By: Ryan Jurgensmeyer B.S., M.S., LVMT

Dental hygiene in veterinary medicine has changed immensely over recent years. Much research has been done to improve this void in our animal counterparts. They have shown that regular dental care can greatly improve your pet’s quality of life in many ways: decreased tartar build-up, decreased gingivitis, reduced bad breath, and an over all happier pet.

The average pet should have their teeth cleaned approximately once a year depending on the breed and the animals overall oral health. In conjunction with the normal dental prophylaxis, they need at-home care just as you and I do on a daily basis. Research has shown that even minimal at home dental care can improve the overall oral health of your pet.

Dental hygiene at home can be done many different ways with many different products, all of which are usually at a minimal cost to you the owner. First and best is an actually tooth brushing. This removes excess food particles, plaque, and other build up from the teeth. It also helps to eliminate the bacteria that can cause halitosis (the all too common bad breath that you may experience). Second, CET dental chews are an easy way to help your pet with their oral hygiene. The chews are made of synthetic, highly digestible rawhide material that is impregnated with chlorhexadine. Chlorhexadine is an antiseptic, which kills bacteria in the mouth. The rawhide material is designed to scrape the teeth while allowing your pet to think they are getting a treat. Finally, using CET dental hygiene rinse is a less effective, but productive way for you, the owner, to use some type of at home dental hygiene for your pet. This is a thick liquid that you apply to your pets teeth with an applicator. It also contains chlorhexadine which can kill bacteria in the mouth, as long as it is in contact with the gum line for approximately 60 seconds.

Dental hygiene is something you can start at any time during their life. Some may be more resistant or accepting than others. If you have any questions or concerns, you are always welcome to call or come in to talk to myself regarding tips or ideas on how you can best introduce this into your pets’ daily routine. If your pets teeth are already in bad shape we recommend they have a dental prophylaxis to get them as clean as possible, then we can start a at home dental hygiene plan.

February is Dental Hygiene Awareness month for our pets. We do not only recommend dental hygiene at this time to any client, but we take the opportunity to educate our current and future clients’ in more detail. Please feel free to call with any questions or to schedule your dental cleaning today!