Get Up to Date on Dog and Cat Dental from Aloha Animal Hospital, Vista, CA (760) 724-8313.
Dr. John Abella, American Board of Veterinary Practitioners (Canine and Feline), answers questions about dog and cat dental health and what can lead to tooth loss in canines and felines. Like most pet owners, we all want to take steps for preventing disease and pain in our pet's lives and addressing dental issues in your pet goes a long way to making their lives happier and healthier!
1. Are there certain types or sizes of dogs or cats that are more prone to serious dental issues?
Not necessarily. All dogs get dental disease; it is the #1 disease of all species, at any given time in anywhere in the world. Small breed dogs, especially Yorkshire terriers, tend to need and get worse dental tartar and subsequent periodontal disease than other breeds of dogs. However, proper maintenance may minimize the problem.
2. What are the proper steps to take at home to help them?
Brush their teeth - daily if possible. Like your own teeth, brushing will minimize tartar build up and gingival lesions. Although there are a lot of anecdotal claims, there are very few products that have clinical trials proving efficacy. Feeding your cat or dog T/D, a prescription food that is low calorie and allows food to act like a tooth brush, can help readily. It is recommended to feed at least 30% of the diet as T/D for dental tartar prevention. I feed my animals as such, and it has definitely helped limit dental cleaning necessary especially for my cats. Like most, I just can't brush my cat's teeth so T/D is ideal.
3. What are the best things to avoid food, treat, and toy wise to keep your pet's teeth healthy?
Things to avoid: People food. Pasta and other compressed carbohydrates pack readily into the recesses of the gum line and between teeth making for great substrate in tartar build up and periodontal disease. Greenies, dental chews and other treats may be ok depending on your dog or cats' chewing habits. Toys vary for safety pending the individual dog's propensity to swallow objects. I have removed Kong toys to metallic foreign bodies from the intestinal tracts of dogs. However, firm, rock hard objects like, say, rocks, can be very detrimental causing fractured crowns and painful fissured teeth.
4. What age should pets have their 1st dental screening to keep them healthy throughout there life?
The teeth will be examined every year with their annual exam. Their dental development is monitored with puppy exams as they grow.
So, in a way, their first dental screening is at 6-8 weeks with their first exam.
5. Are there certain conditions, like heart disease in humans that has been linked to lack of proper dental care?
Although complicated valvular disease has been implicated in human medicine as a sequelae to dental disease, it has not been determined to be fact in dogs and cats. However, this does not make it less important or less concerning. Dental disease will cause discomfort and the owner will never know. Most animals continue to eat despite the pain. They will rarely cry out. Imagine having a headache or toothache, no one will know unless you verbalize it as a "symptom." I've never had a dog or cat tell me they had a headache or toothache. Well, animals have "signs" not symptoms which means that can't verbalize their discomfort. However, once the decayed tooth or headache is resolved, you notice their willingness to play, eat more, socialize, and act normally. Hence the clinical sign is much more subtle than the readily verbalized version of our symptoms.
To help prevent or remedy your dog or cats dental issues visit, call Aloha Animal Hospital in Vista, CA, at (760) 724-8313 to book your pet's dental exam and cleaning.