Your Pet’s Teeth

Whether the teeth belong to humans or animals, if left uncleaned and unchecked, bacteria and plaque deposits build up on them.

These deposits irritate the gums, causing pain and infection.

Teeth may also decay causing additional pain and discomfort.

At this stage your pet dog or cat will be off his food and may be losing weight. As gum disease progresses, teeth become loose and may fall out.

Rodents and rabbits have a special problem. Their teeth continue to grow throughout their life, making the correct choice of diet extremely important.

One of the first visible signs of gum disease is reddening of the gums. If you are not in the habit of regularly checking your pet's mouth, bad breath may be the first outward sign of a problem. The bad breath is caused by bacterial build up on teeth.

You may also notice that your pet is off its food, losing weight, or just generally unhappy. By this stage the irritation and infection caused by the build up of bacteria are fairly advanced.

One of the easiest ways to help reduce the build up of plaque and bacteria on your dog or cat's teeth is by cleaning them regularly. Just as with your own teeth, daily cleaning by brushing is most effective, but even cleaning just once a week will make a huge difference.

As with all preventive health care, the sooner this is started in life the better. Puppies and kittens will quickly get used to having their teeth brushed. Even older pets will learn to accept teeth cleaning as part of their daily routine with a little patience.

It is never too late to start and the best way of introducing cleaning is as part of a fun activity, whether it is playing or grooming.

Whereas you can use a human toothbrush for cleaning your pets teeth, you should not use toothpaste designed for humans. The frothing agents in our own toothpaste makes them unsuitable for pets. Your vet or pharmacist will be able to recommend something suitable. Remember never be tempted to share your toothbrush with your pet!

Feeding cakes and other sweet foods to your pet not only makes it overweight; they will also increase the build up of bacteria on your pet's teeth. Feeding dry dog foods or a mixer biscuit will help fight bacterial build up, because the abrasive texture helping to remove plaque.

There are also specially designed chews on the market which help keep plaque at bay. Bones are not a suitable alternative because they can crack teeth. Smaller brittle bones, such as chicken bones, can damage your pet's gut.

Just like us, pets benefit from regular dental check ups. Your vet will clean and polish your pet's teeth, removing the build up of plaque and bacteria. These annual checks are even more important if you do not regularly brush your pet's teeth. If gum disease is caught in the early stages, the veterinary surgeon can treat the condition effectively.