Home dental care for your pet is an essential step to providing your pet with a happy, healthy life. Ninety-five percent of all pets over two years of age have periodontal disease. Periodontal disease is inflammation of the tissue surrounding and supporting the teeth. Early stages of the disease called gingivitis may be detected by bad breath and inflamed gums. The disease is started by plaque. Plaque is a soft sticky film of bacteria, food and debris, and salivary glycoproteins that attach to the tooth's surface. Plaque mineralizes to calculus in as little as 3 days. The hard calculus irritates the gums and causes them to bleed. Bacteria in the mouth can then enter your pet's bloodstream and plant themselves on organs such as the heart, liver, and kidneys. Here, the bacteria multiply and potentially create severe health problems.
How to Start Brushing and Maintaining a Healthy Mouth
Daily brushing along with an annual professional cleaning is the key to preventing periodontal disease. Start slowly and work your way up to longer brushing times. Here are the steps:
First, place a small amount of veterinary approved pet toothpaste on your finger and allow your pet to simply lick it off. Continue this for a few days to a week.
Then, as your pet licks the pet toothpaste off your finger, gently swipe your finger over their teeth and guns a few times. When your pet seems to accept you placing your finger in her/her mouth, move on to Step 3.
Place a light gauze or strip of nylon over your finger and continue as described in Step 2.
Work your way up to using a pet toothbrush or finger brush. Brush their teeth as your would your own, with a circular or oval motion away from the gumline.
Acclimating your pet to the procedure may take several months depending on how many times a week you work with your pet and his/her acceptance level. The important thing to keep in mind is to be gentle but persistent and always make the procedure rewarding for your pet by using a lot of verbal praise.
Suggested Products
• C.E.T.® Pet toothpaste and brush: for brushing teeth (has antiplaque chemicals)
• CHX® Guard LA: long lasting antibacterial gel
• Maxiguard™: Eliminates plaque and stimulates healing
• C.E.T.® Cat and dog chews: textured chews to remove debris/plaque
• Dentabone™: Textured bone to remove debris/plaque
• Science Diet t/d: Enzymatic kibbles of food that breakdown plaque
• Toys: Boodabones, Kongs, Toss-N-Tug
