Pets Aren’t People, Right? Top Reasons Cats & Dogs Need Dental Care Too

Your pets are part of your family, and you should be doing everything in your power to keep them as healthy as possible. That includes scheduling regular dental services to protect their teeth and gums. Don’t think it’s quite necessary? Here is a closer look at just a few of the reasons why dental care is so important for cats and dogs.

Reduce Their Risk of Periodontal Disease

Periodontal disease is the most common chronic health condition among adult cats and dogs. When left untreated, this disease can result in a wide variety of secondary complications ranging from tooth loss to bleeding gums. In addition to feeding your pets healthy foods, you also need to schedule professional teeth cleaning appointments once a year. During those appointments, the dental specialist will clean away the plaque that causes gum disease and tooth decay.

Protect Their Organs

When harmful germs aren’t regularly removed from the mouth, they can travel to the organs. That might eventually result in a chronic kidney infection, heart disease, or liver damage. Their teeth and gums might also show the side effects of certain diseases before any other symptoms are apparent. During your annual pet consultations, the dental specialist might notice the side effects of diabetes, high blood pressure, or cardiovascular disease.

Improve Their Breath

Chronic bad breath is an aggravating and unpleasant problem for many pet owners. A veterinary dentist can help you come up with a comprehensive treatment plan to improve your pet’s breath. That will most likely include a combination of oral medication, a special diet, and medicated treats that clean the teeth. Your pet might also need to have dental scaling and planning carried out to remove stubborn plaque and tartar.

Prevent Unnecessary Pain

Even if your pet is very expressive, it might be difficult to tell if they are in pain. Some animals act completely normal when they are in pain, and that is one situation every pet owner wants to avoid. An experienced veterinarian can use specialized tools to look for issues such as lacerations in the mouth, parasites, and infected soft tissue. Those oral health problems might linger for years before you notice any side effects or symptoms.

As a general rule, cats and dogs should have their teeth cleaned and gums inspected at least once a year. Those dental services will keep them healthy and reduce their risk of many different oral health problems.