Dental Homecare

Dental Aftercare and Home Treatment

Most pets will go home after their teeth cleaning with antibiotics. Their appetite and behavior will return to normal in one to two days. Many owners often report that their pets feel so much better than before the procedure!

The goal of home care is to slow down re-accumulation of dental tartar in the future. The very best way to accomplish this is to brush your pet’s teeth every day with special enzymatic pet tooth paste (do not use human tooth paste). Less frequent brushing has not been shown to be as effective since the tartar calcifies every 24 hours. We will be happy to show you how to brush your pet’s teeth.

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Methods of Preventing Tartar Accumulation

  • Hill’s Prescription Diet T/D food is specially formulated to prevent tartar and clean the teeth while your pet eats their dinner. Hill’s prescription T/D is a very effective preventative if used as the pet’s sole diet on a regular basis. The food works by decreasing the particles available for tartar formulation and also by mechanically rubbing the tartar off the teeth as the pet chews.
  • If your pet likes to chew on toys or rawhide, we can provide them with special chews that contain the same enzymes that are in pet toothpaste. The chews enzymatically fight the tartar while the chewing action mechanically rubs the tartar off the teeth.
  • An effective new way to prevent tartar is a product called Oravet. It significantly reduces plaque and tartar formation by creating an invisible barrier that prevents bacteria from attaching to your pet’s teeth. While other products may remove plaque and tartar, OraVet is the first plaque prevention system. It’s a completely safe and drug-free product that adheres to teeth even through brushing. Oravet is applied by us at the time of the initial dental cleaning.  The owner then applies the product at home once weekly thereafter.  We will be happy to show you how to apply Oravet to your pet.

Depending on how well you are able to care for your pet’s teeth at home, and on your pet’s predisposition to building tartar, most pets will need professional dental cleaning every year or so to maintain good dental health. The veterinarians at Tri-City Animal & Bird Clinic will examine your pet’s teeth during the Annual Wellness Exam and make individualized recommendations based upon your pet’s needs.