Dog’s and cats need dental care just the same as we do. Unfortunately for dogs and cats this can often be overlooked. Few owners brush their pet’s teeth regularly.
Dental hygiene is an important part of your pets overall health, just like nutrition, exercise and grooming.
By noticing dental problems early with your dog or cat you can help avoid more serious dental diseases.
We like to check puppies every month to make sure that their mouth conformation is normal and that there are not problems developing with abnormal tooth position.
As part of general dental care, you should check your pet’s teeth on a regular basis and watch out for signs that could indicate problems.
A good hygiene routine involves daily tooth brushing; this is the most effective way to remove plaque. Special toothbrushes and toothpastes are available for dogs and cats. ask Ask at our Veterinary centre.
We recommend dogs and cats at our surgery have regular health check ups as routine, ideally at least every 6 – 12 months. This helps us spot any signs or problems early with your pet’s dental hygiene.
Dental Care – Signs you should watch out for.
If your dog or cat experiences any of the above we would strongly recommend you bring them in for a dental check up.
We have invested in the latest equipment to provide a high quality level of dental care for your pets.
We have digital dental X-ray systems. This means x-rays of your pet’s teeth can be taken straight away to accurately diagnose the problem.
These x-rays allow us to see both the crown and root structures and check the overall health of the tooth and surrounding bone. We perform full mouth dental radiographs in our dental work as nearly 30% of normal-appearing dog teeth have significant disease seen on x-ray, and this rises to over 40% in cats. Full mouth x-rays ensure the most optimal dental care for your pet is carried out.
We have a full range of equipment you’re for your pet’s dental care such as a high-speed dental drill, low-speed polishing device, and ultrasonic scaling capabilities. We have hand instruments available for all sizes of pets.
We are one of the few practices locally that can confidently perform root canal surgery to help preserve fractured teeth instead of extracting them.
In addition we have recently opened our new dental suite for dental radiology, root canal procedures, restoration work, radiography, extractions, restoration treatments and oral masses.
Diet can be a major factor in the contribution of plaque and tartar build up. We recommend several foods for dogs and cats prone to plaque and tartar including Hills Science Plan Oral Care, and Hills Canine/Feline t/d. A full list of Veterinary Oral Health Council approved diets and chews are food here. These diets/chews can help prevent plaque and tartar building up above the gum line.
Dental chews can also be a good addition to brushing however; these should not be relied on alone.
If you have any concerns or need further information regarding your pet’s dental care, please call us to arrange an appointment.
What an amazing group of people. Really caring and always fully knowledgable about the health of my two dogs. I love my dogs so much that their care is important to me and I am confident that the team at Dragon Vets have my pets interests at the heart of the work they do.
I cannot thank the team enough at Dragon Vets for taking such good care of Wilma when she was poorly. The staff were amazing throughout and the vets knew exactly what she needed. Keep up the great work.
