Dental Care
We offer FREE toothbrushing assistance appointments for all pets!
In the event that your pet does require dental intervention, we have the latest digital dental x-ray capability as well
as a human grade dental machine to perform surgical dental extractions and offer an ultrasonic scale and polish for all of our pets.
Toothbrushing
This is important for all pets, and starting young, with a special pet toothbrush and veterinary toothpaste. It is a great idea to do this at least twice weekly.
The right food will of course go a long way to help maintain good oral health. There are specifically designed dental diets available.
Getting to Know Your Pet's Teeth
When puppies and kittens are born, they have no teeth, but teeth normally start to appear around the third week of life. Like us, dogs and cats will have two sets of teeth during their lifetime– milk teeth (deciduous teeth) and permanent teeth. A dog will ordinarily have 42 teeth in total, irrespective of its breed and a cat will have 30 teeth.
At around three months old, the roots of the milk teeth begin to dissolve and these teeth fall out by themselves. They are rarely found since the puppies tend to swallow them (don't panic, this is completely normal!) Your pets food now needs to be a little harder, so that their tooth breaks through the kibble and gets 'brushed' whilst eating.
They are then gradually replaced by the permanent teeth. Your pets dental development usually finishes at around 6-7 months of age. A visit to your vet at this point is advisable in order to check the condition of the teeth and to check that all milk teeth have fallen out.
What many people do not realise is that an infection in the mouth and of the teeth can cause serious problems elsewhere. The infection can travel through the bloodstream and into organs such as heart, lungs and kidneys.
Tooth brushing is a simple preventative action that could save your pet from getting tooth decay and other serious health issues.
Healthy Mouths, Happy Pets
Cats as well as dogs can suffer tooth decay, look out for these symptoms in your pet:
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Quieter, not behaving normally
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Difficulty picking up food
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Not eating normally
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Swelling on the face indicating abscess
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Gum inflammation
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Bleeding gums
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Yellowing of teeth with scale and tartar
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Loose teeth
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Dribbling
Click here to learn how to brush
your pet's Teeth