How common is it? 

We often hear “I’ve had dogs all my life and never had to do anything with their teeth”.

Dental disease is the most common disease we see in adult dogs and cats. It is estimated that between 70 - 80% of our canine and feline friends have some level of dental disease after the age of 8 years. Preventive health care and dental treatment is becoming common practice in veterinary medicine and gone are the days where we ignore it. As a consequence we are improving our pet’s quality and quantity of life. 

So, what should you look out for? 

Signs of dental disease can include:

• Bad breath (halitosis) - this can be normal though is most often related to plaque build up or gingivitis (inflammation of the gums)

• Rubbing of the mouth - we see this more often in dogs

• Bleeding of gums / increased salivation

• Reluctance to eat or pain on eating

• Change of behaviour (seen more frequently in cats who love to hide their pain!)

However, it is important to realise that just because your dog or cat is eating, this doesn't mean that they don't have painful mouth and dental disease. Both cats and dogs are not great at displaying signs of dental pain, though we know that toothache is painful. We often find that after a dental procedure owners report that their animals are vastly improved and that their ‘old pet’ has just had a sore mouth.

As a part of any examination, whether your pet comes in for a vaccination or any other issue, we check their teeth. We offer free of charge dental check ups and can discuss ways of keeping your pet’s teeth clean. This can include brushing your pet’s teeth (generally far more successful in dogs than in cats!), diet and dental chews. 

Here is a short video from our team at Coquet Vets showing you how to safely brush your pet’s teeth:

If my pet has dental disease what is the next step?

If a dental procedure is necessary then a general anaesthetic is needed. We fully examine the mouth, take dental x-rays (this is essential to assess the teeth under the gum line), scale and polish the teeth and perform any extractions that are required. This is generally a day procedure and the cost will depend on the severity of the dental disease. 

If you think your pet could be affected, then please give us a call on 01665 252 250 and book in for a free of charge dental check up with one of our vets.