Does your pet have bad breath and you don’t know how to tell them?
February is Pet Dental Health Month. At Banderas, we believe that a year-round approach to keeping your pet’s teeth clean will help keep your pet healthy. We do, however, really like February to get the chance to talk to our pet families about something little that can make a big difference in your pet’s health.
Unfortunately, the early signs of dental disease can be tough to see at home. Both cats and dogs are prone to dental disease and should be examined regularly, both at home and by us. Most evidence of periodontal disease begins below the gum-line and we usually only notice it when we can either smell it or our pet starts to show symptoms of it. In fact, the most common complaints we hear are bad breath or that your pet is less likely to play! Some common symptoms of periodontal disease in our pets are:
- Bad breath
- Reduced appetite or refusal to eat
- Painful mouth
- Visible swelling and redness of the gums
- Visible tartar on the teeth
- Abnormal chewing or even dropping food while chewing
- Drooling
- Presence of blood in the mouth or around the gums
- Discoloration of the teeth
- Changes in Pets behavior could also be a sign of dental issues
- Infection or illness brought on by bacteria from the mouth
What is a Dental Cleaning?
Don’t worry it’s not too late to reverse some of these situations and we can help get your pet pain-free and back to their normal selves with a thorough dental examination and cleaning.
Dr. Cooper and the American Veterinary Dental College recommend anesthesia for routine dental care. Anesthesia allows us to thoroughly clean your pets’ teeth while they are asleep, avoiding stress and pain for them during the procedure. Most importantly it protects your pet’s airway while they get the full examination and care that they need. Dr. Cooper’s background in a critical care setting makes her very comfortable monitoring her patients of all sizes – so for worried pet parents, she is always happy to talk to you about the risks and custom plan for your pet. We monitor your pet very closely while they are under, we have a Bairhugger™ to keep them cozier, and we also stay with them and watch them closely while in recovery. It is extremely important to us that they are kept comfortable while they recover from their procedure. If you would like to know more about anesthesia you can read this article from the American Veterinary Medical Association.
Our dental procedures are done on the same day. You drop off in the morning and pick your pet up that same afternoon. We will go over everything we discovered as well as give you tips on how to keep your pet’s teeth clean at home in between cleanings.
An Ounce of Prevention can be Worth a Pound of Cure
There are a few things you can do for your pet at home in between cleanings. The best prevention tips we can recommend are:
- Regular brushing; daily is great but several times a week is good too!
- Dry food that crunches can help clean away some of the buildup on teeth
- Fresh water daily can also help rinse away food particles that build up on the teeth
When you come in for your pet’s examination and dental cleaning, we can show you how to properly brush your pet’s teeth. We use and recommend CET Enzymatic Toothpaste usually in a poultry or malt flavor. We are offering a try before you buy goodie bag to every pet that gets a dental cleaning during February.
Just like with us humans brushing alone will not keep the dentist away. We still need regular check-ups and our pets do too. We hope with regular examinations, good prevention and regular cleanings we can help you prevent your pet from visiting us with anything other than a glowing checkup and routine cleaning!
Give us a call today & schedule your pet’s dental cleaning during the month of February and get $100 off, Goodie Bag, and a Toy!
From Dr. Cooper and your friends at Banderas Pet Hospital!
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