The Importance of Your Pet’s Dental Hygiene
Keeping your pet’s teeth clean is
essential to its health. Gum disease is common among pets with bad dental
hygiene and is indicated by bad breath, or halitosis. This is a result of the
bacterial infection of the gums, called gingiva, and supporting tissues.
What causes gum disease is plaque
that leads to dental tartar when plaque hardens and adheres to tooth enamel and
then erodes the gingival tissue. The indications of gum disease are redness,
soreness and swelling. The gums will separate from the teeth, creating pockets
where the bacteria, plaque and tartar build up. This creates more damage, tooth
and bone loss and the final result is Periodontitis (bacterial infection of the
mouth).
The bacteria from this
deterioration can enter the bloodstream and affect major body organs like the
liver, kidneys, heart and lungs. So, before a professional dental cleaning,
antibiotics are administered to prevent bacterial spread through the
bloodstream.
Dental treats that are treated
with enzymes help reduce the formation of tartar and calculus, but are not an
alternative to brushing away bacterial causing agents.
So, the bottom line is you gotta’
brush your pet’s teeth. You might be thinking, “Bath time is challenging as it
is! How in the world am I going to get my pet to sit still for a tooth brushing?”
You’ll be glad to know there are
4 easy steps to this process. Just like training your pet to do anything else,
there is a way to ease him/her into a routine of tooth brushing.
Step 1: Start the training by
placing a little cat or dog toothpaste on your finger and let your pet lick the
paste from your hand, like a treat. With cats, wrap a sterilized gauze strip around
your finger, dipped into the paste, or use a rubbery feline toothbrush with
paste on it. Do this several days in a row and follow it up each day with a
treat reward and praise.
Step 2: Place a little of the
toothpaste on your pet’s teeth (canine teeth for dogs) to get it used to having
it placed against their teeth and gums. Again, do this for several days and
follow it with a treat and praise.
Step 3: Introduce the toothbrush
that will be used for brushing. Place some toothpaste on it and let your pet
lick it off to get him/her used to the toothbrush and the texture of the
process. You will, again, do this for several days and follow up with a treat
and praise.
Step 4: Gently hold your pet’s
lips back and brush at a 45 degree angle to the gum line. Brush the outside of
the teeth using a back and forth motion while talking to him/her in a soothing
voice and praising as you go along. The first time you do this, only brush a
few teeth and increase the number of teeth each time you brush.
If time is minimal in your
schedule, you may substitute brushing with dental pads now and then, which kill
bacteria on the surface of the teeth.
Ideally, a tooth cleaning every
day is optimal. However, a few times per week will do. ALWAYS follow a brushing
with a treat and praise.
- Kassira McKee
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