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 Exactly is a Dog and Cat Dental Cleaning?
Dental cleanings are essential for maintaining a comfortable mouth in dogs and cats, but there is more to a thorough cleaning than you might think! It’s important to clean the crowns of your pet’s teeth, but what about the roots?
Dogs have 42 teeth and 68 roots. These roots often harbor painful lesions, which can only be assessed with X-rays while your pet is safely monitored under gas anesthesia. Assessing the entire tooth from crown to root is the only way for us to identify oral diseases that cannot be seen with the naked eye.
Houston Pet Dental offers a complimentary exam so we can assess your pet's dental health and create a treatment plan that best suits their needs. Dr. Beggs works closely with local dentists to make the right treatment recommendation for your pet, including a cat or dog teeth cleaning. If you're looking for a local dog dentist or cat dentist, you are actually looking for this very type of care.
Common Dental Diseases We See
Our experienced team has treated a variety of pet dental diseases, including:
Periodontal Disease
Unerupted Teeth
Dentigerous Cyst
Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Periodontogenic Fibroma
Melanoma
Gingival Hyperplasia
Stomatitis
Chronic Canine Ulcerative Stomatitis
Papillomas
Ameloblastoma
Oral Papillary Squamous Cell Carcinoma
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.
Creating Comfortable Mouths and Healthy Lives for Our Patients
With our thorough dental cleaning procedure, Houston Pet Dental accomplishes two critical things. First, we assess your pet’s mouth from every angle to check for unseen and painful pathologies. Then, we fully clean your pet’s teeth and gum line, removing pain-causing buildup and slowing disease. A clean mouth is important, but above all, we want your pet’s mouth to be comfortable, too.
Because we focus exclusively on dental care, it’s all we do, and it’s what we’re most passionate about. This singular focus allows us to provide high-quality care at a cost that is often much more affordable than a regular veterinary visit.
Remember, the number one sign of dental disease is no sign at all. Call (832) 702-7599 or schedule your pet's complimentary consultation online to discuss their dental needs and get a dental assessment!