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If you are reading this after your pet has received dental
treatment, your pet's teeth have been professionally scaled, polished and
varnished. Like people, animals need this attention on a routine basis.
However now that your pet has a fresh mouth, it is the ideal
opportunity to begin some form of active preventative oral care. There are many
options from tooth brushing to convenient dental treats and much more in
between.
For this reason we have set out different stages for an oral
hygiene programme so that every owner and pet could fall into at least one
category, no matter what their lifestyle.
Caring For Your Pet's Teeth
We recommend an oral hygiene programme which includes brushing,
since brushing is considered the most effective method of removing plaque.
However very often brushing your pet's teeth is impossible for many different
reasons, compliance being a major factor with an older animal.
Brushing your pet's teeth
It is important to use a toothbrush and toothpaste designed for
pets. The toothbrushes are ultra soft and shaped to fit your pet's mouth and all
the different shaped teeth.
Pet toothpastes have flavours that appeal to pets e.g. malt,
poultry and seafood flavour and do not need to be rinsed. Human toothpastes must
never be used as they contain ingredients which should not be swallowed.
Toothpastes are also available that do not require brushing and
can be put directly into the animals mouth or applied to a paw to be licked off.
Free samples are available and a Nurse can demonstrate how to
use them for you.
Diet
Diet can be a major factor in dental management. Soft foods i.e.
tinned diets, may contribute to plaque build-up and subsequent periodontal
disease. Good quality dry food e.g. Hill's Science Plan and Iams / Eukanuba or
specially formulated abrasive diets can be helpful to reduce the build-up of
plaque.
We usually advise that if you do not currently feed a dry
component in your pet's diet, that you introduce approximately 25-50% dry diet.
Good quality dry food comes in different sized kibble to fit all sizes of mouth.
Free samples can be provided and an approximation of cost per
day feeding given by the nurses at a dental check-up.
Teeth friendly treats
Specially-treated abrasive dental chews are available. They can
be used as an alternative for those days when you do not brush or as a
reasonably effective measure in preventative oral management. Dental chews are
available for both dogs and cats. Dog treats are poultry flavoured and cat chews
come in two flavours, fish and poultry.
Finally
There is of course the option to do nothing at all and you may
feel that you do not have enough time in your schedule to fit in an oral hygiene
programme. But we hope to have demonstrated that most of the options are very
uncomplicated and while a combination of all of the stages outlined would be the
most effective way of delaying the time before your pets next dental a simple
change of diet alone can be quite effective.
If you require any further information about the topics
discussed or wound like a demonstration, free samples of either toothpaste or
food or simply advice please ask a nurse, who will be happy to assist.
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