National Pet Dental Month
by Pumpkin
Many purrs Kitties and Doggies. Did mew know that February is
National Pet Dental Month? It is, and now that meowmie knows this, she
will take the Crew every year.
Now to get serious for a few minutes. 80% of dogs
and 20% of cats show signs of oral disease by the time they are 3 years
old. It was interesting doing this article.
For example:
Puppies have 28 baby teeth that come out at 3 to 4 weeks old. At 4 months
they have 42 permanent teeth. That is a lot of teeth.
According to experts, aggressive chewing of hard objects like cow hooves,
are the primary cause of broken teeth. So be careful chewing those things
and do not play tug of war so hard.
Symptoms of gum disease in dogs include yellow and brown buildup of
tartar along the gum line, inflamed gums and persistent bad breath.
Periodontal disease is partially common in small dogs.
For cats:
Kittens have 26 baby teeth at 2 to 3 weeks of age and 30 permanent teeth
at 3 to 4 months. Symptoms of periodontal disease includes yellow and
brown tartar buildup, red inflamed gums and bad breath. Did mew know
that our teeth are for grasping, cutting, tearing and shredding?
The signs of mouth disease are:
Failure to eat, unkempt appearance (who feels like grooming when our
mouth hurts) and bad breath. Healthy gums are pink and firm but if they
are pale then it could be a sign of anemia, if bluish gray then its
shock or dehydration.
Gum infections are caused by dental plaque and calculus and by trapped
food and hair between gum and teeth. Without proper preventive care
plaque and tartar buildup leads to periodontal disease which affects
the tissues and teeth. Left untreated periodontal disease causes oral
pain, dysfunction, tooth loss and sysmatic complications.
In other words it leads to lots of pain for mew and it may also hurt
the heart, liver, kidneys and other organs, which could lead to furry
serious health problems. Wow that is a bad domino affect.
To prevent all this, be sure to get yearly dental exams, the Crew's
vet always looks at their teeth when they go for a physical, (then ask
meowmie when she wants to have your teeth cleaned MOL! ) Have home health
care but do not use human tooth paste, it upsets our tummy's.
Ask your vet for special foods that help plaque and tartar removal.
Get your teeth cleaned once a year, and have a great dental visit!
Love and purrs Pumpkin
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