Dental Health for Pets #DentalPetFacts

It’s now been over a year since we welcomed our dog Charlie into our home and hearts, I can’t believe that much time has passed already! It seems like just yesterday that he flew in the door for the first time and tried to stop at my feet, but slid all the way across the kitchen floor with those tiny puppy paws. Since then it’s been a lot of transition; learning to adjust to life with a pet, trying to train him, and simply getting to know his personality. Of course, everything came with copious amounts of puppy snuggles and love too. 

dental care for pets - charlie king charles cavalier

Charlie {a purebred King Charles Cavalier} has been to an obedience class, is registered, microchipped, and has been to the vet quite a few times. He’s had his check-ups and all the required immunizations.

Yet what about dental health? We know the importance of taking care of our own teeth, and ensure to attend our regular visits. Pets also need to have the Veterinarian check their gums and teeth for optimum health! 

I’ve partnered with Royal Canin to dive deeper into dental health for pets {specifically for dogs though since we have one}, which is actually a perfect collaboration since our Charlie’s only had this brand of food {on the suggestion from both the breeder and our veterinarian}. I recently took Charlie to his Veterinary clinic where he had his very first dental check-up and cleaning!

His appointment went well, Charlie’s Vet did both the cleaning and the check-up at one visit, and he was under sedation. When I returned to get Charlie, I met with the doctor and she filled me on on what they discovered.

At this time there are no concerns for Charlie’s teeth, yet there was some plaque build-up which needed to be removed. This is his before picture where you can see the plaque.

A close up of a dog

And the after photo – what a difference a cleaning makes!

A close up dog Tooth

Other than that, Charlie’s gums and teeth look healthy. He is still young, but it’s best to start a good oral routine when they are young. Plus, dental disease affects approximately 85% of cats and dogs over the age of one year – and I don’t want him to be among those affected. 

The next step after Charlie’s dental visit was to transition him to Royal Canin Dental Nutrition Formula for small dogs. It’s uniquely designed to provide triple action dental care to help prevent the accumulation of plaque and tartar while meeting the specific nutrient and energy requirements of small breed dogs {< 10 kg}.

royal canin dental nutrition formula small dogs

Charlie will be solely eating this new food and then we’ll return to the veterinarian at a later date to check on the progress of his dental health. 

royal canin dental health for pets dogs charlie

At our appointment I was told that I needed to start brushing his teeth as well, which is going to be a feat in itself – but I’ll put on a really good fight trying! I appreciated some tips and advice from his doctor, along with some pet toothbrushing supplies.

Here’s some supporting information that might be a real eye-opener:

Text, whiteboard

 

For your own pets health and well-being, I urge you to book an oral examination and cleaning – February is pet dental health month after all! While there ask about Royal Canin Dental Nutrition Formula for your cat or dog.

Follow along on social media with the #DentalPetFacts hashtag, and I’ll be sure to update everyone on Charlie’s progress in the coming months. 

Have you taken your pet for a dental check-up and cleaning? 

 

I am compensated as part of the 2016 Royal Canin Dental PR Campaign. All opinions and experiences are my own.

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17 Comments

  1. We give our dog dental chews. Our vet recommended it and they really help his teeth and more importantly, his heinous breath.

  2. My old dog loved getting his teeth brushed. As soon as he saw me grab his toothpaste he could barely sit still. The smell of the toothpaste was less than desirable though.

  3. We clean out pet’s teeth at home, once a month. If you start young enough they really don’t resist it much as an adult. The vet, and groomer, always compliment us on how clean their teeth are! Of course, diet helps too!

  4. I never did brush my dogs teeth. One of my dogs most definitely needed it. My other dog actually hardly had even any plaque. The vet couldn’t believe that his teeth are looking so good. But it is always good to wash your teeth because it hurts when your teeth are not cleaned.

  5. Our dog was just at the vet last week. It can be so easy to overlook their check ups until something is wrong!

  6. i never thought about dental care for dogs! I’ll send this post to my friend who has 3 dogs! Now I’m wondering if she has a plan for her dogs!

  7. My Sister was just telling me about her trip to the Vet to get her furbabies teeth cleaned. She was amazed at the difference the cleaning made. It is important to take care of your pets teeth.

  8. I probably should take my cats for a dental check up – this is a good reminder for me to make that appointment. I know that it’s so important!

  9. I’ve had my dig’s teeth cleaned at the vet, and it was not cheap! I’m trying to do what I can at home to get keep them healthy.

  10. This really reminds me that I need to be better about my dog’s oral health. I hate that I forget to brush his teeth so much.. and it shows. Errrrrr, smells.

  11. Oh my goodness your Charlie is too cute! I don’t have a dog myself but I do know how important dental health is for my kitty. I do really like Royal Canin food too. My cat enjoy it quite a bit.

  12. Roxy just had hers last Saturday, I always dread these appointments because I fear something will be wrong or go wrong. But we got a clean bill of health too! Thank goodness. Otherwise she does a dental bone most evenings and I use coconut oil on her teeth (it’s the only thing she’ll let in there).

  13. I have two cats, I have not taken them to have their teeth checked yet, but I really need to! Thanks for the advice!

  14. My baby Blue is going for yearly check ups but I should really get his teeth done because he is almost 10 and soon he’ll be too old

  15. I do think that many pet owners forget the importance of dental health for their pets, the prior owners of my pug took well care of her other areas but her teeth fell behind and now will be expensive if I can get the cash saved up to fix her teeth. For now, we do measures that are can afford based on the vet recommendations. But man, her teeth were awful years back when I adopted her.

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