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Acorn House Pet Advice

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IN AN EMERGENCY

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Acorn House operates an emergency service run by our own permanent team of vets and nurses 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. • This service is run from our own premises (unlike some practices who require you to travel to other premises out of hours). • We have a dedicated oncall nurse caring for pets who stay at the surgery overnight. • In case of an out of hours emergency please

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Acorn House Veterinary Hospital Linnet Way, Brickhill, Bedford MK41 7HN

Tel: 01234 261839

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Dental

Health

Cats and dogs develop plaque and tartar on their teeth just as we do. If this is not removed by regular toothbrushing or a professional scale and polish, it will go on to cause gum disease. Gum disease causes red gums and smelly breath initially, but as time passes it causes deeper damage to the tooth socket, resulting in loose, painful or infected teeth.

How can I tell if my pet has dental disease?

Your veterinary surgeon will check your pet’s teeth and gums as part of any routine veterinary check up. What should I do if my pet has dental disease? Early signs of plaque and mild tartar on the teeth can be managed by regular tooth brushing at home. Pets with more significant tartar build-up will require a scale and polish to remove this. In animals, we perform this procedure under a general anaesthetic. The tartar is scaled from the teeth and the teeth and gums are probed and checked thoroughly from all angles.

How do I brush my pet’s teeth?

It is important to use a pet toothpaste as these come in flavours that are acceptable to cats and dogs and do not foam up. A soft child’s toothbrush is acceptable, but specific cat or dog brushes are easier to use because they have a finer head and angled neck to match the shape of the mouth. Ideally, teeth should be brushed twice a day, just like your own!

What if my pet will not allow me to brush their teeth?

Starting when pets are very young, building up gradually, and offering tasty treats and play as a reward for good behaviour is a good start. For pets that will not tolerate brushing, “dental diets” and chews may reduce tartar build up, but these are much less effective than brushing. It is likely that these pets will require their teeth scaling under anaesthetic more frequently than those that do tolerate tooth brushing. We would much rather scale a pet’s teeth every 1-2 years and maintain a healthy mouth than wait several years and have to extract lots of teeth.

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