Pet Dental Health Month

February is Pet Dental Health Month, so lets talk about teeth!

Dogs & cats teeth differ from humans (so do rabbit teeth & that's another story). Dogs & cats are more carnivorous than people so their teeth are more pointy & vary more in shape. But, dogs & cats get many of the same dental diseases as people: their baby teeth sometimes don't fall out, they have abnormal bites, they occasionally get cavities, and most significantly they have plaque & calculus just like people.

Most pets have two sets of teeth: deciduous or baby teeth & adult teeth. Baby teeth erupt between 3 & 6 weeks of age and adult teeth between 4 & 6 months of age. The baby teeth fall out at starting around 4 months of age & adult teeth come in. Adult dentition is complete by 6 months. We can easily tell how old a pet is up to the age of 6 months. After that it becomes much more difficult. Pet baby teeth that remain in the mouth after the pet is 6 months of age should be extracted.

Abnormal bites are common & even accepted in some breeds. The boxer & shih tzu should have an underbite, wherein the bottom jaw & incisors protrudes beyond the top teeth. Abnormal bites in dogs & cats are usually not corrected with braces as they are in children. Having a abnormal bite can lead to more severe periodontal disease & sometimes even tooth loss. The truly correct bite in the dog is a scissors bite where the front incisors lay just over the bottom.

Cavities or dental caries are uncommon in dogs, but common in cats & people. In cats, they cause pain & tooth loss. Most teeth with cavities in the cat should be extracted. Fillings don't usually last very long in cats. We don't know what causes cavities in cats. We don't think it's related to a sugary diet or drinking pop! Most likely there are genetic factors in the cat that lead to cavities, just as there are in people.

Tomorrow, we will talk about plaque, calculus & periodontal disease & what you can do to keep your pets mouth healthy.

In honor of Pet Dental Health Month, All-Pets Hospital is offering complimentary dental exams  & 20% off all dental services. Call us today to schedule! 515-262-8535 or 515-244-0447.