Looking after your pet’s gums at home -Tableland Veterinary Service

November 10, 2020

Looking after your pet’s gums at home

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Scroll down for an exclusive Dental Month offer!

When was the last time you took your cat or dog to the vet for a dental check-up?

Unlike us, your pet can’t speak up if they have an achy mouth, so it is up to you to ensure your pet is not suffering from dental disease.

This role includes:

1) Ensuring your pet has a well-balanced, vet-approved diet. Exclusively eating soft, wet foods is extremely detrimental to your pets dental health. Wet foods allow dangerous levels of plaque and calculus (tartar) to build up. Imagine what your pet would eat in the wild: tough and chewy foods that require ripping, tearing and chomping. It is vital that your pet’s domestic diet reflects this food for its natural cleaning properties. Ask us for advice.

2) Conducting regular at-home check-ups. Take a look under the hood (lip), you can assess the following signs for poor dental health:

Bad breath – Smelly breath is not normal for your pet. If you notice a mouth odour, it could signify gingivitis or infection and should be looked at by a vet immediately.
Yellow teeth – Yellowness can indicate your pet isn’t chewing well enough and could be causing them underlying pain.
Red gums or bleeding mouth – This is definitely not a good sign. Inflammation and infection of the gums can drastically affect your pet’s overall health and quality of life.

3) Brushing your pet’s teeth. This might sound a little wacky, but brushing your pet’s teeth is the first-rate way to ensure your pet has good hygiene. You will need: a) A pet, baby or finger toothbrush, b) A pet-only tasty toothpaste, c) Some treats for extra encouragement, and d) A bit of patience. Then:

Ensure you and your pet are positioned comfortably with access to your pet’s teeth
Lift your pet’s upper lip and begin to brush in a circular motion
Brush where the tooth meets the gum line and also the very back teeth

Regular vet check-ups. We cannot stress this enough: the more dental check-ups taken, the more at ease you will feel about your furry friend’s health and hygiene. If it has been more than a year since your pet’s last dental check-up, book an appointment now.

Our vets have a wealth of dentistry knowledge for both small and large animals. Our services include pre-anesthetic bloods, pain relief, fluid therapy, and experienced anaesthetic monitoring. For equine dental consultations, we can come to you. We have safe facilities to undertake dental examinations in horses both in-clinic and mobile.

Each of our veterinary clinics has state-of-the-art dental facilities and equipment, and we pride ourselves in offering compassionate nursing and veterinary care. We are personally invested in each one of our patients. Make a booking today and grab our exclusive dental health goodie bag.