article donated by Dr. Paula Short, Tasman Bay Vets, Mapua

I have a friend who is a dentist and from time to time we fall into conversation about who sees the most disgusting teeth! I like to believe that it is me, as often people tend not to notice their pet’s teeth becoming a problem until dental disease is severe and causing signs such as drooling, terribly smelly breath and refusal to eat.

Dental disease is very common in our pets, in fact new research has shown that dental disease is present in as many as 85% of cats and dogs over the age of 4 years. The first sign of dental disease in our pets is gingivitis (inflammation of the gums) and mild plaque and tartar formation. As an owner you will see slight reddening of the gum margins above the teeth and mild brown staining of the teeth. Left untreated this will progress over time to severe inflammation and ulceration of the gums and extensive tartar buildup.

Serious dental disease can lead to problems such as anorexia, weight loss, drooling, chronic pain and loss of teeth. It is also known that the bacteria that accumulate in the plaque and tartar can spread into the blood stream and lead to kidney, heart and liver disease.

Professional dental cleaning is the ideal treatment for dental disease in our pets. As they are unlikely to sit still and open wide a general anaesthetic is necessary, during which the teeth are cleaned with an ultrasonic scaler, any loose or damaged teeth are removed and the teeth are polished. In some cases antibiotics are given pre and post surgery.

As with all diseases prevention is better than cure and there are a range of options for prevention of dental disease. More and more people are opting to brush their pet’s teeth with specially designed pet tooth brushes and tooth pastes, this is best started when the pet is young. There are also many good dental diets available such as Hills Oral Care and Hills T/D (teeth diet) these are designed to help reduce tartar formation on the pet’s teeth by mechanical abrasion of the tooth surface by a network of fibres in the biscuit. There are also a variety of dental chews available which are effective plaque reducing agents and can be given to your pet as a treat.