Yearly dental exams allow the veterinarian to identify dental development problems early, when the pet can benefit from early intervention. Pets can benefit from regular home dental care, which includes both regular brushing and a proper, nutritional food.
How to Introduce Brushing
- Dip a finger into beef bouillon (for dogs) or tuna water (for cats).
- Rub the soaked finger gently over the pet's mouth and teeth.
- Make the initial sessions short and positive.
- Gradually introduce gauze over the finger and gently scrub the teeth in a circular motion.
- Finally, introduce a toothbrush designed for pets, available from your veterinarian.
Don't use toothpaste designed for people, because it could upset the animal's stomach.
Dental Diets
There is now a specially formulated dietary dog food with dental benefits that you can feed to dogs once they switch to maintenance food. This food, T/D (made by Hill's), is available through veterinarians and can actually reduce the accumulation of plaque and tartar while the dog is eating. This is what Dr. Bleish feeds his own dogs and cats.
Avoid feeding table scraps to dogs and cats — not only does it add tartar quickly, it also adds extra calories to a pet's daily diet.
Professional Teeth Cleaning
We offer professional dental cleanings under general anesthesia. Let us know if we can send you more information about Hill's Prescription T/D food or about teeth cleaning. Call us at (816) 741-8338 or use the contact form.
For additional information, see our dog dental care fact sheet or cat dental care fact sheet.