Your pets’ teeth. It’s a super important topic. Proper dental care is becoming more and more common for dogs and cats. Pets often hide their dental pain well. Some signs you might see at home that could mean a potential problem include drooling, bad breath, dropping food, and eating less. Many pets show nothing and suffer in silence.

The first place to start is with a thorough dental exam by your Qatar Veterinary Center Veterinarian. This can be done as part of the yearly visit, or any time if you have a concern. This exam includes a look at the lips, gums, and teeth. The veterinarian is looking for signs of tartar, inflamed or red gums, infection, extra and broken teeth. Based on this examination, the doctor may then recommend to have a more complete oral assessment done under anaesthesia. At this time the teeth would also be cleaned ultrasonically and polished. Extraction of infected or broken teeth would be done. A dental cleaning should always be done under gas anaesthesia with intubation, meaning there is a tube in the trachea (the windpipe) to protect the pet’s lungs from water.

There are also plenty of things an owner can do at home to promote a healthy mouth for their cat or dog. These are most effective when started young, or after a professional cleaning has been done by your vet. Brushing often (multiple times a week) with a pet friendly toothpaste is excellent. There are also dental wipes, treats, water additives, and foods. We offer Royal Canin “Dental” diet at QVC. All of these things can help prolong the time between dental cleanings at the vet and help prevent future extractions. If you have questions or concerns about your pet’s teeth, make sure to call Qatar Veterinary Center for an appointment to assess the mouth and talk about the next step!
Dr. Sam DVM
and Bandido, QVC Spokeswoof