The Importance of Dental Health Checks for Your Cat or Dog
(5 min read)
Did you know that 80% of cats and dogs over the age of three have some level of dental disease? If left untreated, dental disease can seriously impact your pet’s quality of life, from the way they eat to their organ health.
The best way to get on top of dental disease before it progresses is through regular dental health checks for your cat or dog.
What is Dental Disease?
Dental disease can seriously impact our pet’s quality of life. This can be from the way they eat, behaviour (such as indicating pain) and all-around organ health.
Things we can look out for as pet owners that may indicate dental disease include:
- Bad breath – this is from plaque and bacteria building up on the tongue, teeth and gums
- Pawing at the mouth
- Difficulty eating and favouring one side of the mouth
- Red or inflamed gums
- Discoloured teeth
- Swelling under the eyes
The Different Grades of Dental Disease
Dental disease in dogs and cats can be broken into grades. These grades help determine the level of plaque, inflammation and dental disease affecting your animal’s mouth.
Grade 1 - Gingivitis
In this first stage of dental disease, the margin of attached gingiva (gum) is inflamed and swollen, with plaque covering the teeth. At this stage, this is already uncomfortable for your pet. Treatment can reverse this condition. These teeth need to be cleaned now, and a regular home care plan implemented, if it is not already in place. Professional hand scaling and fluoride treatment may be all that is needed by us at this stage, with continued care by you at home. As with humans, proper tooth care and early intervention affects the cost and degree of treatment required.
Grade 2 - Tartar
In Grade 2 of dental disease, the entire gum is inflamed and swollen. Your pet’s mouth would be very painful, and odour begins to be noticeable. Professional treatment and home dental care can prevent this from becoming irreversible. In cats especially, deep and painful cavities at the neckline of the teeth occur quickly under the plaque and tartar. The cost of treatment increases with the severity of the dental disease found under the tartar. Antibiotics and pain medication may also be necessary.
Grade 3 - Periodontal Disease
Once dental disease has progressed to Grade 3, the gum appears cherry red with bleeding as it is becoming destroyed by infection and calculus (tartar). Your pet’s mouth will be very sore, affecting their eating and behaviour, with bad breath present. This is the beginning of periodontal disease which may become irreversible. At this stage, your pet’s mouth would be very painful, even though they may not complain in ways that we can understand. Teeth may need to be extracted.
Grade 4 - Periodontal Disease Progression
As periodontal disease progresses, chronic bacterial infection is destroying the gum, teeth, and bone. Bacteria are continually spreading throughout the body via the bloodstream and will cause damage to the kidneys, liver, and heart. Bone loss can cause an unstable lower jaw and fractures can occur, especially in small dogs and cats. Pre-anaesthetic blood testing, pre-dental antibiotics and pain medication become especially important. Antibiotics to treat bone infection, and pain medication are imperative. At this stage of dental disease, cavities are common in cats, with abscesses common in both cats and dogs.
What Does a Dental Health Check for my Dog or Cat Include?
Dental health in animals is very important and is sometimes overlooked. Just like us, it’s key to make sure your pet has regular dental check-ups every 6-12months. A dental health check allows your vet or vet nurse to undertake a comprehensive examination of your pet’s overall oral health.
Once we complete the examination, we will advise if your cat or dog’s teeth require professional cleaning or any further treatment. We will also discuss diets, toys and tips and tricks to help look after your pet’s dental health and even show you how to brush their teeth.
Dental Procedures
During some stage in your pet’s life – particularly as they age – it is likely that they will require some level of dental procedure performed by your vet. Depending on the grade of dental disease, this may be a scale and polish, tooth extraction or some other form of oral surgery.
Teeth cleaning is the most common dental procedure performed by our vets and is performed under a general anaesthetic. Once anaesthetised, we can give their teeth a thorough scale and polish (just like you would at the dentist), while also thoroughly checking their teeth and gums for any signs of disease. We may also take X-rays while your pet is sedated to check for any issues beyond the gum line that cannot be seen by a visual examination (as we can only see 2/3 of a tooth exposed at the surface).
If your pet’s tooth is broken, infected or rotten, then a tooth extraction is often required. This is a last resort and will only be performed if the tooth cannot be salvaged. We can perform extractions in our clinic as day surgery, with your pet sent home with pain relief, and onto a soft diet for the next two weeks.
Is it Time for a Dental Health Check?
When it comes to dental disease, the earlier it is addressed, the better the outcomes. So, if it’s been a while since your pet’s last dental check-up, now is the time to get their teeth checked.
To make an appointment with Forest Lake Vets (on the Lake at Forest Lake) – 3279 7804 or at Centenary Vets Clinic and Hospital (at Middle Park) – 3376 4144 to book a dental examination for your pet or to discuss our veterinary-leading “Commitment 2 Care” Plans.
