Regular teeth cleaning is a necessary must for pets to protect their health. Vet tech Katy Yeung cleans Yoda's teeth.   (Photo by J. Ford).

Poor dental hygiene in pets is one of the most common ailments, mainly because of the difficulty of brushing your pet's teeth. Bad dental hygiene can have severe consequences on your pet's health.  

Dr. David Jones, a veterinarian who specializes in dentistry at Aloha Animal Hospital Associates says, " 85 percent of dogs and cats will have some notable level of gingivitis by the age of two."

Recognizing dental disease in pets is difficult and best left to your veterinarian."Dogs and cats don't complain much, and almost always are eating and drinking okay, even with broken teeth," said Jones.

Common dental problems are plaque, gingivitis, missing teeth, tenderness and a bad smell.

"Occasionally you will see signs of oral pain such as dropping food, or chewing on one side of the mouth," adds Jones.

He recommends daily brushing with a pet toothpaste as the best way to remove plaque and reduce gingivitis. By making brushing a daily routine, you will be more likely to spot dental problems.

Other options as part of an oral hygiene program is dental pet food such as Hill's T/D or Eukanuba/Iams products with Hexametaphosphate that can reduce plaque and calculus. You can also try rawhide chews and topical treatments.

Dr. Jones cautions not to let your pet chew on bones, rocks, ice or sticks. They commonly cause broken teeth in dogs. And he advises that pets should have a regular dental examination at least every six months.

For those who have elderly pets and are concerned about anesthesia, Dr. Jones reassures us, "Older pets usually can have a safe anesthesia, it just takes them longer to recover. The general rule is that if they can walk in the front door, chances are that they will be walking back out afterwards."

Julie Ford's pug Yoda is a  special member of the family. When family members started noticing his bad breath, she took him to Dr. Jones for a dental checkup.

After a thorough teeth cleaning , Dr. Jones x-rayed the teeth and found an abscessed tooth. Overall, Yoda needed five teeth pulled. Even though he was under anesthesia, Dr. Jones still injected his gums with painkillers before extracting the bad teeth, so Yoda wouldn' t have much pain when he woke up.

After the anesthesia was turned off, Yoda awoke quickly, although a little groggy. He recognized his mom and then drifted back to sleep in the recovery room. Yoda stayed several more hours before he was able to go home that evening.

He  was sent home with antibiotics and painkillers. "Yoda was allowed to eat wet food when he got home, " says Ford. 

Yoda made a miraculous recovery from his oral surgery. "Each day, Yoda has gotten more and more energy. It's so obvious to me now that he had been in serious pain before his teeth were pulled," says Ford. "He has been chasing our cat around the house again. I am so, so glad that he's feeling better."

After coming through with flying colors from dental surgery, Yoda enjoys a light dinner. (Photo by J. Ford)

Tags: aloha animal hospital associates, caring for pet teeth, dr. david jones, julie ford, veterinary dentistry

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