How to Add Years to Your Pet's Life
Did you know dogs and cats can have significant dental disease and discomfort, but will only give us subtle signs that anything is wrong? Their survival instincts kick in, and they don’t moan and groan like we do when we experience a tooth ache.
Bad breath isn’t just stinky, it’s a sign of active infection that threatens Fluffy’s overall health and shortens her life. 85% of all pets have periodontal disease by the time they are 3 years of age. The majority of people would suffer from painful teeth and infected gums, too, if we didn’t brush and floss every day!
Periodontal disease not only makes eating a meal painful, but it sends a constant stream of bacteria into your pet’s body. Left untreated, bacteria from a mouth infection can get under the gums and can travel to the heart, kidneys, and liver and do life-threatening damage. Keeping our pets' mouths free from periodontal disease significantly lengthens their lives, and allows us to love them even longer.
It’s impossible to brush my dog’s teeth, so what can I do?
A professional dental cleaning under anesthesia is required to remove plaque and tartar from a pet’s teeth. Anesthesia-free teeth cleanings are trendy, but completely ineffective. These cleanings don’t address the part of the teeth that are under the gums.
We often hear from clients that they put off a dental cleaning for their pet because they are afraid of the risks associated with anesthesia. At The PARC, we have the best safety measures in place to minimize the risk of anesthesia. The benefits of complete dental care greatly outweigh the concerns of anesthesia, no matter the age of your pet. As a matter of fact, when a geriatric pet receives a complete oral overhaul – including a cleaning, medications to treat the infection, and extractions of the really bad teeth -- they often act like puppies again because their chronic pain is finally gone.
In addition to the many health benefits, regular cleanings give your pet a sparkling smile and kissable fresh breath – so smooch away!
