Dr. Katelyn Lang, of midCities Animal Hospital, says “Dental Disease in our dogs and cats can start as early as 1 to 3 years of age. Typically, this manifests as tartar build-up, inflammation in our gums.”

Dr. Lang says that regular wellness checks are just as important for your pet as they are for you. “It’s very important to bring your dogs and cats in for their annual exams. This is typically how we find Dental Disease in dogs and cats. Halitosis, so stinky breath. That’s something that we can take care of here with what’s called a dental prophy or dental cleaning. Dental cleanings, we typically start those from ages 3 to 4, but sometimes as early as one.”

Getting your pet’s teeth cleaned is a little more complicated than your regular dental cleaning. “There’s a lot of anxiety from pet owners, which is understandable about putting your pet under anesthesia. Anesthesia allows us to take radiographs and position your pet to best handle extractions. They aren’t able to do that for us. So in order to give the best medicine and give them the best cleaning extractions, we need to have them under general anesthesia.”

midCities Animal Hospital is currently running a special. All new clients get $60 off their first visit. Learn more at their Website.