{"id":4177,"date":"2017-02-07T04:05:56","date_gmt":"2017-02-07T10:05:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dev.diamondpet.wearewoodruff.xyz\/?p=2739"},"modified":"2023-11-22T04:47:08","modified_gmt":"2023-11-22T10:47:08","slug":"nine-tips-better-pet-dental-care","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.diamondpet.com\/blog\/health\/dental\/nine-tips-better-pet-dental-care\/","title":{"rendered":"Nine Tips for Better Pet Dental Care"},"content":{"rendered":"

Good oral health is just as important for our dogs and cats as it is for us. That\u2019s why the American Veterinary Medical Association and several other veterinary groups have declared February to be National Pet Dental Health Month<\/a>.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s also a good time to brush up on this often-neglected part of our furry friends\u2019 healthcare with these nine fun facts and tips.<\/p>\n

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  1. Young cats and dogs have a full set of baby (deciduous) teeth that are replaced with adult (permanent) teeth \u2014 just like us. Sometimes a baby tooth is retained after the permanent tooth has erupted. If your puppy or kitten has a retained baby tooth at the time of neuter or spay at 6 months of age, your veterinarian will likely remove it during surgery.<\/li>\n
  2. Dogs have 42 permanent teeth; cats have 30. For comparison, most adult humans have 32 permanent teeth.<\/li>\n
  3. Contrary to what you may have heard, a dog\u2019s mouth is not cleaner than a human\u2019s mouth. Interestingly, a study done in the United Kingdom found that the bacterial species in dogs\u2019 mouths are substantially different<\/a> from those in our mouths. And the majority of those bacteria have yet to be named.<\/li>\n
  4. According to the American Veterinary Dental Society, up to 80 percent of dogs and 70 percent of cats that don\u2019t receive proper dental care may show signs of periodontal (gum) disease by the time they\u2019re three years old. That makes periodontal disease the most common oral problem seen in dogs and cats \u2014 even though it\u2019s completely preventable!<\/li>\n
  5. Up to two-thirds of a tooth sits below the gum line. That means most periodontal disease also occurs under the gum line where you can\u2019t see it. In fact, dental X-rays are often needed to find problems such as tooth resorption in cats and tooth root abscesses.<\/li>\n
  6. The most common sign of periodontal disease is bad breath \u2014 aka halitosis or doggy breath! Other signs of trouble include:\n