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Free Pet Dental Check-up in February!

February 22, 2016

Love your pet? Love your pet’s teeth!

Is your pet your true Love? Do you avoid snuggles and kisses due to your pets “monster” breath? Well, not only does February celebrate Valentine’s Day, but also National Pet Oral Health Care Awareness Month. We here at Lansdowne Animal Hospital strive to promote both pet health and the human-animal bond! We are therefore offering a FREE Oral Health Exam* to ensure your beloved pet’s oral health is as good as we would love it to be!

Can you imagine going a single day without brushing your teeth? Doesn’t sound appealing, yet many pet parents don’t brush their pet’s teeth. This can be due to a number of reasons, but often either they were not aware they should be, or don’t know how. There are several ways to provide your pets with proper dental care and the earlier you begin, the better. We want you to know that brushing is best!

Using a small toothbrush or finger brush, and special tasty pet-formulated toothpaste, you can get your pets excited about this! If started in the early stages of your kitten or puppy’s life, this practice can be easily taught and maintained as they grow. But if you have an older dog or cat and are just getting started on practicing good oral health care, it can be a bit tricky.
Not all old dogs want to learn new tricks and cats, being creatures of habit, aren’t always up for them either. So if you find brushing to be impossible, there are other alternatives such as special dental chews and treats, or food and water additives that are specially formulated for promoting oral health and hygiene.

So how do you know if your pet is in the early stages or full onset of dental disease? The most common signs are bad breath (beyond the normal “dog” or “cat” breath), redness and swelling of gums, and discoloration of the teeth. A pet that is in pain due to an abscessed or broken tooth may show signs of inappetence and/or excessive salivation (or “drooling”) and lethargy.

We will always check your pet’s teeth for signs of dental disease during their regular examination. The only way to treat dental disease is with an anesthetic and dental cleaning where we thoroughly scale, clean and polish your pet’s teeth and gums, removing all plaque and tartar buildup. This leaves your pet feeling a whole lot better and healthier, but this can all be prevented with good at-home oral care. Untreated dental disease can lead to bacteria entering the bloodstream which can, over time, affect major organs such as the liver, kidneys and even the heart!

You may think a dental procedure is costly, but overall it’s a small price to pay when it comes to prolonging or even saving your pet’s health! It also costs a lot less when the removal of teeth can be prevented! After the dental procedure, our veterinary care team will be able to help you get on a regimen for continued oral health care.

Overall, we love our pets and we would do anything for them. The best gift we can give them is health and a good reason to “smile!” … and that begins at home.
Better oral health and better breath keeps your pet overall healthy and might garner more snuggles and kisses!

To celebrate National Pet Oral Health Care Awareness month, we are offering FREE oral health exams for your pet through March 15th. Call 571.333.2247 to schedule an appointment and allow one of our care team members help you get on board with proper pet oral hygiene. Practice makes perfect, and can make all the difference in the life of your pet!

* With veterinary nurse through to March 15th 2016