Ask The Vet - How to Brush Your Pet's Teeth - video Dailymotion

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Brushing your dog's or cat's teeth is one of the most important things you can do for your pet. Subscribe to The Pet Collective: http://full.sc/HbM62v Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/thepetcollective Twitter: https://twitter.com/petcollectiveTV Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/petcollectivetv/ Google+: gplus.to/thepetcollective  Just like their humans, our dogs and cats can suffer from painful, dental problems and diseases.  Dr. Courtney Campbell DVM breaks down what you need to maintain your pet's dental health and the correct way to brush your pet's teeth.  Dr. Courtney Campbell DVM is a surgical resident at Animal Medical Center of Southern California.  Special Thanks to Animal Medical Center of Southern California.  Host: Courtney Campbell, DVM  Coordinating Producer: Dawn Poomee Lead Producer: Hai-Lam Phan Associate Producer: Matt Pagourgis Editor: Wes Marsala

Transcript

00:00Hi, I'm Dr. Campbell, and today we're going to talk about dental care at home for your

00:04pets.

00:05I get this question all the time, hey doc, do I really need to brush my pet's teeth?

00:12The answer is absolutely.

00:14Daily teeth brushing is the most effective way at controlling dental issues.

00:20The truth is this, bacteria that cause plaque and calculus and tartar can colonize a tooth

00:26within 24 to 36 hours.

00:28That means within days of your pet's teeth being cleaned, they're already starting to

00:32form plaque and tartar.

00:33The only solution, or one of the only solutions, is daily teeth brushing.

00:38Daily teeth brushing in dogs and cats is relatively the same, so we'll just group them together

00:42and we'll get to talk about techniques and various other treatment options on how to

00:46keep your pet's mouth real clean.

00:50I get the question, what happens if I don't brush my pet's teeth?

00:53Well, there's some long-term changes that can occur, and they all usually fall under

00:58the umbrella of periodontal disease.

01:00Periodontal disease has various stages, but things to look for are reddening of the gums,

01:05pain, loss of teeth, bad breath, certainly dental abscesses or discharge coming from

01:12the mouth.

01:13Definitely, those are clear signs of bad oral dental health.

01:17Now let's get a chance to talk about how do you actually brush your dog or cat's teeth.

01:22First thing you want to obtain certainly is a veterinary-approved toothbrush.

01:25It has a small side and a large side.

01:28You also want to get veterinary-approved toothpaste.

01:30This is enzymatic toothpaste, and the enzymes will help break down the teeth.

01:34You can certainly use a cotton ball or you can use gauze wrapped around your finger.

01:38Both of those work great.

01:40Remember, it's the mechanical action of actually brushing the plaque and tartar away, not necessarily

01:45what you put on the toothbrush.

01:47So if toothbrushing is not a possibility with your particular pet, there's other options

01:52that you can use.

01:54Secondly, rinses.

01:56Oral rinses help bind the minerals in the saliva so that they don't bind to the teeth.

02:01You just put this on, and sometimes it lasts once a week.

02:04Second thing is chew toys.

02:07These are great.

02:08They're having fun, but they're also cleaning their teeth.

02:10This is a good one for dogs.

02:12Here are some treats for cats that help get rid of some of that plaque and tartar, and

02:16they taste delicious.

02:20Let's say you don't want to go out and buy all these products.

02:23Are there some other home solutions or suitable solutions you can find around the house?

02:28Absolutely.

02:29First and foremost, you don't want to use human toothpaste.

02:32Toothpaste or fluoride should not be swallowed, and some dogs and cats will certainly swallow

02:36it.

02:37Second, if you don't have a veterinary approved toothbrush, you can certainly use children's

02:41toothbrush.

02:42It has very soft bristles and will be easy on the gums.

02:46Baking soda can be used in small amounts.

02:48Again, you don't want your pet to ingest large amounts of this.

02:52Sometimes it can cause a little bit of nausea and or vomiting, but a small amount can go

02:57a long way.

02:59You want to start brushing their teeth or getting a look inside the mouth at around

03:02eight or nine months of age.

03:04This way, all of their adult teeth are in, or most of them should be in at this point,

03:09and you get to see what clean, healthy gums look like.

03:12At around eight or nine months, you get a chance to look inside their mouths.

03:15They get gradually accustomed to opening their mouths and having their mouths touched.

03:20Second, you get a chance to see what clean, healthy gums look like, and third, they get

03:25used to the sensation of a brush going in and out of their mouth.

03:29There's a lot of reasons to start dental care really early in their life.

03:36Today for our demonstration on tooth brushing, we have Panda.

03:39I'd like to invite Panda and Allison.

03:41Hi, Panda.

03:42Hi, Allison.

03:43Panda, not Allison, is a five month old rescue that really likes lots of love, and that's

03:50what we intend to give Panda today.

03:52Here we go.

03:53Allison, are you ready?

03:54Panda's going to show us how to brush teeth.

03:56First, veterinary approved toothbrush.

03:59Second, veterinary approved enzymatic toothpaste.

04:02I'm going to put it on the smaller end, because Panda has small teeth.

04:06What you'd like to do is use your dominant hand.

04:10I happen to be right-handed, so I'm going to use my right hand.

04:12I'm going to take my left hand, place it on Panda's head, and I'm basically going to put

04:17it on the inside, and I'm going to brush.

04:20See how Panda can taste it, doesn't really like it, so you can tell it always is helpful

04:25to have two people.

04:28Panda's tasting it, says, you know what?

04:30I'm getting used to it, and I'm just going to brush on the inside, just like that.

04:35This procedure can be used for your cat or dog.

04:38Just remember to use gentle mechanical motion.

04:41Keep the brush at a 45 degree angle, and you'll be happy with your pet, and your pet will

04:46be happy with you for having great oral health.

04:49Do you have a medical question you'd like me to answer?

04:55Just submit it in the comment section below, and we'll answer it next episode.

04:59Remember, there's nothing stronger than the human-animal bond.

Ask The Vet - How to Brush Your Pet's Teeth

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