Lack of care for pets' teeth is the largest problem (my
opinion) veterinarians face in pet health care today.
Usually this arises because many people, including many
veterinarians, do not understand the importance of dental care in
the overall health maintenance of any animal, whether it
be ourselves, our dogs, cats, ferrets or other small
pocket pets. The situation is improving, but we still have a
long way to go. Veterinarians increasing their knowledge of
dental health is aiding in reducing the gap in the knowledge needed
to promote far better general health in our pet population.
Dental care should be begun early in any pet's life, usually at
3 to 4 months of age, and continued throughout life.
Initially, we use treated dental chews, obtained from your
veterinarian, that help retard tartar formation and bacterial
growth. As the years pass and the animal ages, annual
dental cleanings are recommended to remove any collected tartar and
damaging material that always collect aound the teeth while eating
and chewing. Using dental chews throughout a pet's life is
also a good policy because they will help reduce dental
problems during the year and may extend the time between necessary
dental procedures.
When teeth are damaged and oral and general health are affected,
there are a variety of procedures that may be used to help your pet
regain its health, and we may be able to save infected or damaged
teeth in the process. See the surgical procedures below:
