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Have
you smelt your pet's breath recently? Do you look at your pet's
teeth?
At
Endell Veterinary Group, oral hygiene is regarded as an important
part of every dog, cat and rabbit's general health. Dental disease
can occur in young and aged animals so it is vital your pet gets
used to having his/her mouth examined regularly.
If
tartar (hard brown material) and gingivitis (red gums) are already
present, your pet will need a general anaesthetic to have the teeth
cleaned. Once under the anaesthetic the teeth are scaled with a
sonic scaler to remove the tartar. This is followed with the use
of a curette, an instrument which removes material from under the
gum line. At this stage the teeth are probed to examine them for
fractures, caries (holes) or gum recession. Teeth which are a source
of pain will be extracted. Dissolvable sutures may be placed to
encourage healing. The clean, healthy teeth are then polished and a fluoride
treatment applied to smooth the surface and prevent rapid re–attachment
of plaque. If radiographs are required in the assessment of a patient,
e.g. fractured teeth, caries or root absorption, Endell Veterinary
Group has a dental x–ray machine.
Nurse
clinics are run to give advice on keeping the teeth clean by brushing
with a pet toothpaste, and the various chews and toys available.
Rabbits
too can get dental problems. Diet plays an important part in keeping
teeth healthy. Advice on diet and dental care for rabbits and other
‘small furries' is available.
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