Why Veterinary Dentistry Is Just As Important As Your Regular Vet
Most pet owners will happily take their dogs or cats to the vet at least once a year, and probably more frequently than that. Most of the time these check-ups reveal nothing out of the ordinary, and you may be given some flea pills or some similarly low-risk treatment options for a minor problem. What is often overlooked is the oral health and hygiene of your pet. Here are three very common problems that your pets could suffer from that you won't know unless you visit a veterinary dentistry clinic.
Gum Diseases
A huge amount of dogs and cats have undiagnosed gum diseases. If left untreated, your pet's mouth will continue to become sorer and sorer until they eventually begin to lose teeth and eventually even the bone can be affected. If your pet's breath smells bad or you have noticed them refusing to eat, then you should take them to a veterinary dentistry clinic as soon as you can. This disease can be treated, but you should act quickly to make sure it doesn't spread.
Crowded Teeth
For smaller cats and dogs especially, the issue of teeth crowding can be exceptionally painful. Just as humans can have issues with overbites, underbites, and overcrowded teeth, so can pets. Little dogs and cats are more affected by this because, naturally, their jaws are smaller and often times they still have a similar amount of teeth to larger dogs. Your veterinary dentist will be able to advise you on treatment options to give your pet a better quality of life, and these can range from something as small as a diet change to something as serious as surgery.
Teeth Wearing
Another problem with pets is that they have no concept of teeth care and will routinely wear down their teeth during their lifespan. This is more a problem for older dogs and cats who gnaw on anything they can fit their mouth around. You can prevent this by being vigilant on what your pets chew on, but even still this is likely an issue that will come to a head sooner or later. Preventative care is just as important as care after the fact, so make a trip to the vet dentist part of your regular routine. If your pet gets close to wearing their teeth down, they can put in place measures to discourage them or fix the mostly useless teeth that are too far gone.
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