From the category archives:

FAQ – Owner

Dog breath? Dog drooling? Trouble chewing? Signs to look out for if your pet needs dental care

November 30, 2009

Signs that your pet might be in need of a dental care might include any combination of bad breath, reluctance or difficulty chewing, chewing on one side, drooling, decreased appetite, face rubbing or pawing, reluctance to be handled around the mouth,or swelling around the face. Inside the mouth you may see red, swollen or bleeding gums, tartar accumulation, broken [...]

Read the full article →

Are you a specialist veterinary dentist?

November 30, 2009

Christine is not a specialist veterinary dentist. She has done further study and training in small animal dentistry, and has limited her clinical practice to this field since 2007. Christine attained membership of the Veterinary Dentistry Chapter of the Australian College of Veterinary Scientists in 2006 – this involved undertaking rigorous written and oral examinations. There are two [...]

Read the full article →

Cleaning dog teeth seems like hard work! Do people really brush their pets’ teeth?

November 30, 2009

Cleaning dog teeth is not as hard as you think. Cats can also be more co-operative than you expect! So why would you want to brush your pet’s teeth? Periodontal disease is why we clean pets’ teeth Periodontal disease is caused by plaque, a bacterial biofilm that adheres to the tooth surface (it is one [...]

Read the full article →

Why would anyone consider dental braces in dogs or cats?

November 30, 2009

Dog dental braces is a topic we are often asked about. Cosmetic considerations may be important to some owners, however the real focus of veterinary orthodontics is on making pets with badly positioned teeth comfortable. Animals do not need a perfect or ‘correct’ bite, but they do deserve a comfortable and healthy one. When dog [...]

Read the full article →

Pet root canal treatment? Why consider trying to save teeth when we can extract them?

November 30, 2009

Extraction is a option for relieving pain and infection, and is therefore far more humane than allowing animals to suffer with a sore or unhealthy mouth. In many situations there are other treatment options available that can both relieve pain and infection, while preserving dental function. Pet cats and dogs can live happy, healthy lives [...]

Read the full article →

What exactly are feline resorptive lesions?

November 30, 2009

Feline resorptive lesions (otherwise known as feline odontoclastic resorptive lesions or neck lesions) are a very common cause of dental pain in our feline friends. In fact, studies have shown that once cats reach middle age, at least half of them will have one or more resorptive lesions near or under the gumline, with the [...]

Read the full article →

What to do if you see a broken pet tooth

November 30, 2009

Broken dog teeth (and cat teeth) should be assessed by your vet as soon as they are noticed. If the fracture is fairly small and does not expose the pulp (living tissue inside the tooth) there is a reasonable chance the tooth will survive. However, such teeth should be monitored closely as infection through the [...]

Read the full article →

What to do with persistent baby (deciduous) teeth

November 30, 2009

Dogs and cats have two sets of teeth, just like humans. The deciduous (baby) teeth are replaced by the permanent (adult) teeth between about 3-6 months of age. Sometimes the deciduous teeth do not fall out, which can lead to overcrowding, increased susceptibility to periodontal disease and abnormal positioning of the permanent teeth, sometimes with [...]

Read the full article →

What to do if your pets teeth are discoloured

November 30, 2009

Discoloured teeth can occur for many reasons, and should be evaluated by your vet. Often it is due to tartar or stains on the tooth surface, which can be removed by professional cleaning under anaesthesia. When the actual tooth itself is discoloured, this is generally a sign that the tooth itself is dead or dying. [...]

Read the full article →

Cat and dog dental problems affect four out of five pets

November 30, 2009

Cat and dog dental disease are arguably the most common diseases we see in small animal practice, with an estimated four out of every five cats and dogs over the age of three suffering from periodontal disease, broken teeth, resorptive lesions and other dental conditions that warrant treatment to relieve pain and resolve infection. Younger animals [...]

Read the full article →

← Previous Entries

Next Entries →