In over 30 years of practice, our recommendations to clients regarding dental care have not changed. i.e. feeding all dogs and cats raw meaty bones regularly from a young age, throughout their life. Those pets whose owners have complied usually live out their days with very little or no dental treatment required.

Modern pet foods (dry and moist) are nutritionally well balanced, however they do little to clean the teeth and gums, as minimal chewing is required.

The earliest sign of dental problems in pets is the formation of plaque and tartar, which are brownish deposits usually on the gum margin. This leads to gingivitis and inflammation causing redness and bleeding of the gums. Significant amounts of bacteria are present at this stage causing halitosis (bad breath). These bacteria enter the bloodstream and gradually spread to distant organs such as the kidneys, heart, and liver leading to slowly developing but serious illnesses. Ultimately affected teeth loosen, causing significant pain, and develop abscesses in the sockets requiring extraction and antibiotic treatment. Occasionally a traumatic fracture of a healthy tooth necessitates its extraction.

At Shaw’s Veterinary Hospital we provide treatment for all the abovementioned problems. Best results are obtained with early presentation. Plaque deposits and gingivitis are treated by ultrasonic scaling and polishing, using the same equipment as your dental hygienist. Animals require a general anaesthetic for this procedure. Loose or infected teeth are best extracted at the same time. When gums have healed and infection is under control, pets are pain free and more willing to eat and chew, even after multiple extractions. Prices for common dental procedures may be found in the FEES section of the website.

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