Laguna Hills Animal Hospital, Laguna Woods, CA. 949-837-7333->Our Services->Dental Cleaning->Home Care Tips for your Pet

Once we have professionally cleaned your pet's teeth, there are some things that you can do to try to keep them clean. Your particular "follow-up" program will depend on how much time you can invest and how cooperative your pet is.

A new vaccine is now available to help assist in the prevention of periodontal disease with our pet dogs. The Dental Disease vaccine is a safe and effective way to protect your dog against tooth loss that is the result of periodontal disease. The vaccine stimulates your dog's immunity to certain germs of the mouth that are responsible for much of the bone loss (tooth socket) and tooth loss (dental disease) that we see. When used as a part of a complete dental care program, you can be confident knowing you are providing the best care for your dog. You can start the vaccine as a puppy to help your dog prevent the problem as he/she matures.

	You can brush your pet's teeth weekly with a soft toothbrush. Hold the mouth shut and brush only the outside of the teeth. Special dog/cat toothpaste not only tastes better to the pet but it is safe when swallowed. The newer products also contain tartar control agents that will make professional cleanings needed less often.

	A germ control dental spray is also available for cats and dogs. It is to be sprayed on the outside of the teeth at lease once weekly. It also helps with the pet's breath.

	Providing hard chew toys, biscuits and rawhide bones will help some. We have special enzymatic dental chews that help more than plain chew treats.

	A new food (Hill's T/D) is especially formulated to not only reduce new tartar formation but will also help to physically scrap existing plaque accumulations off of the teeth.

	Finally, for cooperative pets, a routine visit to the hospital (every 6 months) will allow our skilled dental assistant to re-clean the teeth without anesthesia. This is the best, most convenient, and safest way to help your pet maintain a healthy mouth.

Having your pet's teeth cleaned is a good beginning.

Please don't hesitate to ask to speak to one of our pet care nurses. They can give you a lot of useful information (we even have a short video that you can watch) regarding what can be done at home to help keep your pet's mouth as healthy as possible.


	For more information please contact us at (949) 837-7333 or click here to e-mail us directly