Preventing Dental Disease with Cat and Dog Teeth Cleaning in Lexington, KY
Love your pet, but not their breath? Bad breath could be a sign of dental disease, one of the most common conditions affecting adult dogs and cats. When we’re focused on making sure our companions are receiving proper nutrition, exercise, parasite control, and vaccinations to protect them from illness, it’s easy to take their oral health for granted. To keep your pet’s mouth clean and healthy, our clinic in Lexington, KY provides thorough, professional teeth cleanings for dogs and cats. We also recommend getting into the habit of brushing your pet’s teeth regularly to delay tartar buildup and reduce their risk for dental disease.
Take charge of your pet’s dental care. Call (859) 224-2287, or request an appointment online
What is Dental Disease, and What are the Signs?
As your pet’s guardian, you know better than anyone when they’re not feeling well. But dental disease can be tricky to detect, especially in its early stages. You might not notice any clinical signs at all!
Here are some of the things you should look for:
- Bad breath
- Drooling
- Dropping food while eating
- Chewing on one side
If you can, flip your pet’s lip to check their teeth. If you see any of the following, schedule a dental exam so we can diagnose your pet and offer appropriate treatment options:
- Red, swollen gums
- Brownish-yellow buildup on the teeth
- Loose or broken teeth
Managing Your Pet’s Dental Care at Home
We’re happy to provide professional teeth cleaning services to help your pet stay healthy. But it’s even more important to establish a dental care routine at home. Daily teeth brushing goes a long way towards limiting the buildup of plaque and tartar on your pet’s teeth, which can reduce the frequency of anesthesia teeth cleanings they’ll need, too.
In addition to brushing their teeth, you can also provide your pet with:
- A tartar-control diet
- Dental treats and chews
- Oral care wipes
- Water additives
If you’d like our recommendations regarding dental care products, give us a call at (859) 224-2287.
How We Clean Your Pet’s Teeth
To safely perform cat and dog teeth cleaning procedures, we need to use general anesthesia. This gives our team the ability to thoroughly examine your pet’s teeth and gums, and clean above and below their gum line.
Therefore, similar to a surgical procedure, we’ll need to perform a pre-anesthetic exam and blood work before administering anesthesia to your pet.
Once your pet is under anesthesia, we:
- Check each tooth for issues, including decay, discoloration, fractures, etc. and chart our findings
- Check the gums for pockets around the teeth, where bacteria gather
- Take full-mouth dental X-rays to check for hidden bone and tooth damage
- Clean your pet’s teeth using an ultrasonic scaler, which efficiently removes hardened tartar buildup
- Perform an extraction, if needed, to remove a loose or damaged tooth that is causing pain and infection (we will provide the necessary pain relief medication to help your pet heal comfortably)
