2 Ways You Can Maintain Your Dog's Oral Health
Posted on: 8 July 2022
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Just like you should go to the dentist regularly, it's important for you to make sure that your dog goes to see their vet for dental care. Your dog can have plaque buildup, loose teeth, and infections around the root of their teeth. Like a human with bad teeth, bad teeth can cause your dog to have chronic pain, and the infections around their teeth can move through the rest of their body. When you take your dog to the vet to get their teeth treated, there are things that you need to know so that your dog will get the treatment they need.
Anesthesia Is Good
When you take your dog in for dental work, the vet will knock them out. Going under anesthesia will make the process easier for your dog. Having a bunch of people holding you down and holding your mouth open would be terrifying for a person, but it would be even more terrifying for your dog since they don't understand that you are getting them help. That fear and stress could cause your dog to lash out and hurt someone or get themselves hurt. So, putting your dog under anesthesia will be safer for everyone involved in the process. Your vet should do some blood work to make sure that your dog is going to be healthy enough to go under anesthesia safely.
Brush at Home
Your vet can also show you how you can brush your dog's teeth at home. There are actually doggie toothbrushes and toothpaste that you can buy to help keep your dog's mouth as clean as it was after their dental treatment. If you have a young dog, getting them used to you brushing their teeth might be easier than it would be for an older dog, but with patience, even your older dog should let you brush their teeth daily. There are also treats and toys that are designed to help clean your dog's teeth. They aren't a replacement for brushing their teeth or taking them to the vet, but those treats and toys are just an additional tool that you can use to help keep your dog's mouth nice and clean.
Making sure that your dog is healthy means that you need to make sure that you take them to see their vet so that the vet can help maintain your dog's oral health, which can also help with their overall health.
Contact a local center like Indian Creek Veterinary Hospital for more info.