Healthy mouth = healthy heart
Did you know that if your pet is suffering from dental disease they may be at risk of heart disease too?
When your pet has dental disease, plaque and tartar accumulate on the teeth leading to an infection in the gums. From this infection, bacteria travel into the bloodstream around the body and can cause infection in the heart. This most commonly occurs in the heart's lining and valves and is known as endocarditis. It is however, not only the heart that is affected; the kidneys, liver and lungs can also be damaged by the bacteria.
Thankfully many of these problems can be prevented if dental disease is treated promptly.
Top tips for the prevention of dental disease
Lift your pet’s lip and have a look and a smell. If you notice any yellowing of the teeth or redness of the gums OR your pet’s breath smells a bit ‘off’, it is time for a check-up.
Regardless of whether you think something’s not quite right, get your pet’s mouth checked regularly. The earlier an issue is spotted the better the outcome.
Get your pet eating the right diet. It’s essential that our pets chew their food! There are some excellent dental diets available and they work really well so ask us for the best recommendation.
Brush your pet’s teeth. This is considered gold standard but just make sure you use a pet-approved toothpaste.
You may have heard of 'anaesthesia free dentistry'. We do not support this as it is simply a cosmetic procedure and does not include removing the plaque, tartar and subsequent bacteria from under the gum-line.
The Australian veterinary Association has put out an official warning about the shortfalls of this style of dentistry. For their official warning click here.
