Pet Dental Health Month: Why Your Pet’s Smile Matters

In the pet care world, February is Pet Dental Health Month. This means it’s a perfect time for veterinarians everywhere to highlight the importance of pet dental cleaning. 

While many pet parents have an impressive laser focus on nutrition and exercise, it’s all too easy to overlook those pearly whites. Yet oral health plays a major role in your furry family member’s overall wellness.

Routine pet dental cleanings can help prevent pain, infections, and serious health complications that can affect far more than just your pet’s mouth. 

Here’s what the team at Blue Ravine Animal Hospital wants you to know. 

Why Dental Health is About More than Avoiding Stinky Breath

Dental disease is one of the most common health conditions that dogs and cats live with. In fact, most pets over the age of three live with some form of dental disease, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association.

This is a problem. Without regular brushing, plaque and tartar can build up and lead to gingivitis, tooth loss, and infections. And those infections, unfortunately, can spread to the rest of your pet’s body.

Remember how we said that oral health affects the rest of your pet’s body, not just their mouth? Bacteria from untreated dental disease can sneak into your pet’s bloodstream and spread to major organs like the heart, liver, and kidneys. 

This is when things get dangerous. The bacteria can lead to issues with your pet’s heart valves, inflame the kidneys, worsen blood sugar, and make it harder for the liver to filter out harmful toxins.

There’s good news, though. With regular brushing and yearly veterinary dentistry appointments, your pet can avoid many of the worst problems related to oral disease.

The Importance of Professional Dog Teeth Cleaning

Even with excellent at-home care—by which we mean daily or, at the very least, weekly brushing—your pet can develop hardened tartar below their gumline. This is where professional dog teeth cleaning comes in. 

A full, professional, veterinary oral exam and cleaning includes: 

• Full oral examination
• Scaling to manually or ultrasonically remove plaque and tartar
• Polishing to smooth and prettify the surface of each tooth
• Dental X-rays to uncover issues hidden below the gumline

Dogs that suffer from dental disease do show signs, although they’re subtle. You might notice unusually stinky, rotten-smelling breath. Or, your pup might start to find chewing difficult—or produce more drool than normal. 

These are signs of tooth discomfort, and a vet visit is warranted to either diagnose or rule out oral issues. 

The good news is that with regular cleanings and annual veterinary dentistry appointments, your pet can avoid the more painful complications of oral disease. 

Why Cat Dental Health Shouldn’t Go Ignored

Like dogs, cats can suffer from painful dental diseases and issues like tooth resorption, which affects between 20-60% of all cats. But cats are skilled at hiding their pain, which makes it crucial to understand the symptoms of potential issues. 

These can include: 

• Lowered appetite or weight loss
• Messier eating with lots of dropped food
• Unusual irritability or changes in behavior

With routine dental exams and cleanings, your veterinary team can catch these issues early, improving your feline friend’s oral and overall health.

How to Support Dental Health at Home

You can support your pet’s dental health at home by: 

• Picking a delicious, pet-safe toothpaste and gradually introducing a daily or weekly brushing routine
• Offering dental chews to strengthen and clean your pet’s teeth
• Using water additives like VETRADENT’s Dog & Cat Dental Water Additive to help support healthy teeth, especially when daily brushing isn’t feasible

Finally, make sure to schedule your pet’s annual cleaning and exam sooner rather than later. Our skilled team at Blue Ravine Animal Hospital offers veterinary dentistry services for cats and dogs. Call us at (916) 984-0990 to schedule your pet’s cleaning today!