Dog Dental Disease

I know most of you have gotten to know my herd of pooches and especially Sophie, my administrative assistant. Well she is the poster-pooch for canine dental disease. Since she was six months old, battling the tarter and plaque has been an ongoing battle.

Sophie has had multiple dental cleanings through her 15 years with us. In addition to dental cleanings by her regular vet, Sophie has also visited Atlanta Veterinary Dental Services where she had 3 infected teeth pulled and a root canal on one of her upper canine teeth. As she started getting older, I began brushing her teeth more frequently as I was hesitant to have any more cleanings done since she is a senior girl. Last week we finally took the plunge and went in to visit Dr. Mees at AVDS for Sophie's second trip about 6 years after the first. During her visit, she had to have 8 more teeth removed for various reasons such as infection and abscesses.

Studies at the Veterinary Colleges of Ohio State and Cornell University have found that 85% of dogs and cats over 6 years old have some form of dental disease. When pets develop this disease, it can affect the rest of their body as well. With infection in the mouth,, bacteria is constantly forming and then moving through the digestive system. This can lead to liver and kidney disease in pets if left untreated. Problems left untreated can also cause pets to stop eating if the pain becomes severe enough.

To avoid these problems, check your pet's mouth for plaque build-up often and brush your pet's teeth on a regular basis. For Sophie, Dr. Mees recommended at least 5 times per week. The mouth is the first part of the digestive tract and can affect the entire body. The phrase "dog breath" means that it is time for a visit with your vet!

Atlanta Veterinary
Dental Services
12280 Houze Road
Alpharetta, GA 30004
Phone: 770-343-8530
Fax Number: 770-664-0991
the2thvet@bellsouth.net