February is dental month and we are going to start celebrating early.  My puppy Samson and kitten Scarlet are both 14 weeks old.  This week we have started their dental care.  I'm not sure they enjoyed it, but hopefully with more handling they will accept brushing better.  You are not a "bad " pet owner if you do not brush their teeth, but a healthy mouth can lead to a longer life-span.   Oral disease is the most frequently diagnosed infectious disease in pets, and by the time your pet is 4 years old 85% of dogs and cats show signs of oral disease.  Oral disease can have serious consequences for our pets including severe pain, bad breath and tooth loss.  Chronic infections can also spread to major organs with deleterious effects.  We started Samson and Scarlet slowly by brushing their teeth, offering oral hygiene chews, and an oral hygiene rinse.

Dr. Smith is performing a dental extraction,  while Patti is monitoring anesthesia.

Good oral hygiene can reduce the number diseased teeth in your pets mouth.