Dental disease is one of the most common things we find during a routine examination. It is also one of the most treatable and, unusually, one where what you do at home makes a measurable difference.
What you will notice first
- Bad breath — the classic early sign, and not just “dog breath”
- Brown or yellow buildup along the gumline
- Red or bleeding gums
- Chewing on one side, or dropping food
- Drooling, or flinching when the mouth is touched
- Reluctance to eat hard food or chew on a toy they used to enjoy
What helps at home
Toothbrushing is the gold standard. Daily is ideal, but a few times a week genuinely helps. Use pet-specific toothpaste — human toothpaste contains ingredients you do not want swallowed by a dog or cat.
- VOHC-approved products. Look for the Veterinary Oral Health Council seal on chews, diets and water additives. That seal reflects real evidence, not marketing.
- Dental diets. Prescription dental kibble is designed to scrub the tooth rather than shatter on contact.
- The right chews. Firm but flexible. Avoid anything hard enough to crack a tooth, such as antlers, hooves or hard nylon.
What home care cannot fix
Once tartar has formed and the gumline is inflamed, brushing alone will not reverse it. That is where a professional cleaning comes in: scaling above and below the gumline, polishing, and dental x-rays to see what is happening in the tooth root — which is where problems so often hide. We do this under anaesthesia, because a proper examination and cleaning are not possible on a waking animal without causing distress.
If you have noticed your pet’s breath or their eating habits have changed, book a dental check and we will tell you honestly what we find.
