Pet Dental Care Tips from Your Hunt Valley Veterinarians

Pet teeth are as important to your pet’s health as human teeth are to our health. They aid in the digestion of food and help pets get the nutrition they need to live long, healthy lives. Poor dental care can lead to painful infections, abscesses and other health problems for your pet.
We wouldn’t think of ignoring our teeth between visits to the dentist, but many pet owners are surprised to find that dental care at home is necessary between visits to our clinic. Here are a few tips you can use to brush your pets’ teeth between the regular, professional pet teeth cleaning services they receive from our veterinarians.

How to Brush Your Pet’s Teeth

It’s best to start getting puppies or kittens accustomed to the feeling of dental care as soon as you bring them home. Start by simply dipping your finger into some beef bouillon for dogs or tuna water for cats and gently rubbing your finger along your pet’s teeth and around the gum line.

After a few days of this procedure, put a piece of gauze over your finger, then rub the teeth and gums a little more vigorously. Very shortly you will be able to move up to using a pet toothbrush. Don’t use one of your old toothbrushes as they are not made to fit properly into your pet’s mouth. Also be sure to use specially formulated pet toothpaste as our toothpaste could be harmful to their digestive system.

Between brushings, feed your pet dry pet food to help build strong teeth and provide dry dog bones and rubber chew toys to help keep gums free of plaque.

Dental Care at our Hunt Valley Animal Hospital

Professional animal dental care at our clinic is similar to what you might receive when you visit a dentist. We provide pet teeth cleaning and can safely remove any plaque that has built up, take dental x-rays, apply a sealant and extract any damaged teeth.

Have you had any problems brushing your pets’ teeth?