Dog and Cat Teeth Cleaning in Waunakee, WI
Routine oral exams and teeth cleaning appointments for your pet are vital in the treatment and prevention of dental disease. Dental disease is quite common in dogs and cats, and without treatment may lead to more serious health issues such as heart, liver, or kidney disease. Thankfully, this condition can be avoided for your pet if you adopt a treatment plan that includes daily at-home care and regular visits to Aurora Veterinary Care for a checkup and teeth cleaning. Fresh breath is only the tip of the iceberg—keeping your pet’s teeth clean can enhance their health and even extend their life!
Have questions about dental care for your pet? Contact us today!
What Is Dental Disease and How Does It Affect Dogs and Cats?
Dental disease starts when plaque accumulates on your pet’s teeth. This buildup hardens into tartar over time, and can allow bacteria to get under the gums, slip into the bloodstream, and spread infection to the major organs. Pets need help maintaining their oral hygiene and health, and we can help you create a dental care plan according to your pet’s individual needs.
When we perform an oral exam, we look for the following signs to determine whether your pet is at risk for, or experiencing, dental disease:
- Bad breath
- Red or swollen gums
- Excessive drooling
- Plaque or tartar buildup along the gum line
How We Provide Teeth Cleanings for Dogs and Cats
To find any oral health issues that might be concealed below your pet’s gum line, we need to perform a thorough oral exam while your pet is under anesthesia. This allows our team to check each tooth and probe the pockets around the teeth to look for signs of disease.
Here are the steps we follow to safely and effectively examine and clean your pet’s teeth:
- Your pet is placed under general anesthesia so we can carry out a more thorough exam and proceed with cleaning your pet’s teeth by removing tartar buildup.
- We also perform full mouth dental X-rays to check for hidden infections or damage and examine any teeth that may be problematic.
- Next, we clean the teeth above and below the gum line, as well as polish the tooth enamel and to protect your pet’s teeth from plaque buildup.
- Oral surgery may also be part of your pet's procedure. If we find any tooth disease or pathology, we'll call you and talk through a treatment plan. This may include oral surgery to remove an infected tooth, abnormal gum tissue, etc.
Teeth cleanings are an important factor in your pet’s lifelong dental care. If you have any questions about treating and protecting your pet’s pearly whites, contact Aurora Veterinary Care today!