Did you know your pet’s oral hygiene is essential to their overall health? And unless you already take your pet in for a regular dental checkup, you may not have considered their oral health. At East Valley Animal Hospital in Gilbert, AZ, making sure that Fido and Fluffy can live happy, healthful, and long lives is a labor of love for us. That’s why we offer comprehensive and preventative care that includes pet dental care.
Causes of Pet Dental Problems
Just like their human owners, your pet could be experiencing dental discomfort for a number of reasons. And some of these conditions can easily go undetected by you and develop into more severe conditions.
- Plaque and tartar buildup
- Periodontal disease
- Toothache
- Stomatitis ( inflammation of the oral mucous membranes)
- An abscess or infected tooth
- A chipped or broken tooth
The Unsettling Reality of Pet Dental Care
According to the American Dental Society, 80 percent of dogs and 70 percent of cats have oral disease by the age of three years old. Oral disease can be an unseen source of pain in many pets. That plaque and tartar might seem like a harmless occurrence. But when your pet’s oral hygiene is not attended to on a regular basis, plaque can turn into gum disease or periodontal disease. Not only is periodontal disease detrimental to the health of your four-legged friend’s teeth and gums, but it can affect their overall health as well. The toxins from periodontal disease can be absorbed into the bloodstream. As blood circulates and is filtered by the heart, kidneys and brain, small infections can occur, causing damage to your pet’s organ systems.
For this reason, we strongly recommend scheduling an annual oral exam to keep your furry family member healthy and strong. We will always perform dental radiographs on your pet while they are under anesthesia for a dental cleaning in order to better evaluate their teeth. Many times the teeth look good on the surface but have issues below the gumline that can only be detected through radiographs.
We Specialize in Pet Dental Care
Pet dental care is not only a part of our practice, we specialize in it. Dr. Mafara has worked closely with his mentors at Arizona Veterinary Dental Specialists to ensure our team at East Valley Animal Hospital is providing the most innovative and safe services and methods available in pet dental care. Anytime your canine or feline visits us we’ll take a quick look at their oral cavity for any signs of disease. However, a full annual oral checkup and cleaning is the best way to ensure your pet’s dental health. In our next blog post, we will offer recommendations for what you can do at home to maintain your pet’s oral health in between visits. To schedule an appointment, call us today: (480) 568-2462.
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