February 2012, Dr. Bridget Overbey, DVM
Home Dental Care
For this week we are going to continue our columns for Dental Heath Month by discussing how you, the owner, can provide dental care for your pets at home. The importance of dental care cannot be stressed enough 85% of pets suffer from periodontal disease by the time they are 3 years old. Periodontal disease can lead to other more severe infections in various other parts of the body, including the heart and liver.
Dental care does not have to be painful for you or your pets. There are many options available to you, including teeth brushing, dental chews, dental food, and water additives. However, no matter what method works best for you, the key to effective home dental care is consistency.
Toothpaste and Brushing
Many owners assume that their pet will not tolerate having their teeth brushed. However, just like with any other form of behavioral training, patience and consistency pay off. Begin by getting your pet used to having its face and lips handled. Once they’ve become accustomed, introduce the toothbrush (available in sizes to match any pet) by slowly and gently brushing the outer surfaces of the teeth. After your pet is comfortable with this handling, you can add toothpaste. It’s important to note that you should always use toothpaste that has been specifically formulated for pets. Human toothpaste contains a chemical (xylitol) that is toxic to your pet. In addition, pet toothpastes are offered in a variety of flavors (beef, chicken, etc) that are designed to be swallowed. If brushing is not an option for your pet there are many other products on the market.
Dental Treats
There are a wide variety of dental treats and chews available. These treats use the pets’ chewing action which creates abrasion against the tooth to remove plaque and tarter, in addition some treats also contain ingredients that prevent the mineralization of plaque into tarter.
Dental Diets
Dental diets are prescription diets available from your veterinarian that are more effective then the typical dry food diets found at grocery stores. Dental diets on the market today use several techniques to help reduce plaque. The first is that they use very large kibble, which means the pet must chew them before swallowing.
Because the diets are also high in fiber, the kibble does not shatter when being chewed - forcing the teeth to sink into the kibble and thus scrubbing plaque away as your pet eats.
Water Additives
Lastly, for owners that cannot brush their pets’ teeth or for pets that do not like chewing on treats, there are several products that can be added to your pets’ drinking water that will help reduce plaque build-up. While water additives aren’t as effective as teeth brushing or dental treats, they are good alternative to improving your pets’ dental health.
For more information about at home dental care please click through the link, provided below, to watch a video featuring many of the products mentioned above. And remember to please talk with your veterinarian about finding the right dental care options for you and your pet.
http://www.helpinghandsvet.com/do-it-yourself-videos-5470
Dr. Bridget Overbey, DVM
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