How often do you brush your pet’s teeth? Do you opt for dental hygiene services whenever you visit the vet to prevent oral health issues? While we understand you might be brushing your pet’s teeth, you should be getting your canine or feline a pet teeth cleaning from a veterinarian at least once per year. At Animal Kingdom Veterinary Hospital, serving Boca Raton and the general vicinity, we’d like to explain why pet dentistry is so vital.
Gum Disease
Your pet is at risk of developing gum disease, which occurs when harmful bacteria evade the gum line and cause irritation. While it begins as gingivitis, if left untreated, your pet may develop full-blown gum disease, which can lead to pain and tooth loss. Your pet may lose gum tissue and jawbone tissue as it progresses. Gum disease ranks as the most common dental issue in pets, making it imperative for you to take steps to combat it.
Cavities
While it’s not as common as gum disease, your pet could develop cavities. Similar to gum disease, cavities stem from bacteria, specifically the bacteria Streptococcus mutans. The reason why your pet isn’t as prone to cavities as you are is that the carbohydrates you consume feed bad bacteria. Pets, on the other hand, don’t consume a large quantity of carbohydrates, so they don’t have this bacteria running rampant in their mouths.
Recognizing the Signs of a Problem
Since your pet can’t tell you they have a toothache, you need to know the symptoms and look out for them. This is especially the case since your pet may not exhibit highly visible symptoms. Firstly, you may find a piece of a broken tooth or the entire tooth. While they're eating, you may notice that one tooth is noticeably loose.
You might also notice that your pet seems in pain when they eat, is refusing to eat, or just isn’t eating as much as before. When you get close to your dog or cat, you may catch a whiff of a foul odor. If you look inside their mouth, you might see that their gums are red, swollen, or inflamed. Pets with gum disease may drool excessively.
Contact Animal Kingdom Veterinary Center in Boca Raton, FL
At Animal Kingdom Veterinary Center, serving Boca Raton and the nearby area, we offer pet dentistry, including pet teeth cleaning, to optimize your pet’s dental hygiene. We can also provide you with advice on what you can do at home to fight against gum disease and other oral health issues in pets. If you’d like to schedule an appointment with our veterinarian for your pet’s yearly dental cleaning, contact us at (561) 990-7414.
