Your pet’s oral care is probably a lot more important than you realize. Periodontal disease is one of the most common diseases seen by veterinarians. This common condition can cause serious, and sometimes irreversible and life-threatening health problems in your pet. The good news is that it’s a preventable condition with proper oral care.

Regular Cleanings

Although we sometimes believe that chewing hard food or on chew toys is enough to clean our pet’s teeth, nothing is further from the truth. While a chew toy can help improve oral heath and tooth strength, your pet still needs the advantage of regular and thorough cleaning. 

Tooth and Gum Brushing 

In both cats and dogs, it is important to remove bacteria and plaque-forming foods using toothpaste that is specially formulated for either cats or dogs. Never use toothpaste formulated for humans on your pet. There are also special toothbrushes for either cats or dogs, both made to be well tolerated by your pet. 

Vet Recommendations

Talk to your vet about your pet’s oral care. Your vet will be able to recommend an appropriate diet or special foods and chews, or even dental procedures that can improve your pet’s oral health. The vet can also recommend how often to brush your pet’s teeth bade on their current oral condition. 

Dental Care During Grooming

An easy way to assure that your pet gets their teeth cleaned on a regular basis is to talk to your pet groomer about including teeth cleaning in your pet’s normal grooming routine. Pet groomers are skilled at handling even the most reluctant pet which helps in getting the best results in oral care. 

Your pet’s oral health is key to preventing diseases. Talk to your vet about special foods and cleaning solutions, and ask your mobile pet groomer to include teeth cleaning in their next visit.

Visit our previous blog posts on dental care to learn how to brush your pet’s teeth: