February is pet Dental Health Month! | Ann Arbor Cat Clinic

Welcome to Pet Dental Health Month!

Dental health is one of the commonly overlooked areas in owning an animal. Most people don?t realize that cats, dogs, and other animals need proper dental care to keep their teeth and mouths healthy just like people do. Without proper care, pets can get many conditions and diseases that humans are also prone to. These include tartar and plaque buildup, gingivitis, rotting teeth, and gum disease. Poor oral health is also a major contributor to bad breath! When left untreated, these seemingly insignificant issues can have dire consequences. Tartar buildup and gingivitis can be quite painful and cause cats to stop eating well. Gingivitis infection?can also?spread to other organs (such as the heart and kidneys) through the bloodstream and lead to failure of those organs. Luckily, there are many easy ways to help your pets maintain good oral health.

The easiest way to promote good oral health is by adding an oral care food to your pets diet. There are multiple formulas of oral care diets ? be sure to ask your vet which diet would be most appropriate for your cat. Oral care diets are generally larger, crunchier kibbles that act as a scrubber almost on the surface of your cat?s teeth to help remove buildup from the teeth. Most oral diets seem to be very palatable and cats will eat them readily.

The best way to care for your pet?s teeth at home though is regular brushing. There are many varieties of pet toothbrushes, from ones that look like small human toothbrushes to ones that slide over your finger. Some people will also use gauze squares wrapped around their fingers instead of an actual toothbrush. There are also different choices for animal friendly toothpaste. You do NOT want to use human toothpaste on your cat; it can cause stomach upset. Animal toothpaste comes in a variety of flavors such as seafood, poultry, and malt. Animal toothpaste is also designed to stay on the teeth not get rinsed off, so don?t worry about how you?ll get your cat to rinse! Most cats will accept tooth brushing if you introduce it slowly. It is best to start when they are kittens, but it is never too late to start a dental care routine! You can also ask the vets to give you some tips on how to introduce brushing to your cat.

In honor of Pet Dental Month, we are offering free ?Lift the Lip? exams. A lift the lip exam is an appointment with one of our veterinary technicians who will visually check the status of your cat?s teeth and gums. The tech will let you know if your cat?s teeth look great, can use some preventative measures, or need a dental cleaning soon. If your cat does need a dental procedure, we will schedule you a pre surgical exam with the doctor who will be performing the dental procedure to discuss what will happen and make sure the cat is healthy enough for the procedure.

Also, anyone who schedules a dental procedure during the month of February will receive a free 7 lb. bag of Science Diet Oral Care food!

If you are interested in scheduling a ?Lift the Lip? exam, please call the office at 734-973-9090.

Source: http://annarborcatclinic.com/2012/02/february-is-pet-dental-health-month/

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