Dental Health

Like us, pets also need dental care. Cats, dogs, rabbits and rodents regularly get severe dental disease, which can affect their health and happiness.

 

Cats and Dogs

Cats and dogs do not brush their teeth daily, so they often end up with a lot of tartar. Tartar builds up on the tooth surfaces over time, hardening to form firm yellow layers that are unsightly and smelly – there’s a reason we call it dog breath! This can lead to gum inflammation, pain, infection and reluctance to eat. Cats and dogs often injure or break their teeth as well; they chew on all sorts of strange things!

We offer professional advice on the best ways to tackle these problems. We stock a range of dental chews and treats to help reduce tartar developing, as well as dental diets that have been clinically proven to reduce tartar levels in cats and dogs. The optimal way to control tartar would be to brush your pet’s teeth like your own, so if you have the patience for this we also stock pet toothpaste (which they can swallow) and special toothbrushes to make the job easier.

Often pets’ teeth get beyond the point where dental chews or brushing will help; at this stage we recommend a professional cleaning. Pets will need to be anaesthetised for this procedure. The procedure involves scaling and polishing their teeth, and removing any broken, rotten or diseased teeth. Our veterinarians are very experienced in companion animal dentistry, and perform dental procedures routinely. We also have excellent dental surgery facilities on site, including a dedicated in-house dental radiography system to help us assess your pet's teeth with digital xrays at the time of surgery. 

 

Rabbits and Rodents

Common dental problems in rabbits and rodents include malaligned incisors (the large front teeth) leading to deformed and overgrown teeth, and sharp spikes growing on the molars (back teeth) causing ulcers of the tongue or cheek. Diet plays an important role in dental care for these species, but genetics are also a factor. Pets with malaligned incisors may require very regular teeth trims.

 

Any pet that has bad breath or seems less keen to eat hard food should have their teeth checked - dental problems can quickly lead to infection and weight loss. If you are concerned about your pet’s teeth please book a consultation, so that we can assess them and discuss what the best options are.