Dental care for pets
Metro, 25 Oct 2002

DENTAL care is an important part of a pet’s preventative healthcare regime. Regular care and visits to the veterinarian can prevent diseases such as periodontitis. Just like our bi-annual visits to the dentist, your pet needs proper management of its health and dental care. 

By the second year, your pet will be prone to oral infections and if no proper dental hygiene is practised, there is a good chance that it will suffer loss of teeth by the fourth or fifth year. And, just like us, without healthy gums and teeth, pets would have difficulty chewing and eating. 

A lot of pet owners are concerned about their pets’ dental hygiene and look for ways to keep those canine and feline teeth free of odour.  

However, most pet owners complain of their pet’s mouth odours, but forget that pets need their owners to take care of their teeth and help brush them daily to get rid of malodour, or “bad breath” as is commonly called. This can surely be prevented if proper dental hygiene is practised.  

Research shows that 80% of all dogs and 70% of all cats will need some form of dental care in their lifetime.  

There is more than one way to keep your pets’ teeth clean and stain-free.  

One is through regular dental check-ups and the other is through the latest innovation of special diets for dental care whereby the food will do the cleaning while the pet eats!  

The larger kibble works like a toothbrush to help scrub away plaque and stain. It also helps reduce bad breath in adult cats and dogs. Research shows that plaque and tartar build-up decreases by 20% and stain by 40% with the usage of this diet.  

Periodontitis is a major source of medical morbidity, which simply means an extremely depressing problem for our pets. The signs of periodontal disease may include anorexia, behavioural changes, excessive saliva (saliva halitosis), bleeding and swollen gingiva, tooth mobility, difficulty eating, head shaking and ulcerations. 

Plaque is another cause of periodontal disease. A colourless film that in most instances is invisible to the eye, it is composed of bacteria, proteins, sugars, white blood cells, minerals and water.  

If allowed to accumulate, plaque can cause odour, pain, infection and tooth loss. Plaque usually hardens as it mixes with food particles and minerals in the saliva. The hardened plaque is referred to as “tartar”. Tartar destroys the bone and ligament that support the tooth, resulting in tooth loss. 

By the age of three, seven out of 10 pets show signs of periodontal disease. As oral health can affect your pet’s overall health, it is important that owners pay attention to their pet’s oral health. 

Compared with other traditional multipurpose pet foods, Hill’s has come up with a new innovative formula that uses natural fibres and a larger kibble to scrub your pet’s teeth like a toothbrush. Just imagine letting the food do the cleaning while the pet eats! It is clinically proven to reduce mouth odour and build-up of stain, resulting in whiter teeth. It also proven to reduce plaque and tartar build-up that can lead to bad breath, while maintaining the pets’ overall dental health. It is also proven to reduce gingivitis. 

It cannot be overemphasised that oral care is important for cats and dogs, andwe should not ignore our pets’ dental health.  

With a combination of regular professional veterinary care and daily feeding of Hill’s Science Diet Oral Care pet food, you can rest assured your pet’s dental hygiene is well taken care of.  

Sadly, though, many pet owners are still unaware of the importance of proper dental care and it being part and parcel of healthcare for pets.  

Periodontal disease is common among cats and dogs of varying breeds, gender and age. Surveys in several countries report prevalence of periodontal disease that range from 60% to more than 80% of dogs and cats examined above one year.  

Here are some tips to prevent dental problems in your pets:  

* An important tip for keeping pets’ teeth in good condition is to feed dry pet food rather than wet formulas; 

* Some toys, when chewed, also help to reduce tartar, massage gums and floss teeth. Always check with your regular veterinarian before buying these toys and devices for your cat or dog; 

* Take your pet for that long-due dental scaling to remove stubborn stain and tartar build-up to prevent unwanted problems at least once a year, starting from the first year. What is dental scaling? It is a simple procedure whereby the pet will be placed under general anaesthetic and a general cleaning and polishing of the teeth and will be done using an ultrasonic device; 

* Try feeding the new innovative oral care diet that helps clean the pet’s teeth while it eats since the larger-sized kibble and patented fibre technology in these formulas allow more of the tooth surface to be scrubbed, while the pet chews longer and benefits from the longer cleaning action.  

However, because of the kibble’s size and texture, it is natural for some pets to require a few feedings before becoming accustomed to this new food.  

Nevertheless, this new innovative formula by Hill’s is great for the benefit of your pet’s dental hygiene and the prevention of early tooth loss in some pets due to the lack of awareness in this sector. 

Meanwhile, take your pet to the veterinarian for that long-awaited dental check-up to avoid unnecessary problems.