An important factor in helping pets live longer, healthier lives is dental care. Bad teeth and gums not only give pets breath that can melt steel, they can also make them awfully sick.
Chronic inflammation from gum disease has been shown to lead to heart, kidney, and liver disease. Illnesses involving these important organs can shorten your pet's life considerably.
At Yellowhead Veterinary Clinic we have a four way defense against bad teeth. The best defense is to care for your pet's teeth as you would for your own. Regular brushing prevents the dental plaque from forming dental calculus and helps prevent sore gums. Home dental care instruction and supplies are available at the clinic.
For pets who do not like having their teeth brushed we recommend a special food that helps scrape the plaque off your pet's teeth as they much their daily kibble. Demonstrations of how this food works to scrape away the plaque, and bags of it are available at the clinic.
Some pets have special dietary needs and can't eat the dental formula we recommend. For these pets we have mouthwashes that contain plaque bacteria killing enzymes.
Our last defense against bad teeth is dental scaling and polishing. With your et under general anesthetic their teeth are cleaned with an ultrasound machine and then polished smooth. After cleaning the teeth are given a fluoride treatment.