Puppies are generally born with 28 milk teeth which are replaced by 42 permanent teeth by the time they are an adult dog. Kittens have 26 milk teeth replaced by 30 by the time reach adulthood. Teeth evolved to hunt, kill and eat prey. They are also an aid to self-defence and a tool for grooming. The small incisors at the front of their mouth grip their prey while the sharp canines (the fangs!) kill it. Inside the mouth, there are serrated pre-molar teeth to cut food up into chunks that they cannot swallow whole and molars to crush bone or plant material. Cats and dogs can only move their jaws up and down so they can’t chew food in the way that we can.
As we brush our teeth daily, we take for granted that we won’t see problems in our cats and dogs until they are much older but ‘periodontal disease’ – a collective term for several inflammatory conditions in the mouth – is seen in around two thirds of cats and dogs by the time they are just three years old.. Fortunately, there are some simple and very cost effective steps you can take to help maintain your pet’s oral health.
Lack of preventative dental healthcare can result in problems later in life and costly dental procedures. Dental disease often goes unnoticed for some time as symptoms can be hard to detect. As well as causing painful damage to the inside of the mouth, untreated bacteria can go on to affect other parts of the body causing serious health issues.
This means looking after your dog’s mouth should be an important part of your preventative health regime. Fortunately, there are some simple steps you can take to help maintain your dog’s oral health and in so doing, save them from potential discomfort and pain.
Hexarinse® is an oral rinsing solution which helps to control levels of bacteria in the mouth. Use daily to maintain good oral hygiene.
Vet Aquadent is a palatable solution for daily dental and oral hygiene of cats and dogs. Used in fresh drinking water, it can help to eliminate bad breath and aids in controlling plaque build-up as part of an oral hygiene regime.
The most important thing you can do is brush your dogs teeth regularly. It is vital you begin this early when they are puppies and de-sensitise them to this process. Our dental kits (available for dogs and cats) include a pet toothbrush and a soft finger brush together with pet toothpaste. Never use human toothpaste as the ingredients are not suitable.
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