National Pet Dental Month

Your pet’s dental hygiene is just as important as having them spayed or neutered, getting them properly vaccinated and having regular check-ups performed by your family veterinarian.

Healthy oral hygiene in pets helps to eliminate many illnesses and other health problems from arising later in life. When your pet’s teeth are not frequently and properly cleaned, it allows for tartar to build up. Tartar can lead to tooth decay, which if not treated can lead to severe infections in the mouth that are both painful and harmful to your pet’s overall health.

Aside from tooth decay, tartar holds bacteria which is swallowed by your pet and is absorbed into their body. These dangerous bacteria can lead to renal failure and even congestive heart failure. Although pet dentals can be a bit pricey at times, keeping up on their oral hygiene can essentially save you hundreds of dollars in the long run.

By scheduling routine-annual check-ups, your veterinarian can suggest when your pet may need its teeth cleaned. Most veterinarians offer a special on dentals and discount them one month out of the year, typically the entire month of February.

Having these routine examinations performed regularly will help to detect health problems early and eliminate unnecessary pain and suffering. Having a dental performed as recommended by your veterinarian (especially during the discounted month) will help eliminate extremely high vet bills from having to treat your pet for severe illnesses they may develop later. Like most preventive practices for pets, a one-time, lower-cost procedure will go a very long way.

Aside from the appointments, there are several very simple things that can all be done at home to help preserve your pet’s oral health. Durable chew toys and teeth cleaning treats work wonders in aiding to keep your pet’s smile bright and shiny. Making sure that your pet’s diet consists of a high quality kibble (dry food) will also help to keep those pearly whites as bright as can be. Good (and safe) chew toys and occasional treats may help to naturally chip away at existing tartar buildup and assist to prevent the formation of new buildup.

Another good tip is trying to refrain from overfeeding pets canned or wet food. Although the wet food is super yummy to our pets, a lot of canned or wet food can do a lot of damage to your pet’s teeth by quickly adding excessive tartar. Not only that, but canned or wet food is actually less nutritious than dry food and may cause rapid weight gain and lead to other life-threatening health conditions.

Lastly, it wouldn’t hurt to every so often, maybe once or twice a month, brush your pet’s teeth with a soft and pet-friendly toothbrush and some yummy chicken or beef flavored toothpaste.

Good chew toys, treats, high quality dog food and other pet oral hygiene products can be purchased at our local Petco, PetSmart, Costco and Tractor Supply Co. locations, and through your family veterinarian.

Please always remember, a happy mouth makes for a happy pet, and a happy pet makes for a happy family.

To see if your pet could benefit from having a routine dental examination, please make sure to schedule an appointment with one of our local family veterinarians as soon as possible!

Local veterinarians

Desert Veterinary Clinic:

(760) 355-0141

El Centro Animal Clinic:

(760) 352-4222

Howard Animal Hospital:

(760) 344-5738

Devon Apodaca is executive director of the Humane Society of Imperial County.