Dental Care for Your Pet

posted: by: AUVH Tags: "Clinic Specials" "News" 


Taking care of your pet’s teeth is important to keeping them healthy

February is National Pet Dental Health month and the veterinarians of Animals Unlimited Veterinary Hospital would like to help explain some of the possible health threats to your pet due to dental disease. Dr. Valerie Anderson recently completed continuing education courses in veterinary dentistry in order to provide improved and more extensive dental care for pets in the area. Health issues to be concerned with because of dental disease include heart disease, liver and kidney disease, tooth loss, jaw fractures and systemic infections.

Routine exams can help by alerting owners to early dental problems that can be taken care before causing more severe generalized health issues. The additional training Dr. Anderson has received allows the practice to provide additional dental services such as surgical extractions and repair. “By maintaining good oral health in our pets you can help give your pet a longer, healthier life. The best times to have your pets teeth cleaned is before there is severe tartar accumulation and gingivitis. Once these two things have start to affect the mouth your pet is at a much higher risk of developing systemic infection which can lead to heart . liver and kidney disease as well as extreme  pain from damaged teeth and exposed nerves. “ states Dr. Anderson.

During the month of February Drs. Valerie Anderson and Genevieve Davis will being offering a free dental exam for your pet in efforts to help increase awareness and help people  learn what to look for when it comes to the dental health of your pet. Questions that pet owners may have can be directed to the office of Animals Unlimited Veterinary Hospital or your regular veterinarian.

Today there are many tools you can use for your pet’s dental health. From daily brushing to food and treats designed to help prevent tartar accumulation. However there is no replacement for them being examined and evaluated by a veterinarian. This allows permanent medical recording of your pet’s health and condition of their mouth which is a gateway to maintaining a healthy, happy pet.


Keeping your pet healthy with good Dental Care!  
Every pet should have routine a physical examination at least once a year – including evaluating their mouth, teeth and gums. There are many serious problems related to dental disease. Bad breath is just the beginning. Left untreated dental infections can cause heart disease, liver and kidney problems. Pets can be very painful and not exhibit signs until the pain becomes unbearable and is finally noticeable because they either won’t eat or cry out when they do eat. At this point it would be comparable to the worst cavity or   infected tooth we humans can imagine!


At Animals Unlimited Veterinary Hospital Dr.Valerie Anderson and Dr. Genevieve Davis are able to provide the necessary dental care for your pet. By using a state of the art peizoelectric dental station for cleaning your pet’s teeth and extracting any teeth that need to be removed, means less time under anesthesia and pain for your pet.

We recommend dental exams be tailored to your pet’s individual needs. Smaller dogs and some cats will benefit from dental exams twice a year, while most larger breed dogs may only need yearly inspections. Younger animals will routinely have their teeth checked each time they come in for their initial series of vaccinations and may require additional checkups if they have retained juvenile teeth or abnormal dentition.

Please call us if you have any questions regarding your pet’s dental health.