Pet Dental Health for Dogs and Cats: What Every Pet Parent Should Know

Did you know that puppies have 28 baby teeth and kittens have 26? As they grow, these are replaced with 42 adult teeth in dogs and 30 adult teeth in cats, which means there’s a lot of opportunity for dental disease if those teeth aren’t cared for properly!

Dental health in cats and dogs is extremely important from a young age. Brushing your pet’s teeth daily is one of the best ways to maintain oral health; thankfully, it can be fun too! Many pet-safe toothpastes come in flavours like poultry, peanut butter, or vanilla mint, making it an enjoyable experience for both of you.

Why Dental Care Matters for dogs and cats

Even with daily brushing, most pets, like humans, will need professional dental cleanings throughout their lives.

Dental disease can lead to:

• Pain and infection

• Tooth loss

• Systemic issues affecting the heart, liver, or kidneys

At Bridge City, we perform COHATs (Comprehensive Oral Health Assessments and Treatments) under general anesthesia to get a full, safe view of your pet’s mouth.

What Happens During a COHAT?

Under general anesthesia, our veterinary team can:

• Complete a full oral exam

• Take dental X-rays to assess what’s happening below the gumline

• Clean and polish every tooth

• Perform extractions or other treatments if needed

We use anesthesia to keep your pet still and pain-free, because pets can’t open wide and sit still like we do at the dentist!

Hidden Problems You Can't See

Many dental issues can’t be detected during a regular exam. That’s why X-rays are essential, they show us:

• Unerupted teeth in puppies or kittens that haven’t come through the gums can lead to painful deciduous cysts

• Tooth resorption in cats. This is where the body absorbs the tooth, an extremely painful but common condition

• Broken teeth, caries (cavities), and fractures that often look fine on the surface but hide deeper issues below the gumline

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What Makes Our Dental Procedures Different?

All dental procedures at Bridge City Veterinary Rehabilitation include:

• General anesthesia

• Full-mouth dental X-rays

• IV fluids and pain medication

• Anesthesia monitoring

• Extractions (when needed) performed by veterinarians

 And did you know?

We offer post-operative laser therapy for our dental patients who’ve had extractions. This helps reduce inflammation, swelling, and pain and promotes faster healing so your pet can get back to feeling its best!

Is your pet due for a dental checkup?

Whether you have a curious kitten or a senior pup, we’re here to help you prevent dental disease.

 Call us (306-220-1256) or email today—we’ll help keep those teeth healthy and tails wagging!

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Canine patient receiving post op laser therapy on a dental extraction site.