Dental Care For Cats and Dogs

Dental care is important for everyone, whether you are a human or a pet.  Humans can schedule their regular dental checkups, but some owners of cats and dogs may not give proper attention to their pet’s dental care.

As we know, dental health plays an important role in overall health, so the dental care of the pets should not be neglected.

DENTAL HYGIENE ISSUES:

When the dental hygiene of cats and dogs is neglected, it can cause excess tartar, swelling in their gums, and breaking off their teeth. Their teeth become so sensitive that if they chew on something hard, their teeth will immediately break.

 It is said by many doctors that if your pet gets involved in gum disease and does not receive proper therapy, which involves proper scaling, root planing, and extraction of teeth, then they might get involved in other diseases.

As we know, dogs and cats often feed on dirty food, which is full of germs and bacteria. These germs then travel to different parts of the pet’s body, causing various complications and diseases. So, their oral hygiene should be taken properly and timely.

Good oral hygiene can prevent secondary diseases in the liver, kidney, and heart from happening as the bacteria travels from the mouth into the bloodstream.

TIPS TO MAINTAIN PROPER HYGIENE:

There are many ways a pet owner can maintain the proper hygiene of their cat or dog at home. Here are few products that might come in handy.

 1.   TOOTHPASTE AND BRUSH:

You should notice the shape of their canine teeth and order a specific toothbrush according to them. Animals have their toothpaste which comes in different flavors like chicken and seafood. Do not use human toothpaste for cleaning your pet's teeth as it contains chemicals that are harmful to your pet.

Most importantly, you should not clean the inner surface of your pet’s teeth as their saliva cleans it for them and try to use a brush first to make them used to it and then apply toothpaste.

2. DENTAL WIPES AND PADS:

Some of the pets do not like brushing their teeth; in this case, dental wipes and pads come in handy as they wipe out the plaque present on their teeth. However, wipes do not collect food particles stuck in the gums, so it is the second-best thing for a dental cleaning after toothbrush and paste.

3. DENTAL TREATS:

If an owner does not have proper time to clean their pet's teeth, then they can use dental treats. It is scientifically proven that dental treats remove 69 percent of the plaque accumulated on your cat's or dog's teeth.

However, to achieve this percentage, the treats have to be chewed on a daily basis. You cannot keep your pet's teeth clean if these treats are chewed occasionally.

4. DENTAL DIETS:

A dental diet is another way to get your cat's or god's teeth clean. Dental diets are made up of fiber which has the property that it does not shatter when they bite into them. Instead, their teeth sink into them while chewing, and the plaque is scraped away.

As discussed above, oral hygiene is important for your cat and dog because it plays a vital role in their overall health. Therefore, you should clean their teeth regularly and properly.