Dental Awareness Month
With August in full steam, Pet Insurance Australia is urging all pet owners to consider their pets dental hygiene.
āDental care is incredibly important for our pets,ā Nadia Crighton spokesperson from PIA says. āThe mouth and gums are the gateways to the body, so keeping your petās teeth in good condition can prevent many possible issues with their overall health.ā
With dental disease being so prominent many vets now encourage discounted vet checks during the month of August.
āThis is a really wonderful initiative being rolled out around Australia and a great reason to get your pets’ teeth checked.ā
Dr Leigh Davidson, Director at Your Vet Online agrees;
āOur mouths are naturally full of bacteria that can lead to infection. This infection and inflammation that it causes isnāt just contained to the mouth though, it actually has far-reaching effects on all our body systems,ā she says. āHeart disease, liver disease, kidney disease all have links to problems that start in the mouth. Dental health is something we can all do to keep our petās healthy! Dental disease is totally preventable.ā
Dr Davidson is also quick to remind readers to be aware of the quality of your professional teeth clean.
āHave your veterinarian check your petās teeth every 6 months and perform a scale and polish if required,ā she says. āRemember anaesthesia free dentistry does nothing for the disease below the gum line.ā
Signs of dental disease
- Bad breath
- Staining on teeth
- Bleeding gums
- Excessive salivation
- Soreness around the jaw
- Difficulty chewing
- Unusual swelling associated with the jaw
āItās also important to remember that our pets are masters at masking pain,ā Nadia Crighton from Pet Insurance Australia says. āSo itās up to owners to be vigilant with checking their pets’ teeth.ā
āOccasionally they rub their face. Most often, we smell a nasty stench of bad breath. We call this halitosis and if your pet has this it is definitely time to get their mouth checked at the vets. Your animalās breath should not have a smell that is unpleasant,ā Dr Davidson adds.
āThe other sign that your pet has a problem, and this is important, is if you see any redness around the gumline. This is a sign of inflammation called gingivitis. If present we need to treat your pet asap. Gingivitis can be reversed, but if left, it results in periodontitis, an irreversible condition that may result in your pet needing teeth to be removed.ā
Look out for the signs and prevent dental disease with basic dental care, routine checks and cleaning.
Other preventative measures include:
- daily toothbrushing
- dental chews ā check out VOHC.org for those that have a tick of approval
- prescription dental diets
- if your pet can handle it ā a large, meaty, raw, non-cut bone
- cats enjoy cooked, long strips of gravy beef
Nadia Crighton is a renowned and accomplished professional in the fields of Journalism, Public Relations, and Writing, with an extensive career spanning over 25 years, 20 of which have been dedicated to promoting the health and well-being of pets.
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