National Dental Month

Does your dog’s breath stink to high heaven?  Is your kitty having difficulty eating?  Is your puppy drooling frequently?  Do you notice your cat paw or rub its mouth repeatedly? Would your dentist be appalled if he saw your dog or cat’s yellow and brown teeth?  If the answer to any of these questions is a resounding “Yes,” chances are your little loved one has periodontal disease.

Periodontal disease, also known more plainly as dental disease, is a very common ailment.  Although it is more common in older pets, 70% of cats and 80% of dogs show sings of dental disease by the age of two.  If left untreated, dental disease can lead to tooth loss and immense pain that affects your pet’s quality of life.  It can even impact vital organs like the heart, liver, and kidneys by bacteria that enter the bloodstream via the infected mouth.

Dental disease intensifies in stages.  Stage one is defined by a slight redness of the gums and mild amounts of tartar and plaque.  If the tarter and plaque are not removed, stage one progresses to stage two, which is characterized by a swelling of the gums and a build-up of plaque and tarter over and under the gums.  In stage three, the amount of plaque and tarter increases, as well as swelling and bleeding of the gums.  The infection will begin to corrode the bone around the tooth, forming small, painful pockets of infection.  Stage four is a severe inflammation and recession of the gums.  The infected pockets present in stage three deepen and bleed easily.  Tooth loss is imminent.

The only way to reverse the effects of severe dental disease is to perform a prophylaxis.  During a prophylaxis procedure, technicians thoroughly clean the teeth by scraping away the plaque and tarter, and, in some instances, extract rotted or abscessed teeth.  February is National Dental Month, and all month long we at Quail Pointe Veterinary Hospital offer 15% off all prophylaxis procedures (excludes extractions and antibiotics).

But your pet’s oral health doesn’t just end there.  We will include with your prophylaxis one five-pound bag of Hill’s Prescription Diet t/d, completely covered in the price of the procedure.  Prescription Diet t/d is a food specially designed with your pet’s oral and overall health in mind.  The kibbles work as a toothbrush, gently cleaning teeth and scrubbing away plaque.  Prescription Diet t/d works better than the leading grocery band by a difference of 25% and is conveniently available for cats and dogs.

If your dentist would cringe at the sight of your dog or cat’s mouth, give us a call for more tips on oral health care, and for information on dental disease, the prophylaxis procedure, and Hill’s Prescription Diet t/d.