Ultimate Guide to Dental Disease Prevention | Vet Explains

[@josieshepherd2483]

What age should you start anesthesia dentals and how often?

[@VetMedCorner]

Excellent question - the first and second video in this series are linked in the description and cover your question in more detail. Veterinary dentists recommend a proper dental procedure once/year for most patients.

[@judithb4202]

I was wondering for a future video topic if you might consider covering common urinary health issues in dogs and cats with a brief mention of treatment, including the importance of only feeding a urinary prescription diet if a veterinarian has recommended that for your pet.

[@VetMedCorner]

That's a fantastic idea! Thank you ☺️

[@ChristineClark-ft8tq]

Question about the ability to indent a treat. Should they not have like the braided Collegen chews and stuff like that? Those start hard but soften as they chew?

[@VetMedCorner]

If you are unable to indent it with your fingernail and/or it hurts if you smack it against your kneecap then no, you should not give it as it risks breaking your dog's teeth.

[@amziez2003]

Thank you for taking the time to provide this education. My question is about Nylabones, are they safe for the teeth and possible ingestion?

[@VetMedCorner]

Thank you so much for watching and for your comment! Does the product allow you to indent it with your fingernail? Does it hurt if you smack it against your kneecap? If it hurts or you can't indent it then you should not give it to your dog.

[@nickit7655]

What do you think are some of the healthiest dog breeds under 20lbs? I was told by my vet that many small dogs (even ones that aren’t brachy) have teeth problems because of overcrowding in the mouth.

[@VetMedCorner]

Your veterinarian is correct - it's a huge problem with smaller breed dogs!

[@nickit7655]

@@VetMedCorner my 16 pound mutt had to have two teeth removed this summer. I was only recently able to afford a teeth cleaning for him, but his teeth have been bad ever since I got him (he was around 3 years old when I adopted him). Well it turned out he was missing 6 teeth already! 🤦🏼‍♀️

[@refugefilms]

Catching up on your videos. Another great one. Would you recommend the Dental Solutions that can be added to water such as Aquedent or any others? Thanks.

[@VetMedCorner]

Thank you so much! I'm so glad that this was helpful to you! As noted in the video - use only VOHC approved products. There's a link to the list of them in the video description. There are some that can be added to water. However if you do so, as the video notes, make certain to only use it in one of the water sources that are available. Some pets really don't like the taste, and we don't want them becoming dehydrated if that is the case, so they must have access to regular water along with one water source that contains the additive. I do hesitate to add anything to water sources for cats as they much more easily seem to be put off of drinking water, which can be a serious issue. Enjoy the binge watching! 💜👌

[@refugefilms]

@@VetMedCorner It also helps a lot you add the links. Thank you!!

[@VetMedCorner]

Thank you! Creating the description box for each video is quite the task, but I work very hard to get people access to any information they might be curious about. Having that be noticed and appreciated makes it worth the effort!

[@wmtu2]

VOHC web sight. Could you please send me this web sight?

[@VetMedCorner]

It's already linked in the video description for you!

[@boshi9]

Too bad the prescription dental kibble didn't work out for my cat who's prone to have dental problems... He swallows a bunch of them whole and then throws up, probably because they are uncomfortable in his stomach.

[@VetMedCorner]

Occasionally I do have people report their pets (more often dogs) don't chew the kibble which is very frustrating! You might be able to capture and reinforce chewing, if you wanted a fun behaviour modification project, but it may not be worthwhile either... Hopefully you can implement some other options (brushing teeth daily would be best!) to help out!

[@boshi9]

@@VetMedCorner We have a COHAT appointment in a month and I'm planning to try to get into daily brushing after that. I didn't succeed in the past (he would always escape), but I'm trying to do more research this time around to have a better chance.

[@Byaren803]

Thank you for this information. Do you have a more detailed guide on how to brush your dogs teeth (duration, areas to focus on etc.) I know bones and antlers are a risk, but what about cow hoof, moo tube/bovine trachea, lamb/pig ears or bully sticks/pizzle sticks (male bovine part)

[@VetMedCorner]

Thank you so much for your comment! I don't (yet) have a video solely about brushing. However, you only need to get the tooth surfaces on the cheek/gum side of the mouth (not the tongue sides). Duration will vary based on what your pet tolerates! None of the items you mentioned above are recommended because they risk tooth fracture, frequently cause obstructions, are frequently contaminated with salmonella/ecoli/listeria/etc and because they have zero benefits.

[@Byaren803]

@@VetMedCorner Thank you!

[@taradid409]

How do you tell if a Yorkie has an appropriate Muzzel length? I feel like sometimes when I look at pictures of Yorkie their muzzle is getting shorter? And now I'm not sure if it's maybe because they're puppies and it will grow longer. I haven't bought new Yorkie yet but I'm researching.

[@VetMedCorner]

This is an excellent question and it really gets into the subject of finding/purchasing from an excellent and ethical breeder. I had this subject on my list of videos to get done, so how about I move it up the list? The next video is the last of the dental health series, and after that I will cover what to look for when deciding to purchase a dog, as that will help you find the best genetics possible for any future dog. You are wise to be thinking about this regarding the Yorkshire Terrier, as they do notoriously have poor dental health and many of them have many of their teeth extracted as they age. If you do have a Yorkie join your family, remembering to be diligent on working on the prevention of dental disease will be important! I would also add that you should not consider a 'teacup' (or whatever the breeder terms the dogs that are too small) as they will have an even smaller muzzle than the accepted breed standard. Dr. Em

[@nickit7655]

@@VetMedCorneryep and “teacup” is a backyard breeder term. Yorkies come in only one size with some variation of how much they will weigh.

[@cindyhewitt8289]

I had never heard that tennis balls can harm a dog's tooth enamel. Good to know!

[@VetMedCorner]

Yes, it does wear and harm their enamel! You need to offer balls that don't have that coating on it. Thanks for watching VMC! ☺️

[@angelastevenson4923]

If my dog has food allergies can I use dog toothpaste on her teeth?

[@VetMedCorner]

That depends on what your dog is allergic to and what the toothpaste contains!

[@angelastevenson4923]

@@VetMedCorner the problem is we haven’t found what she’s allergic to (after hundreds of tests), but her plaque is getting bad so we need a way to manage this and without toothpaste I’m not sure how else to do it. Do you have suggestions?

[@VetMedCorner]

Yes, you need to see your veterinarian for a COHAT (comprehensive oral health assessment and treatment). This will involve scaling, polishing, and full mouth intra oral x-rays. It's never recommended to try brush the teeth of a dog with dental disease as it will cause them pain and doesn't do anything to reduce the hardened tarter that's formed...

[@pittiesnkitties1216]

Hello! I love your videos, and am working my way through them. I have a couple of dental questions, that I hope isn't answered in a video I haven't watched yet. I do my best to brush my dog's teeth every day. I even set an alarm on my phone to remind me. My dogs now run to me when the alarm sounds off. However, I was recently feeling unwell, and struggled to get up the energy to brush their teeth, and was wondering if on those days, it would be okay to just give them a VOHC approved dental chew, like Greenies or Dentalife? Also, how often should I replace their toothbrushes?

[@VetMedCorner]

Excellent questions! As you said, brushing daily is the most effective thing we can do, so it's wonderful that you brush so often! Dental disease prevention has a bit of an additive effect, so adding in VOHC approved products is fantastic, and it's reasonable to expect that as humans we will have occasional days that we miss brushing. That's okay - life happens! With replacing the brush, it's going to depend on the specific brush, frequency of use etc, but you will notice the bristles splaying at the ends or feeling a bit stiffer over time. Whenever you notice that, or every few months, replace the toothbrush! Keep up the excellent work 👌