Family Vet Limited
A big part of our local community - Our Veterinary Practice has been an integral part of our local community since February 2010. In that time, we’ve helped thousands of our clients cats & dogs, rabbits, rats and even a few birds.
Alarmingly, 80% of dogs and 70% of cats suffer from some form of dental disease by age three. These include the destruction of supportive tissues and bone, resulting in red gums, bad breath and loosening of teeth. This same bacterial infection is also a source of infection for the rest of the body (such as the kidney, liver and heart) and can seriously ill your pet. Ultimately, dental disease results in many pets unnecessarily suffering tooth loss, gum infection and pain. It also has the potential to shorten your pet’s lifespan.
Dental disease begins with a build-up of bacteria in your pet’s mouth. Bacteria, combined with saliva and food debris, can cause plaque to accumulate on the tooth. As calcium salts are deposited, plaque turns to tartar (brown or yellow material starting near the tooth's gum line). Without proper preventive or therapeutic care, plaque and tartar build-up leads to periodontal disease, which affects the tissues and structures supporting the teeth. Periodontal disease can cause oral pain, tooth loss and even heart or kidney problems.
Common signs of dental disease, in order of severity, include:
Yellow-brown tartar around the gumline
Inflamed, red gums
Bad breath
Change in eating or chewing habits (especially in cats)
Pawing at the face or mouth
Excessive drooling
Pain or bleeding when you touch the gums or mouth
If your pet shows any of these signs of dental disease, please book an appointment to see one of our veterinarians. Early assessment and action can save your pet’s teeth!
Long-term control and prevention of dental disease require regular home care. The best way to begin this is to accustom your pet from an early age. Dental home care may include:
Brushing teeth daily – just like us! This is the best form of dental hygiene. Pet toothbrushes and toothpaste are now available. Please do not use human toothpaste formulas on your pet, as they are not designed to be swallowed and may be toxic.
Feed pets raw meaty bones or special dental diets. This can help reduce the accumulation of tartar.
Use dental toys, enzymatic chews, or teeth-cleaning biscuits, all of which may help keep the teeth clean.
Regular and frequent attention to your pet’s teeth may avoid needing a professional dental clean under anaesthetic and improve your pet’s overall health.
Firstly, you should have your pet’s teeth examined by one of our veterinarians regularly and if necessary, follow up with a professional dental clean. Your pet needs to be anaesthetised to conduct a thorough dental examination and clean all teeth without distressing them. Once anaesthetised, a complete dental examination is carried out. This process involves charting all present teeth and evaluating their condition, including the degree of tartar, gingivitis (gum inflammation) and any pockets in the gums around the teeth.
Our veterinarians will then remove the tartar above the gumline using a special ultrasonic scaler, just like a dentist uses for our teeth. The teeth are then polished using a dental polisher and specialised fine-grade paste. If the dental disease is not severe, the procedure will end here. However, if certain teeth are so severely affected they cannot be saved, extractions will be necessary. In some cases, gum surgery is required to close the holes left behind when a tooth is extracted, and dissolvable stitches are used for this procedure.
Once all dental work is completed, your pet may be given an antibiotic and an anti-inflammatory injection, the anaesthetic gas is turned off, and your pet can wake up. Pets are generally able to go home on the same day.
Following a professional dental clean, a plan needs to be implemented to minimise the build-up of tartar again and will depend on the severity of your pet’s dental disease. This may involve regular tooth brushing, feeding raw meaty bones and/or a special diet. It is recommended that all pets be examined 6 months after dental cleaning to determine the effectiveness of your dental care routine.
It is the same as a scale and polish done by a dentist for us. However, unlike us, our pets won’t sit still or open their mouth to allow a comprehensive cleaning of their teeth. For this reason, our pets need to have a general anaesthetic for a professional dental clean. Your pet will need to be assessed by one of our veterinarians. The degree of dental disease will be assessed to determine if extractions, antibiotics and anti-inflammatories will be required.
The assessment may include a physical exam, blood tests and urine tests to ensure they are healthy before anaesthetic. Once anaesthetised, we can thoroughly clean the teeth using our specialised dental equipment. When your pet goes home, we will also discuss methods of reducing dental disease in the future.
Long-term control and prevention of dental disease require regular home care. The best way to begin this is to acclimatise your pet from a young age. Dental home care may include:
Brushing teeth daily – just like us! This is the best form of dental hygiene. Pet toothbrushes and toothpaste are now available. Please do not use human toothpaste formulas as they are not designed to be swallowed and may be toxic to your pet.
Feed pets raw meaty bones or special dental diets. This can help reduce the accumulation of tartar.
Use dental toys, enzymatic chews, or teeth-cleaning biscuits, all of which may help keep the teeth clean.
Regular and frequent attention to your pet’s teeth may avoid needing a professional dental clean under anaesthetic and improve your pet’s overall health.
If you have any questions about dental care or professional cleaning, please do not hesitate to contact us.
A big part of our local community - Our Veterinary Practice has been an integral part of our local community since February 2010. In that time, we’ve helped thousands of our clients cats & dogs, rabbits, rats and even a few birds.
