cat dental exam

Dental Care

Imagine if you never brushed your teeth or had them cleaned. Pretty frightening, right? As you can imagine, things would eventually start to go very, very bad inside your mouth: teeth would rot and decay, gums would become inflamed and infected. Bacteria from those rotting teeth would eventually travel into your bloodstream and could cause other serious health problems. And we haven’t even mentioned the daily, debilitating pain.

It’s the same scenario for your dog or cat. While some people might laugh at the idea of brushing their pet’s teeth or taking them for a dental cleaning, the fact is that by age three, 80% of dogs and 70% of cats have some evidence of periodontal disease. Periodic dental exams help maintain proper oral hygiene and prevent future problems.

AllPets Animal Clinic offers complete pet oral health services, including:

  • Dental exams
  • Annual dental cleanings
  • Dental X-rays
  • Extractions

Following American Veterinary Medical Association guidelines, AllPets Animal Clinic only does cleanings and dental work on anesthetized pets. To ensure your pet is healthy enough to undergo anesthesia, we do require a routine blood test before the procedure.


Preventive Dental Care

Brushing your pet’s teeth several times per week is the best way to prevent plaque and tartar build-up. Interested in learning how to brush your pet’s teeth? Just ask and our veterinarians will be happy to help you get started. If you have a pet that won’t tolerate brushing, our veterinarians can also recommend products that will help keep your pet’s mouth healthy in between cleanings.

Dental care is one of the most important and over-looked aspects of your pet’s health. By 3 years old, over 85% of pets have dental disease. Dental disease left untreated can cause severe mouth pain, bleeding, loose/rotten teeth, and can shower your pet’s bloodstream with bacteria. Studies have shown that pets with severe dental disease have a higher chance of damage to their heart, kidneys, and liver. 

Oral health is the best predictor of your pet’s overall health!

While we examine your pet’s mouth at every physical exam, the key to managing dental disease is prevention!

Things you can do at home:

  • Start brushing your pet’s teeth from a young age
  • C.E.T. VeggieDent chews every night before bed (available at the clinic)
  • Use products that have been awarded the Veterinary Oral Health Council (VOHC) seal of approval:
    • Accepted products for dog dental care
    • Accepted products for cat dental care
  • AVOID giving bones, antlers, cow hooves, or any other chew toy that has no “give” to it when trying to bend it
  • Bring your pet in for a professional dental cleaning!

Professional Dental Cleaning

We pride ourselves in the level of dental care we are able to provide for your pet. Included with every dental cleaning is:

  • Full-mouth x-rays
  • Ultrasonic scaling
  • Polishing
  • Fluoride rinse
  • FREE OF CHARGE: toenail trim and ear cleaning

Pet Dental Care in Spirit Lake, IA

We provide top pet dental care. To Make An Appointment for a dental exam or cleaning, call us at (712) 336-3647.