Cat and Dog Teeth Cleaning in Avondale Estates, GA
While a majority of adult dogs and cats (3 years old and up) have dental disease to some extent, the condition is fully preventable with a consistent and safe dental care plan. It’s not enough to rely on dental chews and toys to clean your pet’s teeth. Plaque and tartar buildup is inevitable otherwise, and left unchecked can cause bad breath, inflamed gums, loose teeth, and potential disease of the heart, liver, and/or kidneys. At The Village Vets Avondale Estates, we recommend routine cat and dog teeth cleanings and daily teeth brushing at home to fight this unpleasant condition. With our help, we can stop dental disease in its tracks and restore your pet to optimal health.
A Step-by-Step Guide on How We Do Pet Teeth Cleanings
The Village Vets recommends yearly professional teeth cleanings for all dogs and cats. This is the ideal, because even with daily at-home care, plaque and tartar will still accumulate on your pet’s teeth.
Only we have the tools that can effectively remove hardened material above and below the gum line. Our veterinary team follows these steps to clean the teeth:
- We take digital X-rays of your pet’s whole mouth to check for damage within the teeth, below the gum line, and in the surrounding jaw bone
- To remove stubborn plaque and tartar, we use an ultrasonic scaling tool below and above the gum line
- To reinforce protection from future buildup and strengthen the teeth, we apply a fluoride treatment
- If your pet has a tooth that is decayed and/or broken, we can perform an extraction to remove it (with appropriate pain relief given)
Keeping Your Pet Safe During Their Dental Procedure
We perform all cat and dog teeth cleanings with our patients under anesthesia. This ensures a thorough cleaning and oral exam, and is much safer for your pet.
To make sure anesthesia will be safe for your companion, we will run pre-anesthetic blood work and conduct a physical exam prior to the teeth cleaning. This helps us screen for underlying issues and confirm that your pet’s liver and kidneys are functioning normally.
During the teeth cleaning procedure, we will administer fluids via IV catheter to support your pet’s blood pressure and use monitoring equipment to keep an eye on their vital signs.
Why At-Home Pet Dental Care is So Important
Your companion’s dental care begins at home, with you. If possible, start acclimating your pet to a dental routine when they’re still young. Cleaning their teeth consistently greatly reduces plaque and tartar buildup, and can in turn increase time between professional teeth cleanings.
If for any reason brushing their teeth isn’t possible, here are some other dental care options we can recommend:
- Dental chews and treats
- A tartar-control diet
- Dental wipes
- Dental toys
- Water additives
Get in touch with us by calling (404) 924-8690 and schedule your pet’s dental checkup today!