This is as important for your pet as it is for yourself. The mouth can act as a source of infection for the rest of the body. If your pet has poor oral hygiene, it may have bad breath, gum disease, loose teeth and may be in chronic pain especially when eating. This can lead to weight loss and even contribute to bacterial forms of heart valve disease. In order to correct the problem a general anaesthetic and a dental procedure would have to be performed which can be expensive and is not always covered by insurance.
“Prevention is priceless, curing is costly!” We advise “Hills t/d” for adults, which is a prescription diet that cleans the teeth whilst your pet is eating.
If you prefer, try brushing 2-3 times a week at least. We can provide a special kit for this. Do not use human toothpaste — the fluoride content is toxic if swallowed. It is a good idea to train your puppy so that it is used to your finger in its mouth and progress to a soft child’s brush so that when the adult teeth have erupted, it accepts the procedure. “You can’t teach an old dog, new tricks” is certainly the case when you have a painful mouth.
If brushing is not an option, the alternative is “Logic gel” or “Maxiguard” which is similar to toothpaste but doesn’t have to be brushed. Dental chews, hide and cartilage chews or Kong toys are also useful. We do not advocate cooked bones.