Small Talk - Winter 2018

Dental Care The old adage ‘a stitch in time saves nine’, is often true in veterinary practice, but possibly never more so than in regards to dental care. We often get pets presented for routine check ups and on clinical examination discover fairly advanced dental disease. Dental care in pets T he reality is that without regular dental care and good diet, teeth and gums will suffer. Unfortunately it is a sad fact that dental disease is often the tip of the iceberg, and the obvious discomfort and potential infection in the mouth can lead to much more serious consequences such as heart disease and kidney problems. The options for dental care for your pet will obviously need to be tailored for the individual animal and can be limited by their temperament. Anyone who has tried to brush their cat's teeth when they are not used to it will understand that this is not always an easy option! It should be remembered that we are not just talking about cats and dogs here. With the increasing numbers of rabbits and rodents that we see in practice today the principles of regular dental checkups apply here as well. These small furries carry their own unique issues when it comes to dental care. Options for dental care may involve dental chews, oral gels, tooth brushing, dietary choice, additives to the drinking water, and just as with ourselves, dental treatment such as scaling and polishing teeth, and more complicated dental procedures, are all available if required. Most of our pets need to have an anaesthetic in order to have a dental scale or more serious treatment so we would always encourage pet owners to take dental care seriously and develop a plan before problems arise. With this in mind it is always the best policy to get our pets used to having their mouths examined thoroughly from a very early age. We encourage puppy owners at puppy parties and first vaccinations to do exactly that, and to do it regularly so that when we as vets and nurses need to examine their pet it is much less stressful all round! Even if your pet is older, it is never too late to develop a program of good dental care just as we would do for ourselves. Regular dental checks to monitor teeth and gums will hopefully prevent problems becoming advanced before we need to intervene. The sad reality is that the more extreme cases of dental disease and its consequences are normally easily avoidable with a bit of planning and an agreed strategy for that pet. If you have any questions about dental care for your pet please contact your practice and we will be able to sort a sensible plan together with you and your pet! By David Coombs BVSc MRCVS Rosevean Veterinary Practice