Saturday, June 14, 2014

Dental Disease in Pets is a Growing Epidemic

Current statistics estimate that a whopping 95% of pets will have dental disease that requires correction during some point in their lifetime. Wouldn't you like for your pet to be in that 5%? According to the AVMA, 80% of dogs and 70% of cats will have some form of dental disease by the age of 3. These numbers are proof that proper dental care for pets is important at an early age. Senior pets are not the only ones who can get dental disease.

Photo via patti haskins

Dental care for pets is really important and taking care of their teeth is a lot like taking care of your own human teeth. There are a lot of simple things you can try at home with your dog or cat to ensure that they have healthy teeth and gums throughout their lifetime. Plus, your veterinarian can help so you don't have to do it alone! 

If you don't know the potential detrimental effects that dental disease can have on your pet, here's a list:
  • painful
  • infections and abscesses
  • bad breath
  • eating problems
  • tooth loss
  • can contribute to heart, liver, and kidney disease
All of that bad bacteria in your pet's mouth is flushed through their organs. Which is why it's important to provide proper dental care for your pet at home and visit the veterinarian on a regular basis. 

Want to know the secrets to good dental care for pets at home? Check out these 7 tips to improve your pet's oral health by Dr. Clark Fobian, President of the AVMA from Mediaplanet's Pet Wellness campaign. If you browse around the website, you'll find some extremely useful information regarding your pet's health and care. 

Besides providing readers with useful articles about pets and their health, the Pet Wellness campaign is also hosting a Healthy Pet Prize Pack Giveaway from Zuke's. The prize package is valued at $80! Now, we know you all like free stuff for your pets so we had to share this.

 Click to enter!

If you'd like to enter the giveaway, all you need to do is visit the Pet Wellness campaign here and share your pet's health regimen in the comments section. The giveaway ends June 30th and a random winner will be selected from those who commented. Good luck! 

We'd love to know your own secrets to at home dental care for your pets. What do you do to care for your pets' teeth? Let us know in the comments! 

This post is sponsored by Mediaplanet. I am being compensated for helping spread the word about their Pet Wellness campaign, but Pawsitively Pets only shares information we feel is relevant to our readers. 

27 comments:

  1. A very important topic. I now have dried food at night so the crunching helps keep my teeth clean and I have a dental chew in the mornings. My nashers are in good order. Have a super Saturday.
    Best wishes Molly

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  2. We switched from brushing the dogs and cats teeth a few times a week to every single day after Wilhelm had two teeth extracted in January. The vet said just like in humans, some pets just have genetically worse teeth. But I don't ever want to go through the stress of any pets needing anesthesia again so Wilhelm, Brychwyn, Huxley and even Amelia have gotten used to daily brushing!

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    1. Yea, some pets are more prone to problems then others. Especially small dogs or dogs with "beards" around their muzzles. That's great that you have switched to daily brushing!

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  3. Our Person doesn't do enough to help our teeth. I just don't know how to brush a feral cat's teeth. Some of them were born with stomatitis so have had to have their teeth removed. I feel like this happened because of lack of nutrition to their Mom and to them until they were about 4 weeks old. The dog gets her teeth cleaned at the vets. And some of them didn't get the stomatitis at all. Anyway good poat.

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    1. I know the feeling Marg. You are doing what you can for them, which is awesome. My cat had stomatitis too. Not sure why the feral type cats seem to get it more but you have a good theory.

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  4. Those are not good numbers and we don't do enough for our dental care either. We must change that.

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  5. It's super important to have good teeth... specially for killing that plushy guys. I don't like that procedere when we clean my teeth, but I know that's essential :o)

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  6. We are huge dental health fans. All three of us have always brushed every night before bed, we use a dental gel three times a week, have dental chews a couple times a week and have our chompers checked by the vet at least once a year. You only get one adult set, so you have to take care of them, and it is good for our overall health. Great post!

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  7. This is a very good reminder. I've had my head in the sand. I used to brush Lucy's (my dear girl who died last year) teeth every day when she was younger. I've never even attempted it with Lucy. I need to do something about this. I'm off now to check out the 7 tips.

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  8. UGH! I am guilty of not taking the best care of my pets teeth. I do brush them, but not nearly as often as I should. I do feed the dogs things like greenies and deer antlers which helps keep the plaque off, but I definitely should be doing better!
    Good giveaway!
    ღ husky hugz ღ frum our pack at Love is being owned by a husky!

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    1. I am also guilty Jenna, it's just something to improve on. You're not the only one :)

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  9. We go to the vet regularly and Kaylee gets dental chews and a lot of her toys have dental cleaning properties (of course that could just be a marketing ploy) but it seems to be doing the job.

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  10. I am ashamed to say I do not brush Dakota's teeth often at all and I NEED TO. He doesn't mind having them brushed, which makes me extra bad. He probably has to have them professionally cleaned at the vet this summer, but the vet said that that isn't my fault. He explained with Shelties it is common because they have a super narrow mouth and nose area (unlike many other dogs) which makes them more prone to teeth issues. That being said, I DO need to brush his teeth more. Great post!

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    1. Well, don't feel too bad Caren you aren't the only one. It is awesome that he will let you. And your vet is definitely right about them being prone to more dental health problems.

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  11. Thanks for this reminder - dental chews help, but I must get better with "daily" brushing.

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  12. Taking care of your teeth is so important! Thanks for helping! Love Dolly

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  13. Brushing teeth is Bentley's favorite part of the day. He loves it and I love his fresh breath. Win/Win!

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  14. Feeding raw has kept my dogs' teeth in excellent condition, I feel. Bully sticks are also a big hit, and help keep the gums and teeth healthy.

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  15. Our beagle Kobi had to go to the vet for yearly cleanings, because he had an overbite so chews and such didn't help with him, and he would not tolerate brushing. I'm trying to do better with the girls, trying some gel because they hate brushing too. We're starting Luke with brushing young so hopefully he'll stay good about it!

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  16. Sometimes pet owners jump straight to using a toothbrush and the pets get a little freaked out. My recommendation is to use your finger and the toothpaste first and get your pet used to them cleaning their teeth, then move to something that is more effective.

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    1. That's a great suggestion Rachel! Also, the panty hose thing can work pretty good too.

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  17. Scary stats. We are big on dental hygiene. Brushing your dog's teeth is the key to avoid dental disease. Golden Woofs

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  18. I am not as consistent with teeth brushing as I should be. *sigh*

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  19. give them bones. eclairre at ymail dot com

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    1. If you'd like to enter the giveaway, you should read the directions above. You have to visit the link to the giveaway and leave your comment there. Thanks and good luck!

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