Small Animal Veterinarians - Mountlake Terrace, Washington

We have learned quite a bit about animals in the past years. In fact, we have made so many improvements both genetically and nutritionally, that many animals are outliving their teeth!

Think about what your teeth look and feel like when you haven't brushed them. Now think about what they would look and feel like if you NEVER brushed them. That is what has happened to many of our pets' mouths.

Often the animal's teeth will literally rot out of their heads. Pretty disgusting thought, isn't it? This is not an overnight event.

It starts with a little bit of food and bacteria accumulating on the teeth (plaque). Then, a slight reddening of the gums (gingivitis). Then tartar forms (mineralized plaque). Depending upon the pet, somewhere along the line we start to smell bad breath.

We can see bleeding gums, receding gums, loose and/or infected teeth, and the teeth actually falling out of the mouth. In severe cases this can lead to loss of appetite and weight loss because it is simply too painful to eat. Or the bacteria growing in the tartar and plaque can be swallowed or inhaled causing upset stomach or pneumonia, or picked up by the blood causing kidney, liver or heart disease. In the worst cases bad teeth even cause death.

So, what can we do? We have a couple different options these days. If we have a puppy, kitten or kit (baby ferret) we can start them early and fairly easily. If we have an adult animal that hasn't learned that having his teeth brushed is OK, all is not lost. For them we often need to start by having the teeth scaled (like the dental hygienist does for us). Though we now carry what we call “a dental in a bottle.” A product called Leba III. It isn’t as fast as the old fashioned scaling and polishing, but it does tend to fit more budgets!

Call the office for an appointment to check the teeth to see what is needed and discuss what will be the best option for you and your pet.

If we opt to do the dental scaling and polishing, once the teeth are clean you will have to maintain them. If you are using the Leb III you will simply continue using that. If you opt for scaling you can then switch to either the Leba III or start brushing.

Leba III, our dental in a bottle, is a liquid that is either sprayed into the pet’s mouth or sprayed into it’s cap and then applied to the pet’s tongue with an eye dropper. If you are JUST using the Leba III it can take 6-8 weeks to clean up the teeth. During those weeks the good teeth will firm up and the bad teeth will fall out.

If you opt for brushing, we use the same training methods for older animals that we for younger ones. It will simply take a bit longer to teach an adult animal than to teach a young one--like teaching anything, the young tend to learn more quickly!

Passive care includes Pet Oral Hygiene Solution, which will help keep your pet's breath clean and fresh between brushings. Simply put a teaspoon of Pet Oral Hygiene Solution in each quart of drinking water.

The more active care includes holding the pet's face while you gently rub the teeth through the cheeks. Be gentle, but you will be able to feel the teeth through the lips. Get the animal used to holding still while you massage the face. When your pet accepts this stage, start to slip your finger inside the lips so that you are actually rubbing the teeth with your finger. (Hold the jaw closed with the hand that is not rubbing--to bite the mouth must open, so by holding the mouth closed you shouldn't be bitten.)

Next, the Toothbrush. There are special toothbrushes designed for brushing a pet's teeth. We recommend starting with a little brush that fits next to (or over) your finger. Pet toothbrushes are much easier to use than human toothbrushes. A back and forth motion is the most practical, although a circular motion is more affective. And flavored toothpastes can make the dog actually like this! We carry malt, beef, seafood and poultry flavor pastes. Use animal toothpaste, NOT human toothpaste. The toothpastes that were developed for brushing a pet's teeth are non-foaming and won't upset the pet's digestion if they swallow any of it.

You may only be able to do a few teeth at a time with each of these steps. Simply increase the number of teeth with each session until you are doing all the teeth before you move on to the next stage. The primary tartar collecting areas are the upper canines (fangs) and the upper molars (cheek teeth). Be patient, but firm. (Remember, it isn't easy teaching human kids to let parents brush their teeth, either. And at least you don't have to teach the pet to brush her own teeth!)

To brush the inside surface, place the non-brushing hand over the pet's muzzle and curl the lips inside the teeth. Gently curl the upper lip over the molars. Apply pressure to the molars with the upper lip, and the pet will open its mouth. If you fold the lip on one side, you can brush the inside on the other. Then change sides. Or if you are brushing a dog's teeth, you can put a nylabone type of toy into the pet's mouth and close the mouth on the toy. This will hold the mouth open while you brush. If you want, you can move from there to a longer handled brush that allows you to back your brushing hand out of your pet's mouth.

Once you are able to brush all the teeth you can finish up with Pet Gel. Apply with your finger or the brush. This will help keep the breath fresh between brushings as well as aid in keeping the teeth clean, solid and healthy.

With a little effort on your part we can take advantage of the improved genetics, nutrition and technology to keep you, your pet, and your pet's teeth together and healthy well into their golden years!

To assist you in caring for your pet's teeth A Pet Care Clinic has “packaged” dental kits.

A COMPLETE KIT contains oral hygiene solution, a small toothbrush, toothpaste, and pet gel at 20% savings.