Dental

Puppy Teeth

Puppies have no teeth when they are born but the deciduous or baby teeth begin to erupt within one to two weeks. Usually they end up with 42 teeth. Puppies will begin teething and at four months of age they begin to lose their baby teeth. The first teeth they lose are the incisors, upper and lower. Next, they lose the front teeth and last, the rear molars. During the teething period there are good days and bad. Within two months the puppy will lose all 42 teeth. Some you will find around your home but most of them are swallowed. You may want to wet the dry food for a few days. When the dog is six months old all the baby teeth will be replaced by adult teeth. At this point you should check your dog's mouth to see if there are any retained baby teeth. If you see double teeth you should contact your veterinarian about extracting the retained baby teeth. Usually they can be removed when you bring your dog in to be altered.
We recommend daily dental care at home for your pets, just like the rest of the family. It is best to begin home care at an early age (8-12 weeks) but it is never too late to start. When your puppy matures after six months, if you haven't already started brushing, it's a good idea to start getting him used to regular teeth brushings. The most important thing to remember about brushing your puppy's teeth is not to use regular human toothpaste. Some of the ingredients are very bad for animals and can cause vomiting. You will find suitable toothbrushes and toothpastes intended strictly for animals at your local pet shop or veterinarian.

Kitten Teeth

Beginning at the age of four months, the baby teeth fall out, allowing the adult teeth to push through the gums. By seven to eight months, if the baby teeth have not fallen out, it is wise to have a veterinarian pull them. Teething can cause loss of appetite and there may be slight diarrhea. The gums will be sore, you should feed the kitten a soft and bland diet for a few days.
We recommend daily dental care at home for your pets, just like the rest of the family. It is best to begin home care at an early age (8-12 weeks) but it is never too late to start. When a kitten matures a bit, after six months, if you haven't already started brushing it's a good idea to start getting it used to regular teeth brushings. The most important thing to remember about brushing a cat's teeth is not to use regular human toothpaste. Some of the ingredients are very bad for cats. You will find suitable toothbrushes and toothpastes intended strictly for cats at your local veterinarian or pet shop.

PROPER CARE BEGINS WITH YOUR VETERINARIAN

Keeping Teeth Healthy

Don't allow your pet to have free feed all day. Remove the food after 5 -10 minutes, if he's not finished. Your pet should only be fed once or twice a day. Deposits of food on the teeth are the major cause of bad teeth and subsequent ill-health. Allow your pet to chew on marrow bones or chews once a week to scrape the teeth clean. Take care not to choose any kind of bones that can splinter or be swallowed. The best way to keep your pet's teeth clean and in good health is daily brushing.

Healthy Looking Mouth

What to look for in a healthy mouth:

White Teeth
Breath which has an acceptable odor
Properly colored gum tissue (pink)
Firm gum tissue which evenly and tightly encircles the tooth

Checking Your Pet's Teeth

To check a pet's teeth you don't need to open their mouth. Just lift up the upper lip and look at the outer surface of the upper teeth. Usually the worst tarter is visible there but any tarter is unwanted. If the tarter is overlapping the gums, a dental exam is needed right away. If you are in doubt about the extent of dental disease in your pet's mouth, you should make an appointment to have an examination by your veterinarian.

Periodontal or Gum Disease

Moderate gingivitis and early periodontitis: Inflammation of the gums or gingivitis (the first stage of periodontal disease) begins when a sufficient amount of plaque and calculus are allowed to develop. A mouth in this stage of disease will usually show the following symptoms:

Yellowing of the teeth
Bad Breath
Reddening of the pink gum tissue
Slight softening and loosening of the gum tissue encircling the tooth

If the gingivitis goes untreated over a period of time, the pet may begin to suffer from a painful inflammation of the gums that leads to a profound and irreversible separation of the gum tissue from the tooth. This separation is a visual indication of the shrinking bone mass and loss of ligament support of the tooth.
Advanced Periodontal disease is the foremost cause of premature tooth loss in pets today. This stage of the disease involves a combination of the following:

Soreness of gums (often evidenced in the pet's inability to eat)
Yellowed teeth (sometimes loose teeth in advanced stages of periodontitis)
Extremely bad breath
Red, swollen gum tissue with areas of ulceration
Softening of gum tissue and separation of that tissue from the neck of the tooth, loss of bone support and probable loss of teeth
Reluctance to play with chew toys or drink cold water

Happily, proper treatment may arrest gingivitis before the pet ever experiences advanced periodonitis or separation of gum tissue from the tooth.

Brushing Your Pet's Teeth

Cleaning your pet's teeth will reduce the frequency of professional dental cleaning.
If your pet shows any indications of aggression (growling, bearing teeth, biting, scratching, etc.) stop immediately. Call your veterinarian for further professional advice.
The first step is to find a quiet place.
For a few days at first, hold your pet on your lap or by your side so you are both comfortable -gently stroke the outside of the cheeks with your finger for a few minutes.
When it seems like your pet is comfortable with this let him taste a small amount of toothpaste (only a brand made for animals) on your finger. Animals usually like the taste and think of it as a treat.
Put a small amount of paste on the toothbrush and let your pet lick it off. This will get him used to the feeling of the brush.
When you brush your pet's teeth you only need to brush the outside of the teeth. You don't need to open the pet's mouth.
When you think your pet is ready, raise the upper lip and start brushing a few teeth at a time in a back and forth motion or circular motion. Be patient and give lots of praise for any small amount of brushing you can do. Depending on how the pet acts, you can increase the number of teeth day by day.
If your pet struggles a lot, you might need someone to hold him. A good way to start is to wrap him in a towel or blanket with just the head showing. This is especially good when holding a cat.
Happy Brushing!

Toothpaste

C. E. T. Toothpaste for pets comes in different flavors. Depending on what kind of animal you are trying to entice to let you brush, some flavors to chose from include, poultry, beef, fish and even peanut butter. Most veterinarians and pet stores will carry toothpaste for pets. Never use people toothpaste or baking soda, as both will upset your pet's stomach.

CHX Gel

This is a gel with special enzymes in it which inhibit the bacteria responsible for plaque formation. It is administered daily by directly applying it into the pet's mouth, or mixing it in a small amount of food. Most animals accept this method because the gel is flavored.

Oral Cleaning Gel

Regular visits to the family veterinarian provide you with the best guarantee that your pet's health is sound. However, you can supplement these visits to the veterinarian with examinations of your pet's mouth and regular use of MAXI/GUARD TM Oral Cleansing Gel.

MAXI/GUARD TM may be applied directly from the bottle applicator tip. Some pets, especially cats, may require finger, finger brush or swab application. Choose the method that makes it easiest for you and your pet to engage in a regular and pleasant program of oral cleansing.

PREVENTION AND MAINTENANCE:

You can virtually assure yourself of your pet's good oral health if you will follow these suggestions: regular checkups and scalings (removal of plaque and calculus) by the family's veterinarian; periodic checks of the pet's mouth for bad breath and discolored, inflamed gums; a diet which generally avoids sweet or soft, sticky foods; and daily use of an oral cleansing compound such as MAXI/GUARD TM.

New MAXI / GUARD - Gel is the solution to pet acceptance problems. MAXI / GUARD Gel is veterinary dentistry's only alcohol free, chlorhexidine free and taste free home dental care product that works with or without brushing.

Information from - Addison Biological Laboratory, Inc.

Important

Pre-anesthetic blood work is an option for pets under 7 yrs of age and required for pets 7 yrs and older. These tests help assess organ function prior to the use of anesthesia. Intravenous fluid administration is also an option and advisable to perfuse the organs and provide an open portal for the administration of emergency drugs if necessary.
Some people are unaware that dogs over the age of 7 are prone to age- related diseases. With changing activity levels and metabolism, older dogs may experience weight problems, heart disease, arthritis, poorly functioning kidneys, dental problems or cancer. By detecting problems when they begin to occur, you have a better opportunity to eliminate or slow their development, ensuring additional healthy, happy years.

Routine Dentals

If your pet needs a dental, he or she will probably only spend the day with us.
Anesthetic is always required to make it possible to scale the teeth. There's always a very small risk when using anesthetic. But this risk is far less than leaving the teeth neglected.
The dental is done using a machine called an ultrasonic scaler. It removes the layer of tartar on the teeth without damaging the tooth or gum.
After we finish this we can inspect each tooth. Some teeth may need to be extracted, usually due to loss of gum support or *erosive lesions. A tooth would not be extracted unless necessary.
Some people think animals have more trouble eating after this. But the aim is to remove painful teeth that can inhibit eating, and to create a healthy, pain-free mouth again.
Next we use a polisher to smooth the tooth's surface. This makes the mouth feel nicer, and the smooth surface helps slow down the rate of plaque build up.
An antibiotic injection is given at the time of dentals, but in some cases you will need to give antibiotic pills at home. Painkillers are recommended if any teeth have been extracted.
After the dental is a good time to start regular preventative tooth care, which will help prevent future dentals. You may need to wait 3 or more days before starting because your pet's mouth may be sore depending on how extensive the dental was and if any teeth were removed.
ON DENTAL DAY:

Because of the anesthesia, No food after 8:00 pm the night before.
Allow access to water at all times.
Drop your pet off in the morning between 7:30am - 8:00am.
Your pet will have the dental in the morning.
Please call after 12:00 pm to check on your pet and find out the best time to pick him or her up.
There will be discharge instructions explained and given to you when you pickup your pet. We will be glad to answer any question you may have.

Fluoride Application

A routine of good dental hygiene should begin in your pet's first year of life.

Fluoridation, regular brushing by the owner, annual oral examinations and necessary dental cleanings will help prevent gingivitis, the accumulation of plaque, and. dental calculus (bacterial growth) on the tooth surface. Fluoride treatment of your pet's teeth is one of the first routines in the prevention of dental disease.

When fluoride is applied to young (6 months of age) maturing teeth, it is readily absorbed and incorporated into the enamel, which strengthens it and helps prevent tooth decay. As the pet ages, fluoride's antibacterial properties help prevent the accumulation of plaque and tartar by killing the bacteria at the enamel surface. In order to thoroughly coat each surface of the tooth, fluoride can only be applied to an anesthetized patient. It is therefore recommended that when the patient is spayed or neutered, they receive their first fluoride application and then at each subsequent dental cleaning, a reapplication would be done. If you do not plan to spay or neuter your pet and wish to treat its teeth, an outpatient procedure can be scheduled to anesthetize and fluoridate its teeth at 6-7 months of age.

Please ask us at the time of surgery (spay or neuter) if you wish to schedule the procedure.

Pet Won't Let You Brush Teeth

If your furry friend decides it's more fun to eat the tooth brush than brush teeth with it, there are a few other ways to help cut down on plaque build up.

Chews (CET Chews) - There are fish flavored chews for cats and hide chews for dogs. They contain enzymes that reduce plaque forming bacteria. Also, the abrasive action when your pet chews them will help cut down on food deposits on the teeth.
Hills T/D Diet Food - T/D is a complete food for adult cats and dogs to help ensure healthy gums and teeth. This food is especially formulated so when your pet eats it, it will clean the surface of the teeth. This food is a dry food with bigger kibbles than normal dry diets.
CHX Gel

*Erosive Lesions - An extremely painful disease that erodes individual teeth, which causes pieces of the tooth to break off. Exposing spiky pieces which should be removed. Usually the tarter needs to be removed before this is visible.