Pet dental care is an important step in wellness planning. Poor oral health can easily lead to problems such as gum disease in animals. Infections and diseases in your pet’s mouth can cause more serious systemic health problems such as heart, kidney, and lung disease.
West Valley Pet Clinic promotes a dental health program for every pet including dogs, cats, and rabbits. We offer individualized dental packages for pets designed to make preventive care easy and financially feasible for pet owners.
Pet Dental Care Services in San Jose, CA
Our veterinarians perform professional dental cleanings under the safest conditions, for a positive and healthy experience. We offer digital dental X-rays in our state-of-the-art treatment area, for the clearest and safest imaging. Plus, our preventive dental care program supports pet owners in maintaining good dental health at home.
A full dental cleaning in our clinic consists of cleaning the teeth with an ultrasonic scaler to remove accumulated tartar above and below the gum line, polishing the teeth with a high-speed polisher to smooth surfaces and slow tartar buildup, and a fluoride treatment. A general anesthetic is required and a pre-anesthetic blood panel is strongly recommended. Most animals go home late that afternoon.
Preventive Pet Dental Care & Teeth Cleaning
How often a dental cleaning is needed depends upon your individual pet and your efforts at keeping the teeth clean. Proper dental care at West Valley Pet Clinic, combined with a strong home dental care regimen, can add healthy years to your pet’s life.
Caring for Pet Teeth
Pet teeth start out pristine white, but time and lack of care result in staining and the formation of tartar. Tartar is bacteria and food particles that have become calcified and harden on the surface of the teeth. As tartar builds up, it can undermine the border of the gums and cause gum inflammation and infection.
Clinical signs of tartar and gingivitis are:
- Bad breath
- Drooling
- Reluctance to eat
- Gingivitis can damage vital organs, such as the heart valves and kidneys.
Prevent these problems by brushing your pet’s teeth—the most effective step!—and by giving CET or dental chews, applying oral hygiene rinses, or having your veterinarian clean them.
Pet Dental Home Care
Brushing your pet’s teeth is easy and can be fun for you both. It takes time and practice to train your pet to accept brushing–and a bit of patience. Start with a gentle massage of the gums and teeth, and then progress to a soft brush or a cloth over your finger.
For more information on getting started with your pet’s home dental care regimen, read this AAHA dental care article for pet owners.
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