For Dogs and Cats Preventable

Dental Disease is Most Common

By Dr. Carrie Schultz, Veterinarian

The Housepet Housevet

 

Happy New Year to all pet lovers!   Let’s begin by talking about the number one disease of pets today.

 

This disease is a diagnosis common to all pets in all age groups, becoming more advanced as pets get older. It affects 85 percent of adult dogs and cats, but can strike young pets too. Yet it is very preventable.   Cancer?   Arthritis?   No, it’s DENTAL DISEASE.  

 

I’m sure many of you have taken your pets to the vet and heard that your pet needs “a dental.”   This isn’t just a cosmetic procedure to make their teeth shiny and breath nicer, but an important part of maintaining your pet’s health, just like vaccinations and regular checkups.   So what do you pay for, and why do the prices vary so much?  

A standard “dental”, or dental prophylaxis, is what you get when you go to the dentist to get your teeth cleaned.   The tartar is scraped from the teeth and below the gum line, gum pocket depth is checked, the mouth is examined for broken or loose teeth, abnormal masses, or other changes, and then the teeth are polished and rinsed well.   More and more practices are also including dental X-rays to check for problems hiding underneath the gumline.   Animals need to be anesthetized for dentals because it’s not possible to clean below the gumline or polish and rinse the teeth in an awake animal.   Tartar may be the most visible sign of dental problems but it is not an indicator of periodontal health which is where the real concern lies.

A dental is a necessary procedure on any dog or cat that has signs of gingivitis (evidenced by redness along the gumline) even if the teeth “don’t look that bad.”   This is when the early signs of dental disease are present: without preventative cleaning, it will progress to more advanced periodontal disease, which can cause bad breath, excessive drooling, appetite changes, infections, weight loss, pawing at the mouth and behavioral changes as well as increasing the risk for heart, liver and kidney disease by showering the body with bacteria through the bloodstream.

Some people are reluctant to schedule a dental.   Maybe you have taken a pet in for “a dental” planning to spend $150 and it ends up costing $700.   That’s usually because when they went to clean the teeth, more advanced disease was discovered. But by having the teeth routinely cleaned, which is usually a fairly moderately priced procedure, we can avoid later periodontal disease that requires complex oral surgery including tooth extractions, antibiotics and other procedures that increase anesthetic risk, surgery time and cost.  

Routine dentals should be performed whenever the gingivitis reoccurs...remember, people are supposed to get it done every 6 months, and we brush a lot more!   The frequency varies from several months to many years.  

Part of this is genetics, but home dental care helps as well.   Obviously brushing your pets teeth 3-7 times a week is ideal, but some animals (and owners) do not have the temperament or the time for it.   In that case, there are many products that are practically effortless and still provide some benefit.   Any of the products should be beneficial to your pet’s oral health and save you money on dental care in the long run.  

February is Pet Dental Health Month.   It’s a great time to get your dog or cat’s teeth cleaned.   Some clinics may even be offering special promotions.  

Please, don’t wait until your animal’s breath is unbearable or has teeth falling out to schedule this important preventative care.   Happy pets have healthy mouths!