Pet Dental Care Made Easy by Charlotte Reed
Did you know that most dogs suffer from periodontal disease by the time they are three and cats by the time they are four? As February is National Pet Dental Health Month, it is important to note that less than only 4% of dog and cat owners brush their pet’s teeth on a daily basis despite recommendations from their veterinarians.
Michel Fleck, DVM of the Animal Medical Center believes that taking care of your pet’s teeth starts when you bring your pet home for the first time. “While it can be difficult, the more you do it, it becomes easier for you and your pet.” He advises to start slowly and only brush for a few minutes, gradually increasing the time you are brushing.
According to Jan Bellows, DVM of All Pets Dental in Weston, Florida, “pet owners do not want the hassle of struggling trying to brush their pets teeth.” Bellows explains that utilizing dental wipes to clean the teeth and the mouth as an easier alternative to brushing your dog’s or cat’s teeth He suggest doing this loving chore on a daily basis while watching TV. After, he recommends giving your pet treats. Moreover, he notes that even with wipes, cleaning your pet’s teeth need a cleaning once a year, by a veterinarian is highly recommended.
But new products on the market can be helpful, says Petrendologist Charlotte Reed.
Below find a list of her recommendations:
Tevra Brands
Just like people, our fur kids need to have good oral hygiene, but it's complicated because pets resist brushing. Vetality Oral Gel takes away the obstacles to good oral hygiene for pets. Apply once a week and the best part, there is NO BRUSHING! The patented ProLong Technology actually adheres to your pet’s gums and slowly releases the active ingredients over time keeping your pet's mouth clean and fresh for up to a week. The gel helps whitens teeth, fights plaque and tartar and battles bad breath. Find it at Petsmart.com and Amazon
Oratene Brushless Oral Care products are veterinarian recommended and make it easy to care for your dog or cat’s oral health. It’s safe for both dogs and cats and great, especially in multi-pet or multi-species households. Both feature a patented enzyme formulation to work without brushing. They (both) make plaque unable to adhere to the tooth surface and eliminate the bacteria that cause bad breath. Their safe for any age pet and especially beneficial to pets who have hang tongue, like Teign, as well as pets on medications because condition like hang tongue and the taking of meds (like antihistamines, anxiety, pain medications, etc.) can affect the quality of a pet’s saliva. For the water additive – add two pumps to 4 cups of freshwater daily. One 4oz bottle will last up to 15 gallons of water. The Breath Freshening Spray has a gentle mister – spray right on the teeth and gums daily and will really help with bad breath. One bottle will yield approximately 900 pumps. Oratene can be purchased through your veterinarian, at local pet specialty stores as well as online.
Merrick
Who doesn’t like fresh kisses? Merrick Fresh Kisses are an innovative, all-natural dental treat designed not only to clean a dog’s teeth but to freshen breath at the same time. The dental treats feature a double-brush design that helps clean teeth by removing plaque and tartar during the chewing action of the treat. Believe it or not, you can really sniff the difference because these treats are made with all-natural ingredients specifically formulated to freshen breath in two flavors.
Developing an oral care regimen with your dog or cat will keep them healthy but also keep you from spending hundreds to thousands of dollars letter on cleaning, extraditions, and other painful dental procedures.