Getting to the root of the matter

Petplan Vet of The Year and director of the independent and city centre based The Liverpool Vets, Danielle Greenberg discusses how important clean teeth are to our pets, and offers some tips on how to keep them that way.

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TEETH BRUSHING IS A NORMAL PART of our daily routine, but it’s something our pets need too. As with people, plaque sticks to the surface of their teeth and forms a film which is the fuzzy feeling you get if you forget to brush one night.

With a good brush, this is easily removed. With time and no brushing however, that soft fuzzy plaque, which is an accumulation of bacteria, starts to solidify forming tartar which attaches itself firmly to teeth and cannot be removed with any amount of brushing.

Tartar is basically solid bacteria which then causes gum disease and with time, smelly breath and rotten teeth. Sadly, by the age of three, most of our cats and dogs have established dental disease and are swallowing those bacteria 24/7 plus developing some pretty dreadful breath, sore gums and even heart disease.

It’s the single most preventable condition in dogs and cats that we see here at The Liverpool Vets, but the good news is there are lots of things you can do to help prevent it and to get your pet’s mouth clean again.

BRUSH, BRUSH, BRUSH! The most effective way to break up plaque is a daily brush. There are little brushes that fit on your finger, and special doggy tooth brushes with two heads, but just a regular supermarket soft small brush will work just as good. The trick is introducing it very slowly and as part of a positive reward training plan.

Danielle in theatre

Make it a game, just try for a few seconds to start with and slowly build it up. It should be done every single day. Start with puppies when they are young.

Obviously, it’s not that easy with cats, but if you have a tolerant cat you might just be able to pull it off.

TOOTHPASTE I recommend Logic Oral Gel which you can buy here at the clinic or on Amazon and many pet shops. Over many years I’ve used this with great success.

It contains an enzyme which helps to break down the plaque before tartar can form. For cats, again, it’s more of a challenge but even putting a little on the paw so your cat will lick it off will help.

DENTAL DIET If your dog or cat already has gingivitis or a mild dental disease, I’d strongly recommend Royal Canin Dental Diet.

I worked in a dental referral practice for a while and saw the incredible benefits of using it, especially in cats who can have an allergy to plaque and can form little holes in their teeth known as FORLs which are really painful.

The kibble is pretty hard and sometimes takes a little getting used to especially for kitties used to Dreamies, and its much more costly than most commercial pet foods, but it really does work and is worth the investment.

NO TREATS BETWEEN MEALS Just like kids, try to avoid giving your pets treats between meals. For cats, try to avoid leaving food out all day which encourages constant grazing so there’s food in the mouth for more of the day.

The theory is, the longer the mouth is empty, the cleaner it will be. So keep treats close to meal times and try to encourage feeding only twice or three times per day.

MORE NATURAL TREATS In a similar vein, try to avoid the treats which are sprayed with fats and sugars. Replace Dreamies and Smackos with Thrive Chicken or fish treats for cats and dogs and carrot sticks for dogs.

DENTAL STICKS Dentastix and the like do a reasonable job on the back teeth but nothing at all for the canines and front teeth. Brushing is much more effective.

CHEW TOYS There are some great chew toys for dogs out there with abrasive surfaces which can act like a tooth brush such as Brite Bite, Brushee and Kong Dental.

I’ve heard they can fail to stand up to a large dog but the theory behind them is sound and you can add the Logic toothpaste to them. You can also buy a Plaque Away Pretzel chew toy for cats.

WATER SUPPLEMENT Aquadent is similar to Corsodyl having chlorhexidine in it which can combat bacteria in the mouth.

Used in isolation I’m not a big fan of this as a method of controlling dental disease but it can help alongside other factors.

RAW BONES Somewhat controversial but raw meaty bones can keep both dogs and cats mouths very clean.

I’ve used them for many years with my dogs and their mouths are really kept gleaming though occasionally an incisor can get chipped.

They are truly natures’ tooth brushes, so if you are keen to try, have a chat with your vet.

A SCALE AND POLISH Finally, once the tartar is established or there is a lot of gingivitis, only a scale and polish will get the mouth clean.

At The Liverpool Vets, we use a light general anaesthetic to allow us to thoroughly clean the mouth.

The results are stunning and if you use the steps above afterwards, it should be a once in a lifetime event, a farewell to bad pet breath and a healthy mouth for a healthy future.

FREE HEALTH CHECK IN FEBRUARY

If you would like a completely FREE DENTAL HEALTH CHECK for your pet in February, call us on 0151 709 9777 and quote YMFEB

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