Health and wellbeing | PETS
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http://www.facebook.com/petsmagazine August 45
GETTING THEM OFF
TO THE BEST START
Dental care should start from the very
beginning, and the key to making it easier on all
parties is to ensure your pet gets comfortable
with you touching his teeth and gums from the
get go. Your best bet is to make this part of a
regular grooming routine from the start. If you
have adopted an older pet, you’ll want to talk
to your vet and be careful, as your dog or cat is
likely to bite if she hasn’t been exposed to this
kind of activity. “Gently opening their mouth in
a calm, safe environment and rewarding them
for cooperation helps them to accept checks
in a veterinary environment without fear,”
Dr Joanna says.
The vet says puppies and kittens love to
chew and it’s great for their dental health
when done sensibly. Age- and breed-
appropriate chew toys can be useful (and
save on new furniture as well as dentistry
bills!). Bones are also great for dogs’ teeth
but, again, if done sensibly. “Never feed pets
cooked bones. Raw chicken wings can be a
good choice but care needs to be taken with
hygiene and supervision,” Dr Joanna says.TOOTH BRUSHING AND
ANNUAL CHECK-UPS
Tooth brushing is the gold standard for
prevention of dental disease in
our pets. “There are diff erent
ways to go about it, but I fi nd
the easiest way is usually with
the thimble-type brushes that
you put over your fi nger,” Dr
Joanna says. She recommends
starting slowly, fi rst putting
a bit of something your pet
loves on your fi nger and
wiping it inside his mouth.
Once he is comfortable,
graduate to a brush but just
let him taste it and don’t
brush yet. “Make it a positive
experience and gradually
work up to where you are
brushing the teeth with
toothpaste designed for
pets,” she says.One of the biggest problems with neglecting
the regular vet check-up, which will include
a dental check, is dental problems can creep
up and your pet may not show any signs that
there is something wrong. “Even if they appear
to be eating normally, there may be painful
disease lurking inside their mouth,” Dr Joanna
explains. While younger pets can get away with
an annual check-up, Dr Joanna says older pets
benefi t from twice-yearly checks, as problems
tend to crop up more frequently in old age.DIET MATTERS
Our pets’ mouths are designed for chewing
their food and feeding an exclusively soft diet
does not give them the workout they need
to stay healthy. “There are many commercial
diets that are healthy, balanced and designed
to help keep teeth clean. If you’re not sure,
ask your vet for a recommendation,” Dr
Joanna says. Bones are controversial, though
experts agree cooked bones should never be
fed. Dr Joanna says while she recommends
feeding raw bones, it’s important they are the
appropriate size and type for the individual
animal. “Some pets simply don’t tolerate bones
as part of their diet and get awful diarrhoea
and/or vomiting from eating them. These
pets should not be given bones and need an
alternative for chewing,” she says.ffff ebebebbbbooooooooookkkkkkkcocococom/m/m/m//ppeppepepetststststssssmamamamamamaaaagagagagagagaazizizzizzneneneneneAuAAuAuAAuugugugugugugugststststt 454545454545454555
Brushing your
dog’s teeth
can help keep
them in good
condition.PLF070_pg044-046_Dental Health Month.indd 45PLF070_pg044-046_Dental Health Month.indd 45 6/19/2017 2:41:57 PM6/19/2017 2:41:57 PM