Most dog owners accept the fact that their dog has “doggy breath” and don’t realize that they should be doing something about it to protect their pet from the silent killer (read on!).

Dental care is an essential part of a total health care program for dogs, cats and other animals. Start brushing your pet’s teeth when they’re young so it becomes part of a daily routine!

Ten-year-old Natasja demonstrates in the following video that it’s not really difficult to brush a dog’s teeth:






Oral disease is the biggest health problem for pets today.
Periodontal (gum) disease is a common problem in dogs, particularly smaller breeds. Approximately 80% of dogs over 2 years of age and 70% of cats over 3 years of age show some degree of periodontal disease.

Cats can develop painful resorptive lesions. Studies show that about 28 percent of domestic cats develop one or more of these painful lesions during their lifetime.

Broken teeth are a common problem, especially among outdoor dogs. Approximately 10% of dogs experience a broken tooth with pulp (nerve or root canal) exposure. According to veterinary dental experts, aggressive chewing on hard objects such as commercially available cow hooves is a primary cause of broken teeth in dogs.

This is extremely painful until the nerve dies, but this is then when the tooth becomes infected! Infectious oral diseases affecting the gums and root canals create systemic bacteremia — bacteria in the blood stream that can infect other parts of the body. Periodontal inflammation and infection have been linked to numerous problems including heart attacks, strokes, kidney disease, emphysema, liver disease, osteoporosis, pregnancy problems and diabetes. That’s why oral infectious diseases are known as “the silent killer.”

Important: Avoid feeding your pets table scraps that can increase the buildup of plaque and tartar, and can lead to other health problems!

If you would like to learn more and get access to the complete ANCS Dental Care Guide, first enter your name and email address in the box below to sign up for our Pet Newsletter. Then we’ll send you the link to download “Dental Care for Your Pet” with additional information and step-by-step instructions for brushing your pet’s teeth.



Below are some links (just click on the images) to get more information about some of the oral hygiene products that our vet tech team uses and recommends.

Petrodex Finger Toothbrush >>	C.E.T. 0.12% Chlorhexidine Rinse >>
C.E.T. Dog/Cat Toothpaste >>	Greenies Dental Treat >>
C.E.T. HEXtra Chews >>