Press Releases
PREVENTING ORAL DISEASE IN DOG AND CATS CAN BE EASIER AND MORE IMPORTANT THAN PET OWNERS THINK
CLEAN EVERY TOOTHTM is a Virbac Animal Health campaign to increase awareness of the importance of pet home dental care.
FORT WORTH, Texas (January 2010) — How do pet owners know if their dogs or cats have periodontal disease? Are there obvious signs? Is it serious? Questions like these are becoming more common in veterinary practices as pet owners learn about the importance of regular dental care for their pets. They’re also discovering how easy it can be to take good care of their pet’s teeth and health.
“Once a pet’s teeth have been professionally cleaned by the veterinary team, it’s important for pet owners to continue with home dental care,” said Denise Skurdalsvold, senior marketing manager for Virbac Animal Health. “Periodontal disease is a result of plaque, and it starts forming on a pet’s teeth only hours after a complete in-clinic cleaning. Pet owners need to know how easy it can be to prevent, just by making their pet’s dental care part of their daily routine.”
Why is pet home dental care so important? Periodontal disease is the most common infectious disease in companion animals, with more than 80 percent of dogs and 70 percent of cats over 3 years of age showing some form of the disease. Poor dental hygiene is often to blame.
Periodontal disease is not confined to the mouth. Chronic infection in the oral cavity can spread harmful bacteria to the bloodstream and throughout a pet’s body. This can affect the heart, lungs, liver and kidneys. In fact, it’s this dangerous spread of bacteria that poses the most serious health threat.
Periodontal disease results from an accumulation of plaque, which is a major culprit in both human and animal periodontal disease. Plaque is a soft, grayish-white film that constantly forms on teeth. One milligram of dental plaque contains over 1 trillion bacteria that can spread throughout a pet’s body and harm major organs.
The good news is that plaque is easily removable through gentle but consistent home care. When neglected, plaque combines with saliva, becomes mineralized, and hardens into tartar. Like plaque, tartar begins to form again within days of a professional cleaning. And, due to differences in oral pH, tartar forms up to five times more rapidly in animals than in people. Unfortunately, tartar is not easily removed by home care alone.
Are there obvious signs of periodontitis? Spotting periodontal disease in the early stages is tricky because there may be no glaring signs. One easy-to-notice but commonly ignored symptom is bad breath, which is actually not natural for pets. Other noticeable symptoms include oral pain and discomfort; difficulty with chewing or eating; receding and infected gums; and lost or loose teeth. Beginning home care at this point can reverse the disease process.
Without treatment, periodontitis will get worse and eventually leave a dog or cat with unbearably bad breath, and teeth loose enough to move around. Pets in this stage usually require a root canal or other surgery, extraction and/or oral antibiotics.
Making it easy for pet owners to clean every tooth with 3 Easy Options. Daily brushing is the best way to protect a pet’s teeth and overall health, but there are other good options. A new C.E.T.® Pet Home Dental Care program, now available through veterinarians nationwide, offers a choice of three easy options that are often combined together for best results:
GOOD: C.E.T. Chews are easy for pets to chew and digest, and provide good oral hygiene for any cat or dog.
BETTER: C.E.T. AQUADENT® Drinking Water Additive can be added to a pet’s water bowl to help prevent plaque accumulation, and freshen the pet’s breath with every drink.
BEST: Tooth brushing is surprisingly quick and easy. It is important for pet owners to use products specifically designed for pets, such as the right sized toothbrush with soft bristles and pet-friendly flavored toothpastes.
CLEAN EVERY TOOTH TM is a Virbac Animal Health campaign to increase awareness of the importance of home pet dental care. In addition to advice from their veterinarian, pet owners can find useful resources on pet home dental care at www.cetdental.com.
One of the World’s Largest Laboratories Dedicated Exclusively to Animal Health Virbac develops, manufactures and distributes a wide range of products and services intended for the prevention and treatment of common pathologies in companion animals. The Virbac Corporation U.S., located in Fort Worth, Texas, is a leading companion animal health company offering products in the heartworm, tick and flea, dermatology, antibiotics, endocrinology, senior care, behavior, critical care nutrition, and oral hygiene markets. Virbac products are available to pet owners exclusively through a veterinarian.
For more information about Virbac and the company’s products, please visit www.virbacvet.com.
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Denise Skurdalsvold • Senior Marketing Manager • Virbac Animal Health • 682-647-3505 • denise.skurdalsvold@virbacus.com
Dave Hill, Management • Supervisor • Stephens & Associates • 913-661-0910, Ext. 111 • dhill@stephens-adv.com
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