Dental Information

Pets can develop the same kinds of dental problems as people.  Poor dental health can lead to pain, infection, loss of appetite, and a general decline in the health of your pet. Dogs and cats may have broken or infected (abscessed) teeth. These conditions can be quite painful, but your pet may not show any signs of pain. Cats and dogs do not typically cry or vocalize when their mouths hurt. They certainly do feel much better when any problems are addressed! Many people remark that after their pet has had diseased teeth removed that the pet seems more energetic and acts as if it feels better. This confirms that the pet had been in pain!

Dog and cat teeth are numbered, as people’s are, but in a slightly different way. Cats have adult 30 adult teeth, while dogs have 42 adult teeth. Below is a picture of how they are numbered and what they look like.

Cats and dogs break teeth, get tooth root abscesses, gingivitis, periodontitis and most other dental diseases that people. Dogs, especially working dogs, will many times have root canals performed with crowns placed on their teeth. This is something we do refer to a board-certified veterinary dentist to ensure these animals receive restoration work from the highest trained individuals.