Your Pet’s Dental Hygiene: Questions and Answers

Your Pet’s Dental Hygiene: Questions and Answers

Did you think you knew everything about your pet? In this article we answer 5 big questions about dental hygiene in dogs and cats and explain how important it is to maintain dental health in your pet. We hope you are surprised and do not go to sleep today without having learned something new.

DOES MY PET NEED ORAL HYGIENE CARE?

The answer is yes. Despite some popular beliefs, a pet’s oral hygiene is not just about giving him toys and some kinds of treats or food “so they bite.

While it is true that some can help prevent tartar formation, in no case are substitutes for oral antiseptics for daily use specific for pets or a dental cleaning with ultrasound if necessary. It would be like saying in humans that chewing gum replaces the act of brushing teeth daily or replaces the annual visit to the dentist.

DO ANIMALS IN NATURE HAVE BETTER DENTAL HEALTH?

Some people mistakenly believe that if pets were fed as in nature they would not have dental problems. However, there are several studies that indicate that even canines and wild cats have periodontal disease in a percentage similar to that of household pets.

DO DOGS AND CATS HAVE CAVITIES?

Unlike humans, tartar and plaque are much more frequent in dogs and cats than cavities. This could be due to the fact that their diet is not as rich in sugars. Inadequate nutrition, sedentary lifestyle, genetics and other factors determine a greater predisposition to form plaque and dental tartar.

IS DENTAL CALCULUS THE SAME AS DENTAL PLAQUE?

Dental plaque is a set of microbes and sugars that attach to tooth enamel. Over time, it can lead to a mineral deposit called dental tartar. Usually, once it has formed it requires dental cleaning with ultrasound for its removal.

This type of dental cleaning requires a visit to the vet and is usually carried out under anaesthetic so it is advisable to take measures before this happens. Better to prevent than to cure.

DOES DENTAL HEALTH ONLY AFFECT THE TEETH AND GUMS?

The lack of oral care can lead to bad breath, accumulation of tartar or plaque, retraction of gums and in severe cases abscesses, loss of teeth, gum pain, anorexia and infections in the bones of the mouth.

Likewise, the bacteria present in the tartar can migrate through the organism and produce endocarditis (infection of the heart valves that lead to heart failure), pyelonephritis (serious renal infection) and hepatic pathologies among others, so it is not only a local problem but also affects the health of the whole organism.

HOW TO MAKE A CORRECT ORAL HYGIENE?

The most important thing is to get your pet used to toothbrushing as soon as possible, from an early age, but if he is already an adult, remember that it is never too late. Dental cleaning can become a fun habit for the owner and pet as long as it is done gradually in different sessions, each time longer.

There are specific toothbrushes and toothpastes for dogs. It is recommended to use brushes that have several faces and above all, never use human toothpaste, as it could be toxic to our pets. In this sense, Stangest’s Dentican Dental Kit, which includes a toothbrush and toothpaste, is a fantastic tool to preserve the dental health of the kings of the house.

There are also toothpastes in spray to use directly on the teeth of our pet as sprays, such as Dentican Spray or Dentivet Total Protection. The first contains chlorhexidine, a highly effective disinfectant that eliminates bad breath and controls bacterial plaque;

Dentivet, on the other hand, in addition to chlorhexidine, has ingredients that help healing, making it a fundamental aid in pets with teeth and gums in which there is already a previous pathology, such as periodontitis, gingivitis, etc.

Another option is water-soluble toothpastes, such as Dentican Soluble, which is very convenient, as it only needs to be applied to the drinking water on a daily basis. As our pet drinks water exerts a cleansing and protective action at the oral level.

Finally, in the case of dogs, we can also count on products based on brown seaweed (Ascophyllum nodosum), such as Denti’San, which is sprinkled on the food to prevent the formation of plaque, while weakening the tartar already formed. This includes among its ingredients also grapefruit seeds, known for its antiseptic properties.

As we have seen, proper dental hygiene helps prevent disease and lengthens the life expectancy of your pet. Your well-being depends directly on us and in just a couple of minutes a day we can completely influence your pet’s dental health.

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