Paws and Reflect
January 2008

In This Issue:
The Tooth of the Matter

This Month's Special: 20% Off All Dental Services!

Here we go again. February is National Pet Dental Health Month and we are once again offering 20% off dental procedures.

Oral health is one of the most important aspects of your pets' well-being, and most veterinarians now emphasize good oral health. Pet stores shelves are now loaded with pet toothpaste, toothbrushes, oral rinses, and toys designed to help keep teeth clean.

The first time I mention dental care to my clients, many think I am kidding. Many times over my career, I have recommended a dental cleaning, only to have the client think that I am joking, or they may say where or who does that? Of course we do that. Many clients wait until doggie breath is beyond tolerance before noticing a problem. By that point, we are usually doing a salvage type dental.

Your pet can get gum disease just like you and me, and if the bacteria at fault get into your pet’s bloodstream, organ damage can occur—the most common is heart damage in dogs or kidney damage in cats.

Brushing is a good way to keep your dog’s or cat’s mouth healthy, but most owners don’t do it. Once or twice a week won’t do. Daily brushing is the goal and of course we recommend that you do that. If you can’t or don’t care to, at Eberle Animal Hospital we recommend a product called Oravet, which is applied once a week to the outside surface of teeth and gums, to help prevent infection. We feel that we have a much better chance of getting our pet owners to do something once a week versus daily.

Here are some things to do to keep your pet out of the veterinary periodontal chair:

Serve tooth friendly food. The right kibble actually reduces plaque buildup: look for the seal of the Veterinary Oral Health Council (go to vohc.org for a complete list). Some of these foods such as Science Diet Oral Care for dogs and cats (hillspet.com), come in larger-than-average size chunks—your pet has to crush and chew instead of gulping, so the kibble scours his teeth as he eats. Prescription Diet T/D (Tooth Diet) does the same thing.
Dole out chews that fight plaque. Chomping on rawhides can help polish your dog’s teeth and chomping on C.E.T. Oral Hygiene Chews contains plaque-fighting enzymes. We sell these C.E.T. chews at the office. Clients find that pets love these chews.
Pick toys that act like a brush. Some hard rubber toys, such as Dental Kong, have grooves that rub against teeth, scrubbing away plaque. Don’t give your pet hard plastic, which can break into sharp pieces.
Spike their food or water. Try ProDen Plaque-off, a powder you mix into food, or try a product like Breathalyzer Solution that you pour into their drinking water—it fights not only plaque but bad breath as well.