Dental Care for your Pets

We are a practice of animal lovers here at Absolute, with approximately 30 pets between the team (sorry if I've missed any!!!) and we all try to take the very best care of them - including their dental needs. I know we have alot of pet owners amongst our patients too, so I thought I would pass on some useful advice.

The dynamics of tooth and gum health for dogs and cats are similar to those of human beings. Pets also get plaque build up thanks to the modern foods we feed them, and their plaque also leads to gum and tooth problems, unless we help our four-legged friends do something about this.

Mother Nature’s Method:
Wild animals are naturally predisposed to eating healthy foods that feed their teeth and gums with essential nutrients and crunchiness which help to keep their plaque levels low. Their saliva does the rest, by buffering and cleansing, and so their teeth outlive them - as long as their gums stay healthy!

The Modern Threats that Pets Face:
Unfortunately, many of us have broken all these rules with love. We feed our cats and dogs soft food that does not clean their teeth. The result is inevitable – plaque builds, teeth begin to decay and gum disease becomes an all too frequent possibility.

How to Lend Mother Nature a Helping Hand:
The solution is to introduce a disciplined approach that keeps the plaque away from your pet’s teeth. There are three ways in which to do this – give them chewy food and toys, brush their teeth and seek professional assistance from a vet. The optimum solution is a combination of the first two of these.

Self-cleaning programs are the easiest way to keep your pets mouth clean. Feed your animal foods that are crunchy and restrict snacking, this could be kibble or even better,  raw food including bones. But definitely no chocolates, and definitely no sweets for your pets!

Di (with a little help from Bones & Badger!)