Gum Disease in Pets

The most common dental problem we encounter with our pets is gum disease. The gums are an important barrier between the mouth and the tooth roots. When infection starts here, it can easily spread into the bone around the tooth as well into the blood stream. Unless we do something to prevent it, 85% of cats and dogs older than 2 years will have gum disease.

The simple answer is to brush your pets teeth. Easy to say, not quite to easy to do unless you start as a puppy or kitten. Even then, it can occasionally prove to be a challenge. There are some steps to follow that can make your daily routine easier.

Always use very positive rewards after attempting brushing. There are several good tasting pastes on the market ranging from seafood to liver and everything in between. Some people even start by using canned food as toothpaste. For others a tasteless product is better. We do not recommend using human toothpastes as they contain foaming agents and flouride that may be detrimental to pets.

This is the beginning of a life habit. We don't need to get a shiny white smile overnight. Pay particular attention to the outsides of the teeth only. Usually the tongue is able to keep the insides clean.

Once the habit of daily brushing is established, a professional cleaning makes good sense. Even the best brushing will not be able to remove the yellow calculus on the teeth or under the gum line. During the cleaning, ultrasound is used to remove the calculus and the gum pockets are cleaned by a procedure called curetting. DO NOT ATTEMPT THIS AT HOME! Sharp implements will scratch the tooth surface and make it easier for more calculus to form. The teeth must be polished after. Our veterinary dental technician carefully cleans and polishes all surfaces.

If brushing the teeth cannot be done regularly, it doesn't mean you must accept poor oral health. There are several things that can improve your pet's mouth.

Oral Hygiene Solution: Simply adding one teaspoon of the Pet Oral Hygiene solution into you pet's water dish may be helpful. Every time they drink it, the solution oxidizes the bacteria in the gum pockets. Once swallowed it is quickly inactivated by the stomach contents and is non toxic to your pet.

Oral Gel: Applying a sticky oxidizing gel inside your pet's mouth can be helpful too. As they try to swallow the gel, their tongue spreads it so it comes into contact with the whole mouth. Although not as effective as brushing, it can be very helpful.

Chew Toys:We know that in nature, the ripping and tearing flesh as well as chewing on bones helps to wipe away any bacteria. Animals that spend at least 20 minutes a day chewing seem to have healthier gums and teeth. There are a variety of different foods and toys that can hel p both dogs and cats. Care must be taken to make sure that the chew toy is not too hard or brittle as teeth can be broken relatively easily. Broken teeth may need to be repaired by a root canal or the tooth may need to be pulled. Always make sure the toy will break first! Some acceptable products that may reduce gum disease if chewed or eaten regularly are:

*Cats: furry mice toys, Friskies Dental Diet T - Hills t/dT and real mice and birds (argh!)

This is a procedure done under a general anesthetic. Once pre-operative bloodwork has determined your pet is able to undergo an anesthetic, they would be admitted into the hospital for the day procedure. They have a pre-op exam and are given a sedative. An intra-venous catheter is then placed and they are given an antibiotic injection. Your pet is then given an anesthetic by injection or gas and maintained on a gas called isofurane. They have intravenous fluid therapy during the entire procedure as well as a pulse-oximeter to monitor oxygen level and heart rate. Our Registered Veterinary Technicians perform the dental prophylaxis. This includes radiographs if required, an ultrasonic scale of the tartar above the gum line, manual scale above and below the gum line, exploring and probing of the gingival pockets, charting of any concerns, and polishing of all surfaces of the teeth. Any concerns would be directed to Dr Mulder or Dr Mark for assessment and possible extraction. Your pet would recover in our critical care area of the hospital with monitoring by the Registered Veterinary Technicians. Discharge of your pet to you would include time to discuss with you home care instructions following an anesthetic and the start of home preventive dental care.

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Gum Disease in Pets

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