Where to Get Advanced Dentistry in Dartmouth for Your Pet Cat
When most people talk about veterinary care in Massachusetts that includes dental cleanings and services, they often think about dogs first. However, cats require just as much dental care, if not more. Feline dental care is something that you should practice regularly at home, but there are things your local veterinarian can do to keep your cat’s teeth healthy and strong. If you have never tried to brush your cat’s teeth, we can help show you some tricks of the trade that can put your cat on the road to good health. Cats of all ages should receive regular dental check-ups. If you are in need of advanced dentistry in Dartmouth for your pet, make sure to visit Anchor Animal Hospital.
Why Feline Dental Care is Important
Studies show that approximately 70-80 percent of all cats have some stage of dental or periodontal disease by the time they are three years of age. Dental disease doesn’t just cause bad breath or issues with eating crunchy foods and treats. It can also put your pet in a lot of pain and can cause serious side-effects, such as complications to kidney and heart disease. Learning how to brush your cat’s teeth at home is a very important step that will help to cut down on the build-up of tartar and bacteria. These things can lead to dental disease, preventing or at least slowing down the development of plaque.
While routine cleaning is essential to maintain healthy teeth and gums for all animals, some pets will not allow their owners to brush their teeth. Feline dental care can be provided professionally at Anchor Animal Hospital. If advanced treatments are required for infected teeth or advanced gum disease, you can get this type of veterinary care in Massachusetts at our clinic. Regular inspections of teeth and gums are performed when you bring your pet in for their annual veterinary check-up. However, a routine cleaning with a thorough evaluation, cleaning, polishing, and fluoride treatment is best.
What to Expect
When you bring your cat in for advanced dentistry in Dartmouth, you can expect that they will be put under anesthesia for this procedure. While your pet is under anesthesia, they will be monitored continuously with a cutting-edge multi-parameter machine. Our team uses this machine to track everything from heart and respiratory rates to blood pressure, temperature, oxygen saturation, and end-tidal CO2. The doctor performing the feline dental care and one of our highly-trained team members will watch them closely throughout the entire procedure. Senior pets, aged seven and older, should undergo a pre-anesthetic blood screening for best results.
Each tooth is cleaned, probed, and charted individually for common dental diseases, including tartar and gingivitis, along with issues concerning mobility and other pathology. Our team highly suggests a full mouth digital radiograph to be performed during every dental procedure to help determine underlying issues, such as sub-gingival health for teeth. Most teeth grow up to 70 percent below the gum line where it can be difficult to see without a proper scan. A tooth could look perfectly healthy above the gum line, yet be diseased and rotting underneath. Laser therapy and other treatments can be used to improve dental health, slowing down or reversing gingivitis and slowing the formation of tartar.
Expert Veterinary Care in Massachusetts
Pet owners bring their pets in for feline dental care at Anchor Animal Hospital in Dartmouth because we have all of the training, experience, and equipment necessary to perform advanced dentistry. From cleanings and check-ups to oral surgery and ongoing treatments, we can help your pet to look and feel their very best. Good dental health can repair broken, infected, and rotting teeth, reducing bad breath, pain, and helping your pet to live a long and healthy life. We have a state-of-the-art digital dental X-ray unit, which can produce high-quality images in less than five seconds.
Our team can help you learn how to provide quality feline dental care at home in between visits. If you need to learn how to brush your cat’s teeth or need advice on tartar control diet options and dental rinses, we can point you in the right direction. We highly recommend Hill’s T/D Prescription Diet and Healthy Advantage for good oral health. Our staff will work with you to create a home dental care plan that suits your pet’s needs and fits into your lifestyle and budget. Give us a call at 508-996-3731 to schedule an appointment or to learn more about advanced dentistry in Dartmouth at Anchor Animal Hospital.