Is It Too Late to Start Brushing My Dog’s Teeth?
There are a number of benefits to brushing your dog’s teeth. If you haven’t started brushing your dog’s teeth, there is no need to worry. You can always start this habit as long as your pet’s teeth are healthy. While the ideal time to start is when your dog is young, you can begin now. We recommend that you check with our vet in Tucson first to confirm that your pets’ teeth are healthy. If their teeth are infected or diseased, brushing can be painful for your animals. It can even, in theory, contribute to the infection spreading.
Importance of Teeth Brushing
Teeth brushing is important because it eliminates food particles and bacteria from the teeth. Without brushing, the particles adhere to the teeth. Bacteria then feed on these particles and produce tartar. This leads to dental disease, which causes bad breath, tooth loss, and pain. Dental disease can even contribute to other health problems, including diabetes, heart infection, and different types of cancer, which makes discussing pet dentistry with your veterinarian important.
Teeth brushing only works as preventative care and isn’t able to eliminate any pre-existing dental disease. If your pet currently has any dental disease, he will need pet dentistry, which requires anesthesia. Teeth brushing can prevent dental abscesses, generalized dental health issues, and other dental emergencies.
Getting Pet Dental Care
Pet dental health is important for every dog, especially for older dogs, since older dogs are poorer candidates for anesthesia. If you haven’t started brushing your pet’s teeth and your dog is a few years old, he may have so much tartar that brushing alone isn’t going to prevent dental diseases. It’s necessary to check with our vet in Tucson for dental care tips. Our veterinarian can also show you how to brush your dog’s teeth if you aren’t sure and how often you should do it. Contact us at Twin Peaks Veterinary Center to schedule a dental exam for your pets today.