pet care topics

Dental Health
Dental care has emerged as an important aspect of pet overall health in the last decade. We now know that dental disease can result in considerable concerns for pets including heart disease, systemic illness, and pain. Early dental health care and regular evaluations of the mouth are key components to a healthier and happier pet.

Dental care starts early - eight to twelve weeks of age is best. Start by brushing once to twice weekly to allow your pet to become become familiar with the routine. Your ultimate goal is to brush teeth daily. Work with your pet’s mouth, make it FUN for both of you and use a lot of praise to gain their confidence. Routines are very important for pets, so try to have your practice sessions at the same time each day. Toothpastes, brushes, rinses, and gels all increase the effectiveness of your homecare program, but it is the daily brushing which does most of the cleaning! Use a children’s soft bristle toothbrush and you can use veterinary enzyme-based toothpastes that are safe and tasty for your pet. Avoid natural bones, dried cow hooves, and hard nylon toys – these are hard enough to fracture teeth. It does help to feed abrasive foods, raw hide strips, and dense rubber chew toys (i.e. appropriately sized Kongs©). There are several diets available that are designed to reduce plaque and tartar buildup in the mouth. We recommend MediCal's Dental Formula for adult and senior dogs and cats. Having your pet’s mouth evaluated at least annually is an important part of the overall health care of your pet. Remember, dogs and cats were programmed to survive; they may eat normally in spite of considerable levels of oral pain!