Home Dental
Tuggeranong Veterinary Hospital can give you recommendations on improving your pet’s dental health. In some cases your pet may need to undergo a general anaesthetic for a thorough clean, and sometimes tooth extraction(s) may be required.
With EARLY dental disease, your Veterinarian may recommend a home care plan to keep your pet’s teeth and gums healthy.
The following is a list of dental health products we often recommend.
Plaque Off
- Available for dogs and cats.
- Action: aids in softening existing tartar to make them easier to remove, and also prevent new tartar from building up.
- Easy to administer, comes in a powder form and all you need to do is to sprinkle or mix through the powder with your pet’s food once daily.
- Made from all natural ingredients: Ascophyllum nodosum which is a seaweed; the cat version also contains brewer’s yeast.
- Contraindicated for dogs with hypothyroidism (reduced thyroid hormones). Safety has not been evaluated for pregnant and lactating dogs or cats.
Hill’s Prescription Diet T/D
- Available for dogs and cats.
- Dry biscuits specially designed to help clean teeth.
- 2 sizes available for dogs: original T/D and small bites T/D.
- Recommend to feed 3 pieces of T/D in each meal mixed with your pet’s regular dry food.
- Larger size kibble encourages chewing. Special fibre alignment within the kibble works like a tooth brush to gently scrub away plaque.
- Contains no mineral abrasives or active chemicals.
- Carries the Veterinary Oral Health Council’s Seal of Acceptance.
- Higher fat content, therefore not suitable for pets that are already overweight, or pets with a history of pancreatitis.
OraVet dental hygiene chews
- Available for dogs only, in 4 different sizes.
- The only dental chew that contains the special ingredient delmopinol.
- Dental chew with dual action that cleans through the scrubbing action of the chew resulting in reduced plaque and tartar build-up. It also protects by the inclusion of delmopinol that forms a barrier to help protect against plaque and calculus buildup for a cleaner mouth and fresher breath.
- One chew a day is recommended.
- Clinically proven to reduce calculus by 57% with daily use over a month.
- Palatable to most dogs.
- High-density chewy texture results in a longer-lasting scrubbing action and also keeps your pooch occupied for longer.
Brushing
- If your pet would tolerate brushing teeth, try brushing 3-4 times a week.
- Use a baby tooth brush, moistened with water or chicken broth.
- Or use a finger toothbrush (available at the vet).
- Once your pet accepts brushing, add in pet toothpaste while brushing.
Never use human toothpaste – can cause fluoride toxicity in dogs and cats.
