Kivisto Veterinary Clinic February 2012 Newsletter:

PERIODONTAL DISEASE IN DOGS AND CATS:

Periodontal disease is the most common disease condition in the dogs and cat. While 85% of adult pets have periodontal disease, it can be easy to prevent.  With routine home dental care and periodic professional dental cleanings, you can help protect your pet from increasingly serious stages of periodontal disease. Just a few minutes of home dental care a day helps to prevent plaque and tartar buildup—and more serious problems. We recommend the following home dental care options:

• Brushing your pet’s teeth with pet toothpaste on a daily basis decreases the buildup of bacteria-laden plaque and will prevent or control dental disease. Never use human products such as toothpaste and mouthwash as they can make your pet sick. We recommend using pet safe toothpaste and either a soft bristled toothbrush, a fingertip brush or a gauze pad. Introduce your pet slowly to getting their teeth brushed.  The first step involves letting your pet get used to having their muzzle and mouth handled, then gently stroke their gums and teeth with your fingers. Second, use the toothbrush to gently touch your pet’s muzzle and let them taste the toothpaste.  It is okay to allow your pet to chew on the bristles of the toothbrush. Finally, brush your pet’s teeth by gently placing a toothpaste laden brush at a 45 degree angle to the gum line. Gently brush the outside surfaces of each tooth. While all surfaces can collect plaque, the outside surfaces are the most important to brush. Since plaque hardens into tartar within 24-48 hours, it is best to brush at least every other day. Make brushing fun for your pet by using lots of praise and special rewards.
• Tartar control treats can be a helpful addition to a home dental care routine. CET chews are fun treats, which contain enzymes that breakdown plaque and tartar when your pet chews on them. Alternatively, offering several of the Science Diet Prescription T/D kibbles on a daily basis reduces accumulation of plaque, tartar, bad breath and oral disease by gently scrubbing the entire tooth surface.
• Applying a dental rinse on a daily basis after meals provides an antimicrobial defense against accumulation of plaque and calculus. CET also makes a dental rinse additive for drinking water that makes fighting plaque on your pet’s teeth even easier.

Home dental care is just as important to your pet’s health as professional dental cleanings. Daily brushing and the use of dental treats and dental rinses will reduce the number of professional dental cleanings in your pet’s life, give your pet better breath and provide better overall health for your pet.

February is National Pet Dental Health Month and we are celebrating with a discount off of our professional dental cleanings scheduled in February. Kivisto Veterinary Clinic also carries a complete line of CET dental treats, CET dental rinses and Science Diet tartar control diet. Schedule your pet’s dental cleaning or stop in and check out our pet dental products and start enjoying better pet breath and better pet health.