Posts in Category: Pet Dental Care

During your pet’s annual wellness exam, we always take time to check his or her mouth, gums, and teeth. This oral health exam is one of the most important and basic ways to keep your pet’s overall health good. It’s a little known fact that by the time pets are 4 years of age, over 85% of them have some form of dental disease. Luckily, this is entirely preventable.

At Clairmont Animal Hospital, we get a lot of questions about pet dental health, and so we thought we’d take this opportunity to answer some of these pressing concerns.

We’ve all heard the old adage, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” It’s an understandable approach to home or car ownership, but it really doesn’t have a place in the realm of pet care. Instead of only reacting to emergency illness or injury, the quality of a pet’s life utterly depends on a dozen daily habits. Optimal, age-appropriate nutrition, for example, or opportunities to get their blood pumping add vitality and contribute to contentment. 

Additionally, to bolster long-term, full body fitness, upholding excellent pet dental health is part of the longevity puzzle.

It may come as a surprise to many owners, but pet periodontal disease is one of the most commonly diagnosed conditions among cats and dogs. This is due, in part, to how easy it is to overlook the condition of your pet’s teeth and gums, as well as a lack of awareness around pet tooth brushing.

But what is periodontal disease, and how can it be prevented? Let the team at Clairmont Animal Hospital help you learn more about why pet dental care is so important to your fur friend.
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Many pet owners are aware of the importance of taking control of their pet’s dental care and few are surprised by the positive effects on Fluffy or Fido’s overall wellness when a dental care routine is underway.

However, just because you know that caring for your pet’s oral health is important, doesn’t mean that it’s not challenging to get into the full swing of pet dental care – that’s why we are here to support your endeavor.

Let’s review why dental care matters to your pet, and how you can influence his or her whole body health at home. Continue…

One of the most important factors determining your pet’s quality and quantity of life is dental health. Unfortunately, dental care is one of the most overlooked areas of pet care. According to the American Veterinary Dental Association, up to 80% of dogs and 70% of cats have some form of dental disease by the age of three.

Just like us, when saliva and food combine with bacteria on your pet’s teeth, a substance called plaque forms. Eventually this becomes mineralized, forming tartar. Tartar accumulation can lead to inflammation in the gingival tissues and eventually destroy the tissues that support the tooth, leading to periodontal disease.

If left untreated, periodontal disease can lead to oral pain and the loss of teeth. Even more importantly, however, the presence of bacteria in continued dental disease can lead to the invasion of infection into the bloodstream. Bacteria in the bloodstream can cause damage to major organs including the kidneys, liver, and heart. Continue…