Dental Fitness for Dogs and Cats

Did you know that your pets need dental care just as we humans do?  Every day we brush our teeth to ensure a healthy mouth, and we go to the dentist to seek dental care.  Just like us, our pets need regular veterinary care as well as consistent tooth brushing at home to keep their teeth healthy, and a healthy mouth leads to a healthy body.  Feeding special crunchy pet foods (treats such as milkbones and hard kibble foods designed for oral care) can also reduce plaque on the teeth. 

All pets are at risk for developing tooth and gum problems.  By the age of three, 80% of all dogs and 70% of all cats will show signs of periodontal (gum and bone) disease.  Smaller breeds of dogs and certain breeds of cats (Siamese, Persians and other Asian breeds) are more prone to the disease. And in addition to genetic factors, our pets’ diets contribute to the development of disease.  Canned or wet foods are often high in carbs that can easily lodge between an animal’s teeth and gums and promote gum disease.

If we don’t help our pets maintain good oral health, bacterial plaque forms on the teeth and under the gums and causes an infection.  As plaque continues to grow, it hardens into tartar, which then attracts even more bacterial build-up, and the infection gets worse.  This is gum disease and is the major cause of bad breath or “doggie breath.”  If left untreated, bacteria destroy the teeth, gums and bone, and can result in abscess, pain and tooth loss for your pet.

But mouth pain and tooth loss aren’t the only problems.  Bacteria around the infected gums can enter the bloodstream and attack your dog or cat’s heart, liver and kidneys, and can cause cardiac arrest, kidney malfunction and liver failure or even death.  That’s why it’s so important to begin an oral hygiene program at home to extend the quality of your pet’s life span.

Symptoms of poor oral health include:

• Bad breath
• Inflamed, bleeding or receded gums
• Yellow-brown stain or crust on teeth
• Going to the food bowl, but not eating
• Pawing and sensitivity of the mouth
• Dropping food out of the mouth
• Subdued behavior

Before problems begin, you can take some simple steps to ensure a healthy pet.  First, schedule a check-up with your veterinarian.  They may recommend a cleaning to remove visible tartar.   Also ask if your pet needs a special sealant after the cleaning to keep the teeth cleaner longer.  Second, you can start an oral care routine at home.  The best time to introduce oral hygiene is at an early age (8-12 weeks), however it is never too late to begin.  Training may take several days or weeks, depending on the pet. Try to train each day, as this will reinforce the new behavior.  Before starting, make sure you have a washcloth, a toothbrush (any soft bristle brush for humans or pets is fine), some pet toothpaste (meat, chicken, tuna or peanut butter flavors found in pet stores) and some crunchy treats.  Also if you prefer, available in pet stores are rubber finger brushes that fit over the tip of your finger.

Tips on brushing your pet’s teeth:

Gently open the pet’s lips on the side and run your index finger around the outside of the teeth.  At first you may need to dip your finger into beef bouillon for a dog or tuna water for a cat.  Make these initial sessions about 30 seconds, then progress to a minute or two after a few days or a week.  Be sure to reward your pet at the end of each session, since making it enjoyable with lots of praise will get better results.  But if your pet shows any signs of aggression like growling, bearing teeth, biting, or scratching, stop immediately and call your vet office for further advice.

Next you will introduce the washcloth on your finger, wet with either water or the same beef or tuna flavor.  Lift the lips and massage the outer surfaces only of upper and lower teeth using a back-and-forth motion.  Do this rubbing of the teeth for 30 seconds the first try, progressing up to a few minutes if possible by the end of several days.  For a cat, you can also try using a cotton swab dipped in tuna juice.

Before introducing the toothbrush, put a dab of pet toothpaste on your finger and allow your pet to taste the flavor, which they usually really like.  NEVER use human toothpaste, because detergents in the paste will upset the animal’s stomach and will commonly cause vomiting.  Then you will add a small amount of pet toothpaste to the brush and allow your pet to lick and chew on the brush.  Then add more paste and brush the outer surfaces of all the teeth by scrubbing back and forth.  The back teeth will accumulate more plaque than the front teeth since the saliva glands are located in the sides of the cheeks, so be sure to concentrate in the back. No need to brush the inside surfaces, since animals’ tongues are rough enough to self-clean the inside of the teeth.   Also there is no need to floss a pet’s teeth because of their shape and position.

In the end, if you pet is dead set against brushing, don’t despair!  In addition to the oral care foods and hard treats, also try fish-flavored chews for cats or pressed rawhide chews for dogs (pressed is recommended by vets because they don’t come apart in large pieces which can choke the dog as he swallows).  These treats contain enzymes that reduce plaque-forming bacteria, and their abrasive action will help cut down on food deposits on the teeth. 

While dogs and cats do not develop the same kind of cavities that we do, certain factors can cause them to loose their teeth.  Feline lesions, also known as “cat cavities,” are a spontaneous destruction of the cat’s tooth.  While their cause is unknown, half of all cats over age 5 have them, and they often cause a lot of pain.  This is when vet care is so important, and when they may recommend the sealants to prevent further decay.

Dogs frequently suffer from chipped or broken teeth, which can come from bones and toys that are just too hard, such as pig hooves or even nylon bones.  Pressed rawhides, Greenies chew treats, Dentabones, Gumabones and Kong toys are fine and can help to reduce tartar build-up.

Proper health and hygiene regimens may vary from one dog or cat to the next, but certain oral care routines are important to follow.  Make sure to take your pet for regular check-ups every 6 to 12 months, examine your pet’s teeth frequently, and brush its teeth either weekly, every few days or daily---whichever routine your precious pet can do best.  Your pet will be sure to thank you in woofs and meows that say, “I’m glad you care!”