You certainly can always start brushing your pet’s teeth,
but the problem in this is if they already have dental disease. Brushing alone
at that time will not remove the calculus already adhered to your pet’s teeth.
So, professional cleaning is needed to remove this to have a clean starting
point. If your pet does not have a large buildup of tarter, then tooth
brushing alone can help. Tooth brushing is the best way to
keep your pet’s mouth healthy. There are all kinds of other items advertised to
keep your pet’s teeth clean: hard chew toys, bones, kibbled diets, sprays, and
treats. Be sure to discuss the pros and cons of each of these with your
veterinarian before starting any of these as some can result in broken teeth,
toxicity or gastrointestinal foreign bodies.
1) First
purchase a tooth brush or finger brush to use at your local pet store. Finger
brushed defiantly work well on smaller pets (whom don’t bite).
2) Second,
ONLY use a pet tooth paste. Human products contain fluoride and pets do not
know to spit this out.
3) Start
with using a piece of gauze or just your finger and massage your pet’s gums.
Your pet may not be used to this, so doing just one or teeth at a time at first
is great. Reward your pet after with play or a treat. Each time lengthen the
amount of time you spend in your pet’s mouth.
4) Once
your pet is comfortable with your finger, you can introduce toothpaste onto
your finger. They sell minty flavored varieties. Honestly this is for human
enjoyment as most pets don’t like the mint taste. Poultry or Beef flavored
tooth paste is more enjoyable to pets (make sure they don’t have an allergy to
these flavorings).
5) Next,
start introducing the brush of your choice. Start again slowly.
6) It
is best to start as a puppy or kitten, but it is never too late to start.
7) Brushing
daily is best but if that cannot be done, then as frequently as possible is
recommended. Brushing teeth every 3 days is adequate to maintain a healthy
mouth and teeth. Brushing daily is needed to control already established
gingivitis.
Other oral conditions:
1) Persistent
baby (deciduous) teeth: These are baby teeth that are never lost. These cause
problems by changing the position of the adult tooth coming in which can lead
to wounds in the mouth or by trapping food particles between the baby tooth and
other teeth in the mouth. This trapped food can lead to periodontal disease. It
is recommended to have these teeth extracted (preferably if possible at the
time or your pet’s spay or neuter). Small breed dogs (Poodles, Maltese,
Pomeranians, Chihuahuas
2) Feline
oral resorption lesions (FORL): These are areas of the tooth which is being
eaten away by the cat’s own immune system. Any tooth can be effected, but
mostly molars and premolars are affected. Signs include red spots on the tooth
usually near the gum line, painful chewing or vocalizing while eating, bleeding
teeth, teeth appearing to be disappearing or being worn down, partial teeth, or
tooth loss.
3) Oral
masses: All pets can get masses in their mouth. These can be signs of
infection, foreign bodies, or cancer. Many oral masses can be found on the gum
line or under the tongue. It is recommended that your pet be placed under
anesthesia to have these masses assessed better, and then either biopsied or
surgically removed.
4) Foreign
bodies: Foreign bodies found often in the mouth are bits and pieces of toys,
sticks, rocks, and foxtails.
5) Stomatitis:
Cats can often get severe cases of stomatitis (infection of the mouth). Signs
include severely inflamed gums, reddened gums, bleeding and painful gums,
difficulty eating or reluctance to eat hard foods, not eating, weight loss.
Causes of stomatitis include FELV/FIV infections, kidney disease, or in some
cases autoimmune disease. For these cats, it is recommended to have an FELV/FIV
test performed first, followed by bloodwork then a dental cleaning. Maintenance
of this condition depends on the cause and may consist of dental extractions or
injections of a steroid.
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