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As dental hygeine in dogs and cats is as important as in humans, it is highly recommended you bring your pets in for a tooth check. This will give the vet the opportunity to check your pets teeth and gums, and answer any questions you might have about teeth cleaning and oral hygeine.

Dental disease is very common in cats and dogs, to avoid any potential problems, bring your pet in to allow the vet to recommend any appropriate treatment.

Rabbits, guiinea pogs and chinchillas need to chew for log periods everyday to allow their continuously growing cheek teeth to be worn down and prevent spurs forming. These make feeding painful by cutting into their cheeks and tongue. When a rabbit eats grass or hay, it chews in a sideways movement, wearing the teeth surfaces down evenly.

GUIDE TO PREVENTATIVE CARE AFTER SCALING/POLISHING

After your pet’s teeth have been cleaned and polished, preventative care is important to reduce build-up of bacteria and plaque and hopefully avoid, or at least reduce, the need for future de-scaling.

‘PREVENTATIVE CARE’ takes the form of the following:

• Toothbrushing

• Diet

• Chews

• Oral Hygiene Gels

TOOTHBRUSHING: Just as for your own teeth, daily brushing is the most effective way to reduce bacteria/plaque build-up, but even cleaning thoroughly once a week will make a difference. Never use human preparations for pets - our toothpaste is not designed to be swallowed and contains frothing agents that make it unsuitable for pets. Pet toothpaste is flavoured for pet palates and does not need to be rinsed, so your pet may well come to enjoy his/her tooth brushing sessions.

Pet toothbrushes are softer and shaped to fit your pet’s mouth comfortably.

Beginning brushing with a young puppy/kitten is best but it is never to late to start. Choose a time when you can enjoy a few minutes of relaxed contact with your pet and progress slowly.

DAY 1 – Gently stroke the outside of your pets cheek with your finger only and lift his/her lip for about 30 seconds. PRAISE AND REWARD WITH A TREAT AT THE END OF EACH SESSION.

DAY 2 – Repeat the above then place a small amount of pet toothpaste on your finger and let him/her sample it.

DAY 3 – Repeat Day 2 then run your finger plus some toothpaste over your pet’s teeth for a few seconds.

DAY 4 – Repeat Day 3 and this time use a finger brush for a few seconds. Progress slowly over the next few days, be gentle and patient, introduce a proper toothbrush at this stage. The back teeth and areas just below the gum are usually the worst effected by plaque so try pay special attention here.

DIET: Feeding a dry complete diet is an easy way of reducing plaque, due to the abrasive action the dry pellets have on the teeth. Tinned meat, on the other hand, just sits in the gaps between teeth and is a haven for bacteria, which results in plaque formation. Feeding sweet foods will also increase the build-up of bacteria.

CHEWS: Many dental chews are now available, some of which contain plaque-fighting enzymes, and abrasive action as they are chewed helps clean teeth. The same abrasive action from chewing rawhide type chews and toys designed to be chewed will help. Bones are not so suitable as they can break teeth or splinter and damage your pet’s gut.

ORAL HYGIENE GELS: These adhere to teeth and gums, allowing enzymes in the gel to break down existing plaque-to some extent-and control bacteria responsible for plaque formation. The gel should be daily by putting directly into the mouth, putting into food or applied to paws to be licked off. It is ideal for pet’s that refuse to allow tooth brushing.

Finally, regular dental checks at the surgery will detect problems early. You should have an appointment with the nurse or vet to check your pet’s mouth approx. one week after a dental and you will receive an invitation for a free dental check in 6 months time.Telephone the surgery if you have any problems/queries in the meantime.