Most pets have dental disease by the time they are 3 years old.
So you want to keep a watch on this on a regular basis.
First thing you want to do is smell the breath.
Are they kissable? Are they huggable?
Or do they make you want to run the other way?
Does your cat look like a hangdog?
Does your dog act like something is not quite right?
Second, check out the mouth.
Look for facial swelling, especially under the eye.
Lift the lips, check the teeth; they should be nice and white. Gums should be pink. Gums should fit tight against the tooth surface.
Don’t forget about the back of the mouth. You want to get way in the back beyond the eye so you can see those rear teeth. There’s a pouch there and a lot of bad stuff happens there.
Look for tartar, red gums, broken teeth, bleeding gums.
If you have trouble with any of this or have any questions contact us, we can help you.
It won’t cost you anything to take a quick look in the mouth and show you how to do it.
This is Johnson Ranch Animal Clinic at (480) 987-4555.
