Dental care

We are increasingly seeing pets brought into practice with a range of dental issues.

Dental health is just as crucial for our pets as it is for us – and perhaps more so as our pets have often evolved to hide and ignore dental pain.

It is usually difficult to identify when your pet is suffering from poor dental health unless they are showing signs such as bad breath, avoiding food, drooling, altered chewing or blood on food.

Usually dental disease is silent in our pets and found on a clinical examination.

We routinely check your pet’s mouth and teeth when they are brought in for a consultation, and will recommend for dental procedures to be taken out if necessary, sometimes as a scale and polish under general anaesthetic, or surgical intervention in more serious cases.

Most pets will recover fully and swiftly from dental procedures and should be back to eating hard food in a surprisingly quick time.

Dental care at home

As with every aspect of your pet’s health, prevention is better than cure, and it is essential that you look after your pet’s teeth from the moment that you adopt them into your family.

Brushing is the only way to reduce plaque and help prevent dental disease. There are a wide variety of products on the market, such as chews, treats and toys, which are reported to reduce plaque and tartar. While these can act as a good complement to your pet’s dental regime, it is important to remember that they are not a solution or an alternative to daily brushing, and edible treats can lead to weight problems.

Although brushing your pet’s teeth may seem like a daunting prospect, most pets will accept it once they are used to it, and may even enjoy it as a game. Ensure that you use species specific toothpaste and toothbrush, and reward them with lots of fussing to make sure it is an enjoyable experience.

If you need any advice on how to brush your pet’s teeth or any other issues related to their dental health, please speak to a member of the team.