BRANTFORD, Ontario, Feb. 17, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The veterinary team at Beattie Animal Hospital in Brantford is urging pet owners to celebrate Pet Dental Health Month by taking steps to ensure their pets' teeth are healthy. Each Brantford veterinarian at the hospital is skilled in pet dentistry, and they say that about 80 percent of the adult pets they see are suffering from some degree of dental disease. In some cases, they have seen pets that have lost a number of teeth, or that are suffering from life-threatening bacterial infections as a result of poor dental hygiene. They recommend all pet owners learn the basics of pet dental care.
Brantford veterinarian Sami Qureshi explains, "Dental health is a woefully overlooked way of keeping your pet healthy. If your pet's teeth are not cleaned regularly, teeth and gums will suffer and cause enormous pain. We've seen pets with liver, heart and kidney damage from rampant periodontal disease. Our team can show people how to brush their pets' teeth at home, and we also provide pet dentistry, from exams and cleanings to oral surgery." The veterinarian adds that pet should receive a professional dental exam and cleaning annually.
According the Brantford veterinarian, their large team of pet dentists and veterinary technicians make pet dental care easy on pets. The dental procedures take place under anesthesia, so before any dental appointment, the staff does a complete blood screening at their in-house laboratory to make sure there are no underlying health concerns. A technician then continually monitors the pet's vital signs and comfort levels as the veterinarian examines, scales and polishes the pet's teeth. Polishing of the teeth repels future tartar build up for a time.
The Beattie Animal Hospital team says that pet dental care at home is the real key to keeping a pet healthy, however. They say any one of their members can teach a pet owner how to train their pet to accept a daily teeth brushing. One of the animal hospital's veterinarians says they can recommend special toothbrushes and toothpastes in flavors that pets enjoy. Another suggests starting at the same time each day, when the pet is most relaxed, and then simply letting the pet examine and lick the new dental equipment. Gradually, pet owners should be able to work up to brushing their pets' teeth
The veterinarians stress that with a lot of praise and encouragement, a daily dental hygiene routine can become a bonding experience for the pets and their owners. "Most of all," the veterinarians urge, "it can prevent excruciating pain and health problems for your pet."
Beattie Animal Hospital in Brantford is open 24 hours a day and provides wellness and sick care, emergency vet care, pet dental care, pet surgery, pet foods, grooming and pet boarding. For more information, visit their website at http://www.beattieanimalhospital.com.