OVERVIEW OF DENTAL DISEASE IN DOGS & CATS
There are extensive statistics on dental issues in animals but the reality is that most dogs and cats have some degree of dental disease. How would they not? Pet dental care rarely comes close to the teeth brushing, flossing, mouthwash use and twice yearly trips to the dentist seen in human dentistry. Not to mention dogs blatant disregard for physics when chewing on bones & toys. I will break down the varying types of dental disease and how we approach these states of disease.


The prospect of dentistry and dental surgery in your pets can seem overwhelming.
At Cascade Heights Veterinary Center our veterinarians define your pets specific dental health problems and make recommendations based on their individual issues. We will present options and make a plan together. It is our goal to gain you and your pets trust so we can appropriately care for their teeth now and all of their medical needs for the entirety of their lives.
DOG VS CAT DENTAL DISEASE:
Cat
- – Preventative care is challenging
- – Dental disease often starts early in life
- – Autoimmune disease (Stomatitis)
- – 30 teeth
Dog
- – More likely to fracture teeth
- – Breed specific crowding
- – Easier to brush their teeth
- – 42 teeth

DENTAL CARE RECOMMENDATIONS
The best resource for animal dental health information is the Veterinary Oral Health Council (VOHC). Below we will go through the various tools available to achieve oral health.
- AT HOME CARE: Brushing, Water Additives, Treats/Chews
- DIET: Kibble that is specifically formulated to break down dental tartar & plaque
(comes in feline, and small or large breed sizes).
- Dog Diets: Hills TD, Purina DH, Royal Canin Dental
- Cat Diets: Hills TD, Purina DH, Royal Canin Dental
- No Chew List: Bones, Antlers, Yak Chews, Rocks, Ice, Hard Plastics
- ANNUAL CHECK UPS: allows our veterinarians the opportunity to assess your pets mouth and determine the level of dental care needed.
- Home Dental Care recommendations: These will be based on practicality of treatment and our oral examination findings
- Non-Anesthetic Cleanings (Preventative Dental Cleaning and Assessment – PDCA): Utilized for pets with grade 1 – 2 dental tartar with mild gingivitis that can tolerate treatment awake. This method of cleaning is not appropriate for any patient where an extraction is anticipated or dental xrays are indicated or any patient that won’t allow the oral manipulation involved in the process.
- The benefits of non-anesthetic cleanings are decreased cost (~$200), and anesthesia is not used.
- We use a well respected company Animal Dental Care for PDCAs at our practice.
- Anesthetic Cleanings: For more advanced states of dental disease: grades later 2 – 4, anesthesia is required. This allows us to fully assess the mouth, perform dental x-rays, and extract any severely diseased teeth.
- Tooth extraction recommendations are based on the health of the individual This is looked at with percent of bone coverage, jaw strength, presence of pocketing, mobility, furcation, gingivitis, and fractured roots, among other things.
- There is a famous phrase “It’s like pulling teeth”: the phrase emphasizes how hard a specific task or situation Trust me, we do not like pulling teeth, it’s tedious, time consuming, and emotionally draining. If we recommend that a tooth or multiple teeth need extraction it’s because it’s absolutely needed for your pet’s comfort and health.
- In dogs & cats we view teeth like If it still has tread and minimal evidence of deterioration then it still has some good life in it.
- We will email an estimate for any anesthetic dental work that we recommend after your appointment.
- Please bring up any concerns about anesthesia during dental care with your We can discuss this integral and necessary part of the procedure and address your questions.
Source Links: Dog Teeth Chart, Cat Teeth Chart, Dog Teeth, Cat Teeth