By Fiona Vernon
From the best pet food available on the market to keeping up with a pet’s routine veterinary care, many pet owners in the Fairlawn, Ohio area and beyond strive to provide their cats and dogs with the best care possible. Unfortunately, there is one area regarding a pet’s health that some pet owners overlook: their cat or dog’s teeth. Although cats and dogs may not indulge in sugary treats often associated with tooth decay, they are still susceptible to developing various dental issues—especially as they age. Some of the most common dental related problems pets develop over the years include:
- Periodontal Disease
- Plaque & Tartar Build-Up
- Toothaches
- And More
One of the first signs of dental disease in pets –and one of the first signs a cat or dog should be checked for dental disease—is bad breath. To help prevent and combat the dental problems associated with this bad breath, Uniontown Veterinary Clinic –located south of Hudson and east of Wadsworth–offers dental services for pets of varying ages and breeds. As part of these services, one of Uniontown Veterinary Clinic’s local veterinarians can perform an initial oral exam while a pet is awake to better determine the current state of their dental health. For a full pet teeth cleaning and oral exam, anesthesia must be used.
Although many pet owners in Cuyahoga Falls, Wadsworth, and the surrounding areas may not like the idea of their pet being anesthetized for this service, it is an important part of the pet teeth cleaning process. In fact, the anesthesia allows the local veterinarians of Uniontown Veterinary Clinic the opportunity to perform a more comprehensive oral exam with x-rays to determine if there are any underlying issues that may be causing a cat or dog dental discomfort. After all, there are some pet dental health problems that can affect the area surrounding the teeth. Gingivitis is one of the most common of these dental problems and can be difficult to see without a thorough oral exam. In some cases, poor pet dental health can lead to other illnesses that can affect the kidneys or heart of a pet.
For this reason and many others, it’s important to have dental services for pets performed by a professional that can take x-rays of a pet’s teeth and provide them with a proper cleaning. Once a pet teeth cleaning is completed and a pet has recovered from the anesthetic, they can eat as normal again. Even after these pet teeth cleanings, however, it is important that pet owners keep up with the overall dental health of their cat or dog at home. To help with this, the local veterinarians of Uniontown Veterinary Clinic can provide pet owners who have invested in these services for their pet with recommendations on home care between cleanings.
Even though it is often more affordable, anesthesia-free dental services for pets should be avoided. This is because anesthesia-free techniques provide no benefit to a pet’s overall dental health. Furthermore, these types of services in the Hudson area and more only scrape existing plaque and tartar from a pet’s tooth rather than focus on the overall health of their mouth. Without being anesthetized, a proper examination of a pet’s mouth cannot be completed and, therefore, cannot be used to detect less noticeable dental diseases cats and dogs can develop. For this reason, it is important to only bring a pet to a reputable veterinary clinic like that of Uniontown Veterinary Clinic –located southeast of Fairlawn and Cuyahoga Falls–to have their teeth properly cleaned.
For more information on Uniontown Veterinary Clinic, visit their website at www.uniontownvet.com . Otherwise, feel free to call 330.699.9937 to speak to one of their friendly staff members today.
Uniontown Veterinary Clinic
3435 Grovemont St NW
Uniontown, Ohio 44685
www.uniontownvet.com
330.699.9937