An initiative of the Australian Veterinary Association (AVA), the aim of the campaign is to educate pet owners about the benefits of annual dental health checks and regular tooth brushing.

Braidwood Veterinary Surgery Veterinarian Greg Gilbert said that four out of five dogs and cats over the age of three years have some sort of dental disease which may go unnoticed by their owners.

“Pets often won’t show pain. Even pets with sore gums, infected mouths and broken teeth will continue to eat so owners may not see any problems,” she said.

So how can you tell if your dog or cat has a toothache?

“Your pet’s breath should not smell bad. Bad breath is a sign of infection. Gums may be red and inflamed and the teeth stained with tartar or they may start dropping food.

“Annual dental health checks are an ideal opportunity for owners to find out if their pet has existing problems which have gone unnoticed. Dental health checks also help ensure bacteria and poisons from dental infections do not spread to the heart, liver and kidneys through the blood stream.

“We also recommend regular tooth brushing and many cats and dogs can be trained to enjoy having their teeth brushed, especially if you start at an early age.

“About 80 per cent of adult animals have some degree of dental disease, which becomes more severe with age.”

During August Braidwood Veterinary Surgery will be providing free Dental Health packs to pet owners containing information brochures on animal dental health including information on dental and gum disease, samples of greenies and Hills t/d.

Braidwood Veterinary Surgery will be conducting FREE dental health checks every Friday, to ensure owners are aware of any problems developing with their pets teeth, as well as providing advice on feeding and activities that can promote a healthy mouth. All dog and cat dentals will also be discounted, and equine dentals will be reduced to $99 (sedation and dental procedure).

Dental month is not only for dogs and cats. Braidwood Veterinary Surgery has participated in Presents for Pony’s day. This is part of a national initiative from veterinary horse health group Equine Dental Vets. This initiative aims to give back to the community on August 1 by providing free dental care to horses, and as it is the horses’ birthday, Equine Dental Vets thought it appropriate to give the ponies a birthday present by taking care of their teeth and providing free presents of teeth friendly carrots.

For more information, call in to the clinic to have a chat to our staff, all give us a call on 02 4842 2697.