What is a Dog and Cat Dental Cleaning in Spring, TX?
Before we get into the details of dog and cat dental cleanings, it’s important to understand why we recommend them for all pets. In 2019, the American Animal Hospital Association stated that by 3 years of age, over 80% of dogs and cats have some form of pet dental disease. Left untreated, this painful condition can reduce your pet's quality of life, causing daily discomfort, difficulty eating, and irritability. To put this into perspective, the average child sees their dentist by age 12 while most pets never receive dental care.
Oral disease can be difficult to detect in dogs and cats because obvious signs often don’t appear right away, or sometimes don’t appear at all. Many pets will continue eating as normal despite the pain, giving their owners the false impression that they’re healthy. At Houston Pet Dental, we aim to shed light on the subtle nature of oral disease development and the harmful, potentially lasting effects it can cause if treatment and prevention are not pursued.
Oral disease is similar to other diseases such as heartworms, diabetes, and kidney disease in the fact that it can be treated. This process can be slowed and, for earlier grades of periodontal disease, it can even be reversed! Maintain your pet’s oral care like a car with regular cleanings and prevention, and they will always have clean and healthy teeth. That’s right, routine cat and dog teeth cleanings can keep your pet’s teeth clean, healthy, and where they belong.
Call us at (832) 702-7599 or schedule your pet's complimentary consultation online so we can improve their oral health and quality of life.
What is a Dog and Cat Dental Cleaning?
There is more to dog and cat dental cleanings at Houston Pet Dental than cleaning plaque off your pet’s teeth. We go much deeper, evaluating the health of the crowns of the teeth and the roots and bone below the gum line. Maintaining these underlying structures is critical to your pet’s oral health as they are below the gum line and not visible during our visual consultation. This ensures we have clean AND comfortable teeth. Once we have evaluated your pet’s teeth and surrounding bone where the nerve/blood supply maintains the tooth, our next step is cleaning and polishing the teeth, hitting areas the toothbrush can’t reach. Then we can proceed with treatment for any painful or pathologic oral lesions your pet may have.
A heart murmur doesn't have to be a barrier to care. Many pets with heart murmurs can safely undergo anesthesia for a dental cleaning as long as they do not show signs of cardiac disease. Our team can assess your pet's individual risk and create an anesthesia protocol to keep them safe. Don’t let a heart murmur prevent your pet from receiving the dental treatment they need to stay healthy and pain-free.
A comfortable, healthy mouth starts with a dental assessment for just $499.
What is Done During a Dental Cleaning?
A thorough cleaning starts with proper planning. Our comprehensive oral health assessment and treatment include:
Taking patient history and performing a physical consultation
Preoperative blood work to check your pet’s health and organ function
IV catheter placement and administration of IV fluids
Premedication to reduce anxiety and discomfort
General gas anesthesia and monitoring of vitals such as EKG, heart rate, blood pressure, and pulse oximetry
Tartar removal from above and below the gum line (most oral pathologies occur below the gum line)
Dental scaling and charting of all teeth
Intraoral X-rays to screen for hidden oral diseases
Polishing all surfaces to reduce abrasions and smooth the enamel
Fluoride treatment to further protect your pet's enamel
Call us today at (832) 702-7599 to schedule your affordable routine cleaning, as appointments are filling quickly. Starting preventive care early can reduce the need for more frequent surgical extractions later in life, when pets may be more vulnerable.
Signs of Oral Pain & Discomfort
Pets are skilled at hiding their pain, which can make it difficult to discern whether a dental cleaning or assessment is necessary. If you notice any of the following signs, your pet may benefit from a professional dental cleaning with our team:
No signs at all
Pets have a strong survival instinct, and they will continue to eat when food is available regardless of discomfort, rather than face starvation.
Lean body condition score/Skinny dogs
Pets will eat minimally to survive however staying thin is because they are eating the bare minimum.
Drooling
Swollen oral tissue will cause drooling in place of normal swallowing of saliva reflex. Some pets will have saliva on their front feet.
Halitosis
Bad breath results from excessive saliva, plaque formation, decay and sometimes necrotic tissue or food debris.
Selective or “picky” eaters
Some pets will skip meals, prefer certain diets, or swallow food without chewing.
Not letting owners brush their teeth
Even younger dogs with impacted teeth will be painful and not cooperative when owners attempt to look into their oral cavity or brush.
Stop chewing their toys or bones
This change in behavior is a strong tell that pets are in pain.
Intermittent lip licking/smacking behavior
Loose teeth can be painful when the nerves become exposed resulting in abnormal oral gestures/movements.