Yarrabilba Vet Hospital’s first patient was Toby, the spunky King Charles Cavalier spaniel. He came in with his human Tracy and a dental check showed that he had mild gingivitis and what we call a “grade 2 mouth”, so he was admitted for a dental scale and polish.
Did you know that dental disease is linked to other problems such as heart disease? So there’s no getting around this one. If you want your pet to live a healthy life, they need to have a healthy mouth!
As many as 4 out of 5 adult dogs and cats on the Gold Coast Hinterland have dental disease. Dental disease strikes when plaque and tartar accumulate on the teeth and lead to infection of the gums. Bacteria from this infection can travel in the blood stream around the body and can impact the heart as well other organs such as the lungs and kidneys.
The good news is that many of these problems can be reversed if dental hygiene is improved – and that’s where we come in!
In Toby’s case Dr Andrew recommended a dog dental procedure to remove the plaque and tartar and resolve any infection. We took diagnostic dental radiographs on our state of the art X-Ray machine to ensure that all his teeth looked healthy under the gums. This specialised equipment identified a suspicious tooth that needed extracting so that it wouldn’t cause Toby any problems down the track. Throughout the procedure Toby was monitored by our friendly and experienced nurses using top of the line equipment, and the safest anaesthetic protocols.
We sent Toby off home with pearly (and painless) white teeth, as well as some beautiful flowers for Tracy to say “thank you” for being Yarrabilba Vet Hospital’s first patient!
Here are Tamborine Mountain, Canungra and Yarrabilba Vet Services’ top 3 tips for preventing dental disease in your pet:
1. Get your pet’s mouth checked by us. An expert vet or vet nurse will be able to spot problems early – this is essential to good dental care. A thorough dental check at least once a year is vital.
2. Feed your pet the correct food. A premium quality dry diet is essential for good oral health. There are excellent dental diets available and they really work so ask us for the best recommendation to suit your cat or dog.
3. Brush your pet’s teeth. This is considered gold standard pet dentistry – just make sure you use a pet-safe toothpaste.
The same as for humans, we recommend your pets get a dental check up at least once a year. Regular checks will help to protect your pet’s overall health and might just save their life!
If you have any questions about your pet’s oral health, give us a call.
