Central Texas Animal Hospital in Pflugerville, TX offers dog dental care as one of our primary services for dog owners. Your dog can’t brush his own teeth, so it requires at-home care and a professional dog dental cleaning on occasion to keep him in top health.
Preventing Dog Dental Disease
A dog can become cranky and irritable if they start having dental problems. It may be time for professional teeth cleaning at the veterinarian’s office if you notice any of these symptoms:
- Swollen gums
- Pain while the dog is chewing
- Bad breath
- Food falling out of pet’s mouth
- Bleeding gums
- Discoloration of the teeth
The best way to avoid these problems is to bring your dog in once a year for a professional cleaning.
Periodontal Disease in Dogs
Periodontal disease can be very painful for dogs. It may lead to:
- loose teeth
- abscesses
- bone loss
- infection
As bacterial growth continues to increase, the bacteria may enter the bloodstream which can cause infection of the heart valves (endocarditis), liver, and kidneys.
If treated by your veterinarian with special instruments and procedures, periodontal disease can be slowed or stopped.
Dental Hygiene
Dental exams, routine use of dental chews, specially designed dental-health diets, and professional dental scaling/polishing are important for a healthy mouth. If the tartar is not removed, it builds up under the gums. It separates the gums from the teeth to form “pockets” and encourages even more bacterial growth. At this point the damage, called periodontal disease, is irreversible.
Dog Dental Cleaning
Most pets will not sit still while working on their teeth, so a dog dental cleaning procedure does require mild anesthesia. This keeps the pet from feeling anxious or nipping at anyone while his teeth are cleaned.
During the procedure, the dog’s teeth will be polished and any surface plaque will be scraped away. Broken or damaged teeth that are really bothersome can be removed at this time if necessary, while the dog is sedated. The pet is then given a fluoride treatment and a sealant is applied to the teeth.
Having your dog’s teeth cleaned once a year prevents infection from building up below the gum line. This can be a bad health problem for a dog, since a gum infection can get into the bloodstream and spread to other organs in the body.
At-Home Dental Care for Dogs
Taking care of your dog’s teeth at home will make vet dental visits go that much easier. We can recommend products that you can use to care for your dog’s teeth at home. Once your dog gets used to it, brushing his teeth once a day can become a fun part of being a pet owner — and it helps to prevent plaque from building up on his teeth over the long run.
If you’d like to schedule a dog dental cleaning, call our office in Pflugerville at 512-251-BARK (2275).
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