Thursday, February 4, 2016

Dental Health Month, Part One



Happy National Pet Dental Health Month! This week I thought I would discuss exactly what dental disease is. This is a serious disease that can greatly affect your pets’ life.

Dental disease, what is it exactly? Well, there are 4 stages but we will start with the basics. First, bacteria in the mouth form an evil substance called plaque. The evil booger attaches to the surface of your pets teeth. But that’s not good enough for the plaque! It then teams up with the minerals found in saliva to help grow stronger! This team work then forms tartar. Now, plaque and tartar attack! They not only reside on the surface of the teeth but they also invade the gum lines. This friends, is not good! The bacteria in plaque and tartar secrete nasty toxins. These toxins damage the supporting tissues around the teeth. Before you know it, your teeth are falling out! Now, I don’t know about you, but I like ALL of my teeth! And guess what, it can even get worse! The bacteria that continue to invade the mouth can spread to the blood stream and travel through your pets’ whole body. This can cause them to be at a higher risk for heart, liver and kidney disease! Yikes! There has got to be a way to stop this invasion! You are in luck. There are several preventative measures you can take to help prevent dental disease.

* Daily teeth brushing. Yup, that’s right, get in there and brush your pets’ teeth! We have tooth brushes, finger brushes and pet tooth paste at the office.
*  Dental treats. An easy and yummy way to help break away tartar.
*  Dental diet. We have Royal Canin Dental Diet at the office.
* Early detection! Annual exams at the Sunderland Animal Hospital to evaluate your pets’ dental health.

There you have it, the ugly truth about dental disease! Call my girls at the office if you have any questions or want to set up a dental exam with Dr. Ellis. Tune in next week for what signs to look for.

Until next time!
-Murphy Cat

No comments:

Post a Comment