September 20, 2013
At Care First Animal Hospital we have emphasized the importance of proper dental health, including the reasons why dental cleanings are so important, and even providing an educational video for brushing your pet’s teeth at home! Here are some other tips for keeping your pet healthy, and the ways we’ve made it even easier for you to provide an annual ultrasonic dental cleaning.
These include chew toys that have little rubber ridges that are great for applying pet-safe toothpaste to. Just spread the toothpaste on and let your dog or cat chew to their heart’s content. Rope toys are helpful for dogs as they provide a means of “flossing”, just watch for frayed edges that could get caught in your pet’s teeth. With all toys, take away any that are broken or are down to small enough to swallow size, as this could cause a foreign body obstruction – which is serious and potentially fatal.
You can also try C.E.T. products, including enzymatic chews or a mouth rinse. The enzymes in these products help to break up the tartar, but only to a certain extent.
Hills Science Diet makes a special food called t/d. As your pet is chewing the specially designed kibble it helps to prevent tartar buildup on their teeth. It’s safe to use as a maintenance diet as long as your pet has no other health concerns, or you can give it as treats. We carry t/d for cats and dogs at our three Raleigh, NC locations and our Morrisville, NC location.
Our clients have told us that the main reasons for declining an ultrasonic dental cleaning include the anesthesia and the cost. While every anesthetic event carries risks, we use only the safest products in our hospitals. Prior to the dental cleaning a comprehensive physical exam will be performed by our veterinarians. We recommend bloodwork prior to the day of the procedure to make sure your pet’s kidneys and liver can filter out the anesthetic medications, and that there is no other organ abnormality to cause concern. Our Customer Service Technicians are highly trained to monitor your pet’s heart rate, respiratory rate, pulse ox level, and ECG while they are under anesthesia. A veterinarian is on-hand at all times. We sedate pets for the dental cleaning because it is the healthiest and best way to remove the dental tartar and bacteria that accumulates under the gumline.
A year ago we started our Preventive Health Program, a means for convenient, monthly investments in the routine preventive care services so essential to your pet’s happiness and well-being. The Adult and Premium plans include the best wellness profile – a blood and urine panel submitted to an outside laboratory – to check for organ function and make sure your pet is healthy for an anesthetic event. These plans also include a yearly ultrasonic dental cleaning! This is all on top of unlimited exams during regular doctor hours, yearly vaccines, a fecal exam, a heartworm test (for the dog plans), and the Premium plans include screening x rays. To enroll in a Preventive Health Program plan you simply provide a one-time enrollment fee per pet, and there is a low monthly investment which is automatically drafted, no monthly bills needed! To learn more about our Preventive Health Program, please visit our website.
You know the risks of allowing your pet’s dental health get out of control, and you know the benefits of providing routine prophylactic dental care. By routinely brushing your pet’s teeth at home, providing special toys or products to help prevent the tartar buildup, and routine dental care by a skilled veterinarian, you are giving your pet the best chance for a long, healthy life! And now our Preventive Health Program can help you do all of that with a low monthly investment! Schedule your pet’s dental health checkup today!
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