Dental Care for Pets

 

Bad breath in pets, particularly dogs, is often joked about, but it is not a laughing matter. Dental disease affects up to 80% of pets over the age of three, and just like humans, there can be serious consequences of poor dental health.

How many teeth do dogs and cats have, anyway?
Dogs start out with 28 deciduous (baby) teeth, cats start out with 26 deciduous teeth. By six months of age, these baby teeth fall out and are replaced by permanent teeth, 42 in the dog and 30 in the cat.

Will I find the deciduous teeth, and what happens when they don't fall out on their own?
You may or may not find the teeth as they fall out. As dogs play and chew on toys, you might see a tooth. Likewise, as a cat grooms, you may find a tooth in the fur. If the deciduous teeth don't fall out and the permanent teeth erupt under them, this can lead to problems, such as increased tartar formation, malocclusion problems, and gingival (gum) irritation.

When should dental care start with my pet?
The earlier the better. With the help of your veterinarian, be on the lookout for retained deciduous teeth and malocclusion (bad bite) problems. Your veterinarian can teach you how to care for your pet's teeth and gums early on.

How can I tell if my pet has dental problem?
Bad breath is often a first indicator of dental disease. Gently lift the lips and check for tartar, inflamed gums, or missing/broken teeth. Cats may exhibit increased drooling. Both cats and dogs can exhibit reluctance to eat or play with toys, "chattering" of the teeth when trying to eat, lethargy, bleeding gums, eroded teeth, and failing to groom (cats). Dental disease progresses in stages -- if caught early, you can prevent further damage and save as many teeth as possible.

How is the rest of the body affected by bad teeth?
Infected gums and teeth aren't just a problem in the mouth -- the heart, kidneys, intestinal tract, and joints may also be infected. The tartar and any infected areas of the mouth contain a multitude of bacteria than can 'seed' to other parts of the body. With regular dental care, you can prevent some of these more serious side effects.

Where should I start?
With a new puppy or kitten, talk to your veterinarian at the vaccination appointments on how to initiate a good dental care program at home. Most veterinarians are happy to provide brushing lessons, and many carry brushes and toothpaste specifically for dogs and cats. (NOTE: do not use human toothpaste on your pet!)

If your pet is an adult over 3 years of age, it would be wise to schedule a dental check up with your veterinarian. If a dental cleaning is necessary, it is advisable to do pre-anesthesia blood work to make sure your pet does not have any underlying problems.

My pet needs a dental cleaning -- what is involved with that?
As mentioned above, pre-dental blood work is recommended. This is a check on the overall health of the pet to make sure that liver, kidneys, and blood counts are within normal ranges and to reduce any risks possible prior to the anesthesia. Many pets with bad teeth will be put on an antibiotic a few days prior to the dental to calm the infection and reduce possibility of complications.

Your pet will be fasted from the evening before for the anesthesia. The dental itself is similar to a human dental cleaning - tartar removal, checking for cavities, gingival (gum) pockets, loose teeth, any growths on the gums or palate, removal of diseased teeth, and finally, polishing. The polishing is to smooth the tooth after tartar removal, as the tartar pits the tooth. A smooth tooth will not encourage tartar formation as easily as a roughened tooth.

With good dental care, your pet can enjoy a long and healthy life.



For more information, visit www.northbayanimalhospital.com.
 

From http://vetmedicine.about.com/cs/diseasesall/a/dentalcare.htm

Should I Get a Dog?

The short answer is, of course, yes! If you never had the fortune to grow up with dogs, or to know a friend who had a dog, you do not know the amazingly fun times you are missing! Depending on where you live and what kind of dog is right for you, you can take it swimming, hunting, walking around, on the bus, on a jog, or simply just to the dog park to meet other like-minded dog owners. While there are many considerations to go over as to whether a dog is right for you and your current situation (Do you have the space? Do you have the time?), dogs are scientifically proven to be good for the person who owns them and their family. So, if you have a house with a nice backyard and have a spare hour a day, get looking for a new sidekick! Following are some of the most impressive reasons that owning a dog isn't just a costly endeavor.

One good thing about owning a dog is that they will help you live longer. That's right! While pets provide their owners with the love and company they so desire, it is difficult to say exactly why people who own dogs live longer. There is evidence that dogs can help you reduce your blood pressure! This article probably does not have to tell you how fun it can be to play with your dog, cuddle with your dog, or just hang around and watch your dog experience new things. Well, owning a pet can lower your blood pressure as effectively as if you were to start eating a low-salt diet or restricting how much alcohol you drink. So get a dog, then grab a beer. This is why many hospitals and retirement community centers hire on a dog to come in and engage in "animal therapy" with the patients and residents: not only does it help old people by reducing their blood pressure and offering them a distraction from any worries or sad thoughts in their lives, but it also acts as a calming presence that eliminates loneliness. At this point in the article it is already clear that dogs are somewhat of a wonder cure for many of life's ills!

Studies by the US Department of Health have come to the conclusion that pets helped victims of heart attacks--the study reads that 28% of heart patients who also had pets survived "serious heart attacks", while only about 6% of people without pets made it through. If that's not enough, you can also measure how much good it does you to own a dog by measuring your before-and-after waistline. A recent study has concluded that pet owners had 2% lower cholesterol than those without pets, and those pet owners' chance of going through cardiac arrest was reduced by 4%.

Not only are dogs good for you, but they are good for your kids, too. You do not need to read studies to view the delight on children's faces as they play with dogs. But, just in case that was not enough evidence for you, a few studies have been done to prove how good it is for kids to own pets. A certain study showed that children who were in the vicinity of a dog during their physical examinations had reduced blood pressure, less behavioral problems or distress, and lower heart rates than when a dog was nowhere to be found.

In conclusion, a dog is sometimes hard work. If you've never owned a pet before, you may have to become accustomed to picking up the feces of your companion at the most inopportune times. The dog, depending on what type it is, may be aggressive or too timid, very easy or very hard to train, and may either be too smart for its own good or not live up to your standards of intelligence. These are the facts. However, if you give them love, they will return it with all of their energy--it is what they were bred to do and why the humans have let them stick around for the past thousands of years.


For more information, visit www.northbayanimalhospital.com.


From http://pet-articles.blogspot.com/