Medical advances have been made to help people live longer and to have a better quality of life. Advances have also been made in the veterinary dental profession. We who love our pets want teeth cleaning care for our cats and dogs to be managed with natural home remedies.

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The mouth is the entry point for many diseases, and we need to keep our mouth clean and healthy. Twice a year we visit our dentists for oral hygiene care. Likewise, when we visit the veterinarian he or she will examine our pets just as our dentists do to observe for any medical maladies. Both dentists and veterinarians share the same interests of preventive care for their patients.

Nowadays the teeth of our cats and dogs should be brushed at least twice a week, daily is better. A soft bristled toothbrush can be used, a rubber-like finger brush tool, or our finger can be wrapped with gauze fabric to brush both gums and teeth. This brushing care will keep their mouth clean and healthy. The cleaning action will help to keep plaque and tartar buildup to a minimum.  

Clean with toothpaste that is available for pet use. Do not use people toothpaste. It is more harmful because of the sugar content. Water is a good cleaning agent if you do not want to use toothpaste designed for dogs and cats.

The truth about oral hygiene for your pet is to help keep harmful bacteria from infecting the gums and to prevent plaque.

As you clean the mouth of your dog or cat observe for anything that looks abnormal. For instance, is your pet pulling away from you as though in pain? If your pet is withdrawing look at its gums and teeth.

Do you see red inflamed gums, bleeding and/or do the gums appear tender? Did you note a loose tooth or a missing tooth? Is there something abnormal and needs to be brought to the attention of your vet?

As you were cleaning the teeth you may have noticed a yellowish-brownish discolortion at the base of the teeth near the edge of the gum. This is tartar. Tartar is calicification that is building on the teeth along the edge of the gum line.

With time the gums will become red, inflamed, and tender to touch. The inflammation is the gingivitis and is accompanied by bad breath. If this condition is allowed to continue it will build up under the gums causing infection known as periodontal disease.

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Now your pet is in a lot of trouble. Periodontal disease is a buildup of bacteria in the gums, which weakens lending to teeth loss, bone infection and abscess. The horrific bacteria will invade the bloodstream and cause liver, heart, and kidney problems or death.

Have you experienced an abscess? It is very painful. Sometimes you can save the tooth, but many times, no. Your dentist may recommend a crown. If it is severe, you lose all of your teeth and gain a pair of dentures. This is a painful ordeal for both body and bank account.

A simple solution, along with daily brushing, is to let your dog have a raw carrot, kibbles, plaque removal dental toys, and rawhide chips. Do the same for your cat with appropriate kibbles, toys, and snacks, however, no carrots.

Speaking on behalf of my dog he needs natural products of carrots, kibbles, and brushing. He developed a reaction to some of the other ‘stuffs’ that claim to rid plaque, but developed sensitivities to the chemicals and artificial ingredients present in their products.

Perhaps you have, but this is my first experience with an aging pet. I had noticed that part of my pet’s lower gum was exposed outside of his mouth and his appetitie was just a bit sluggish. The vet informed me that he is getting older and sometimes the gums become sensitive and inflamed. The inflammation is what I was seeing. I thought it was possibly an abscess. So I was somewhat relieved. She checked his heart and discovered a heart murmur. She informed me he was in the very early stages of heart disease.

I would also like to mention at this time he pants rather rapidly on occasion when there is no legitimate reason for this behavior. I had also mentioned to the vet that occasionally he coughs. The vet explained that the anatomy of the dog causes an enlarging heart to press on the trachea which causes coughing.

What I am trying to express to pet lovers is the importance of dental care. Good oral hygiene will add years to the lives of your pets. Take care of your pet as best as you can. I realize that they cannot live forever, but you want to give them the best quality of life in return for their gift of unconditional love and service.

My pet is eleven years old. He is a cocker spaniel and I was told that this breed has an average life span of fifteen years. I certainly hope that with continued oral hygiene care he sees a year or two beyond the average dog life.

Many advances are being made in pet dentistry as our modern lifestyle, technology, and medical advances improve.

We who love our pets want dental pet care for our cats and dogs.

Act on my advice and visit the pet section of Tricia Deed at http://www.Infotrish.vpweb.com/ and review Natural Remedies for Cats and Dogs.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/teeth-cleaning-cats-and-dogs-2390300.html

About the Author

Through the years I have learned to be a jack-of-all-trades and maybe mastered one. Because my interests are many, diversity has been the road most traveled. Currently my interest is hobbies which I have combined with my internet marketing business.