Dental Health

There are 2 sets of teeth in dogs and cats
– Milk (temporary) teeth
– Adult (permanent) teeth

Milk (Temporary) Teeth

Milk Teeth are small and white. These erupt during the first few months of life:
– 3 to 8 weeks old in puppy. A Puppy has 28 Milk (Temporary) Teeth.
– 2 to 4 weeks old in kitten. A Kitten has 26 Milk (Temporary) Teeth.

Adult (Permanent) Teeth

These replace milk teeth as the dog or cat grow up:
– 4 to 7 months old in dog
– By 6 months in cat
• They are large in size.
• They last for the whole adult life.
• They may show signs of wear as the dog or cat age.

• A Dog has 42 adult (permanent) teeth.
• A Cat has 30 adult (permanent) teeth.

Common Dental Diseases in Dog and Cat

• Periodontal disease
– Disease of structure surrounding teeth.
– Due to building up of dental plaque and calculus.
• Dental plaque is often seen on tooth surface and it contains salivary deposits, bacteria and food particles
• Calculus is mineralized, stone-like concretion of accumulated dental plaque.
• Retained milk (temporary) teeth
– Milk (temporary) teeth are seen together with adult (permanent) teeth.
– Food materials and debris can be trapped between teeth.
– Very soon leads to periodontal disease.

• Dog and cat with periodontal disease may have:
• Bad smell from mouth.
• Bleeding and/or ulceration of gum.
• Falling off tooth.

Dental Care

• Teeth of dog and cat must be cleaned daily to prevent the building up of dental plaque.
• Use especially designed tooth brush and tooth paste for dog and cat.
• Tooth paste for dog and cat is less foaming and it does not contain too much fluoride and sodium.
• Regular check up
–Teeth of dog and cat must be checked by veterinarian once every 6 months.
–Scaling to remove dental plaque and polishing to prevent building up of dental plaque are required to be conducted by veterinarian once every 6 months.

Good Nutrition
– Dog and cat must be fed with suitable complete and balanced foods to keep their teeth in excellent condition.
– Ask the veterinarian in Craigieburn Animal Hospital for the foods that best suit your dog and cat.

Healthy Teeth  = Good Appetite = Healthy Life