Letting your pets dental care go to the dogs, often results in other physical ailments and compromised general health. Look after your pet’s oral hygiene and help your furry friend live a longer, healthier life.

 ‚ÄúOver recent years, veterinary medicine and surgery has advanced in leaps and bounds, and so has the incidence and treatment of dental diseases, periodontal and gum disease caused by plaque build up and tartar in pets,‚Äù says Johannesburg SPCA veterinarian Dr Suleyman.  

 

 Research shows that by the age of three years, without proper dental care, 80% of dogs and 70 % of cats will show dental disease.With your help your pets life can be improved and their quality of life extended.  Here are some tips from Dr Suleyman and the expert team at the Johannesburg SPCA, to keeping your pet‚Äôs smile, in tips top condition:

 

• Visit your vet local veterinarian and ask for advice on how to take care of your pet‚Äôs teeth
• Brush your animal‚Äôs teeth with specialized pet toothpaste and mouthwash. ‚ÄúDo not use human products as they are not safe for pets to swallow,‚Äù says Dr Suleyman
• Avoid feeding your dogs bones, regardless if the bones are from chops, chicken, or shin. ‚ÄúThey have the potential to splinter and perforate the gut. They also wear the teeth down which could result in you pet developing an inability to masticate or chew his or her food
• Do not feed your puppy bones, especially while he or she still has milk teeth. Animal‚Äôs teeth are delicate and are designed for chewing and not bone crushing. ‚ÄúSpecially formulated puppy food is available and should be fed to your puppy,‚Äù says Dr Suleyman
• ‚ÄúAvoid buying cheap pet food as far as possible, as the more inexpensive brands may not be dental friendly,‚Äù
• Avoid your dog biting or even catching wood and sticks as they may pierce the gum and cheek and cause oral lacerations and infections
• Feed your pet the right size pellet so that they are able to chew and remove plague and tartar during the chewing process from their teeth as opposed to just swallowing it
• Several dental chews‚Äô are available from your vet or vet shop   with impregnations for taste and agents to maintain optimal oral hygiene. Spoil your pets with chew treats, hard meat- protein biscuits and raw-hide chew
• ‚ÄúAt the Johannesburg SPCA we encourage dental cleaning by ultrasonic scaling and polishing at least every six months or as per veterinary advice,‚Äù says Dr Suleyman
• Avoid a strict wet food diet, as there is a high tendency to develop plague and tartar when animals eat only canned wet food.