DENTAL CARE FOR PETS

Dental care is an important part of a pet's preventative healthcare regime. Regular care and visits to the veterinarian can prevent diseases such as periodontitis. Just like our bi-annual visits to the dentist, your pet needs proper management of its health and an essential part of it is certainly oral care. By the second year, your pet will be prone to oral infections and if no proper dental hygiene is practised, there is a good chance of loss of teeth in your pet by the fourth or fifth year.

Lots of pet owners in the country are concerned about their pets' dental hygiene and look out for ways to keep those canine and feline teeth free of odour. Most pet owners complain of their pet's mouth odours and forget that pets too need you to take care of their teeth and help brush them daily to get rid of malodour or ‘bad breath' as is commonly called. This can surely be prevented if proper dental hygiene is practiced. Well, after all just like us, without healthy gums and teeth pets too would have difficulty chewing and eating their daily meals satisfactorily.

Research shows that 80 percent of all dogs and 70% of all cats will need some form of dental care in their lifetime. There is certainly more than one way to keep your pets' teeth clean and stain free. One is through regular dental check ups and the other is through the latest innovation of special diets for dental care with which the food will do the cleaning while the pet eats! The larger kibble works like a toothbrush to help scrub away plaque and stain. It also helps reduce bad breath in adult cats and dogs. Research shows that plaque and tartar build-up decreases by 20% and stain by 40% after usage of this diet.

Periodontitis is a major source of medical morbidity, which simply means an extremely depressing problem for our pets. The signs of periodontal disease may include, anorexia, behavioral changes, excessive saliva (saliva halitosis), bleeding and swollen gingiva, tooth mobility, difficulty eating, head shaking and ulcerations.

Plague is another cause for periodontal disease and it is a colorless film that in most instances is invisible to the eye. It is composed of bacteria, proteins, sugars, white blood cells, minerals and water. If allowed to accumulate, plaque can cause odour, pain, infection and tooth loss. Plaque usually hardens as it mixes with food particles and minerals in the saliva. The hardened plaque is referred to as tartar. Tartar destroys the bone and ligament that support the tooth resulting in tooth loss.

By the age of three, seven out of ten pets show signs of periodontal disease. Oral health can affect your pet's overall health.

Compared to other traditional multipurpose pet foods, Hill's has come up with a new innovative formula that uses natural fibers and a larger kibble to scrub your pet's teeth like a toothbrush. Just imagine letting the food do the cleaning while the pet eats! It is clinically proven to reduce mouth odour, build-up of stain, resulting in whiter teeth. It is proven to reduce plaque and tartar build-up that can lead to bad breath, while maintaining your pets' overall dental health. It is also proven to reduce gingivitis.

Oral care is very important for cats and dogs. Just like our 6 month regular visits to the dentist, we should not ignore our pets' dental health. Together with regular professional veterinary care combined with the daily feeding of Hill's Science Diet Oral Care pet food you can rest assured your pet's dental hygiene is well taken care of. You can purchase this formula at your regular pet shop whileveterinarians may recommend Prescription Diet t/d at their clinics.

However, many pet owners are still unaware that proper dental care is of great importance and is part and parcel of healthcare for pets. The following are some tips on oral care for your beloved pet.

Periodontal disease is common among cats and dogs of varying breeds, gender and age. Surveys from several countries reportprevalence rates of periodontal disease that range from 60% to more than 80% of dogs and cats examined above one year .

Some tips to prevent unwanted dental problems for your pets are:
• An important tip to keep pets' teeth in good condition is to feed dry pet food rather than wet formulas.
• Some toys when chewed, also help reduce tartar, massages gums and flosses teeth. Always check with your regular veterinarian before buying these toys and devices for your cat or dog.
• Take your pet for that long due dental scaling to remove stubborn stain and tartar build-up to prevent unwanted problems. What is dental scaling? It is a simple procedure whereby the pet will be placed under general anesthetics and a general cleaning and polishing of the teeth will be done.
• Try feeding the new innovative oral care diet that helps clean the pet's teeth while it eats since the larger sized kibble and patentedfibre technology used in these formulas allows more of the tooth surface to be scrubbed, while the pet chews longer and benefits from the longer cleaning action. Because of the kibble's size and texture, it's natural for some pets to require a few feedings before becoming accustomed to this new food. We are certain that this new and innovative formula by Hill's is great for the benefit of your pet's dental hygiene and the prevention of early tooth loss in some pets due to the lack of awareness in this sector.

Meanwhile, take your pet to the veterinarian for that long awaited dental check-up to avoid unnecessary problems later.

If you are one of those pet owners already taking your pet to the veterinarian for its dental needs such as scaling and brushing, Bravo… you are doing a great job! Well, less plaque and tartar means fresher breath!