This is Dr. James Murray, writing on behalf of Heartwood Animal Hospital, for our first blog entry! I will begin blogging weekly covering interesting cases seen by Heartwood Animal Hospital, which will include preventative medicine, and other pet health educational topics. February is Pet Dental Health Awareness month and we will dedicate this first blog towards that very topic.

Meet Kazooie, a 5 year old orange domestic short hair cat that recently underwent a Dental COHEXT (Dental Cleaning with Oral Health Exam that includes X-rays and then treatment). Before the procedure Kazooie had a very large amount of tartar build up on her teeth along with reddening of the gum lines, also known as gingivitis. X-rays (Radiographs) of all of her teeth, while under anesthesia, revealed that she has early stages of periodontal disease.

However, this was caught early enough that with the proper cleaning and treatment, no extractions were necessary at this time. Ultrasonic scaling of the teeth, again under anesthesia, polishing of all teeth, and an antibiotic injection for the gingivitis were performed. Since Kazooie did not require any extractions, she won the Heartwood Animal Hospital Dental Radiograph Challenge and received these radiographs for FREE!!

With proper home care which should include brushing your pet’s teeth with an enzymatic tooth paste, dental treats such as the Royal Canin Dental diet kibbles, and a thorough cleaning of the teeth under anesthesia every 1-2 years, we expect for Kazooie to be able to maintain a healthy mouth for several years to come.

Check out the following links on tips for helping to care for your dog’s and/or cat’s health:

  • http://www.avdc.org/carefordogs.html
  • http://www.avdc.org/careforcats.html