Your Pet's Dental Health Starts at Home

February is National Pet Dental Health Month!

Imagine if you didn’t brush your teeth for days, weeks, months, or years.
What would your teeth look like?

Plaque is a natural, sticky film caused by normal bacteria in the mouth. It is soft and easily removed but if it is not, it hardens on the teeth as tarter, which causes irritation to the gums, leading to inflammation and eventually periodontal disease, where loss of support of the teeth below the gumline occurs. Once tarter has formed, it can only be removed with a professional tooth cleaning.

According to the AVMA, 80% of dogs and 70% of cats have some level of dental disease by age 3. Dr. Andrea wants pet owners to know that "dental disease can cause a lot of other organ-related side effects, contributing to heart disease, renal disease, and kidney disease. But it can also cause local pain for your pet, affecting their daily life."

Read More