DENTAL CARE

Imagine how your teeth would look and feel if you didn't brush them daily? Pets have teeth too!

Periodontal (gum) disease is a condition that affects more than 95% of dogs and 70% of cats over the age of 5 years. Good dental care and routine dental examinations will help your pet to keep their healthy set of teeth and gums and can significantly decrease the harmful effects of periodontal disease to their other major organ systems. Oral health problems begin with the build-up of plaque, a sticky film of bacteria that continually forms on the surface of teeth. If left untreated, this plaque will fill the pockets between the teeth and gums and adhere to the surface of the tooth to form a hardened calculus (tartar). The bacteria present between the teeth and tartar along the gum line irritate the gums, causing swelling and pain of the gums (gingivitis). If left to further develop, the root structure of each tooth will start to dissolve and become weak, causing painful and even abscessed teeth. Bacteria can also enter the blood stream through blood vessels in the gums, which can spread to the kidneys, liver and heart causing infection. Though the effects of periodontal disease are quite damaging to your pet's health, there is a lot that you can do to be proactive in preventing this disease from overtaking your pet's mouth. 


Your pet may be telling you they have dental disease if you have observed any of the following:

ü  foul/bad breath

ü  inflamed gums (red and swollen)

ü  noticeable tartar build-up on teeth

ü  bleeding gums

ü  significant decrease in appetite

ü  painful chewing or loss of desire to chew

ü  trauma to teeth (fractured teeth)

ü  subdued behaviour/lethargy

ü  excessive salivation

Here's what you can do to provide good dental care for your pet:

J Regular dental examinations - bring your pet in every 6 months

    for a complimentary dental examination to assess the current

    condition of dental disease in your pet's mouth.

J Chewing - chewing promotes healthy gums, scrapes existing

    tartar off of teeth and can prevent plaque from turning into

    tartar on the teeth. We recommend giving your pet 1 Enzadent

    enzymatic rawhide chew per day, to keep the tartar away! We also

    recommend Kong® rubber toys and large smoked Dinobones.

J Brush teeth - if your pet lets you, this is excellent for the

    prevention of tartar buildup and good gingival blood circulation.

    Make sure that you use toothpaste specially formulated for pets.

J Diet - Medi-cal Feline and Canine Dental Formula is a dual action

    diet: the larger kibble size scrubs away the plaque that

    accumulates on the chewing surfaces of your pet's teeth and the

    HMP (sodium hexametaphosphate) enzyme in the diet binds with

    the calcium in your pet's saliva before it can attach itself to the

    surface of your pet's teeth and harden to become tartar.

J Dental cleanings done regularly - for pets that are pre-disposed

    to dental disease due to breed and genetics (small breed dogs are

    at greater risk of developing dental problems), observing all of the

    above still may not be enough to keep periodontal disease away.

    A dental scale and polish procedure and tooth extractions can

    only be done for your pet while they are under anesthesia and

    may need to be done every one or two years.

January and February are Dental Months!! 

During the months of January and February you can take advantage of the following:

·        all dental services performed will receive a 10% discount.

·        all pets receiving a dental procedure will go home with a complimentary bag of Medi-cal® Dental Formula

·        a trial Enzadent chew

·        a healthier pet with fresher breath!