The oral cavity is essential to the overall health of cats. They use their mouths for hunting, eating, and grooming—they may spend up to 25% of their day grooming as they are very clean creatures. In addition, the mouth is the first part of the digestive...
Periodontal disease (gum disease) affects up to 80% of dogs and cats aged two years and older. There are also subsets of oral disease that can affect the young or juvenile feline patient. One of these conditions is called juvenile onset periodontitis.
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Dental disease is one of the most common, if not the most common, health issue that occurs in cats. A healthy oral cavity in cats is very important for their digestive health and quality of life. Cats use their mouth for grooming, hunting, and eating. Our...
Papilloma Virus, also known as the wart virus, causes papillomas or small, benign tumors in different species. It’s important to note that Canine Papilloma Virus (CPV) is specific to dogs and is not transmissible to humans. CPV occurs most commonly in young dogs whose...
I have lived in the Douglas County, Colorado area for most of my adult life. After beginning my career in veterinary dentistry at Animal Care Centers of Castle Pines, I started looking for fun local activities for our family and two dogs. Castle Pines and...
A dog or cat’s baby teeth are also known as deciduous teeth or primary teeth. Have you ever felt those sharp little needle teeth when playing with puppies and kittens? Those are their deciduous teeth. Much like humans, dogs and cats have two sets of...
Occlusion is defined as the relationship between the teeth of the maxilla (upper jaw) and mandibles (lower jaw). When this relationship is abnormal a malocclusion results and is also called an abnormal bite or an overbite in dogs and cats. The mouth is split into...
After graduating from The Ohio State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine in 1992, I spent the first 12 years of my career practicing in suburban Maryland outside of Washington, DC. In 2004 my wife and I decided that we wanted to continue to raise...
Oral malodor (pet halitosis or bad breath) is a common condition noticed by pet owners and is often described as “doggy breath” in dogs, and “fish” breath in cats. Most of us are aware that bad breath in humans is considered a social faux pas....
Feedings tubes in cats and dogs are occasionally recommended for our oral surgery patients to help them for a limited period of time in their post-surgical recovery. The most common feeding tube placed in dogs and cats is an esophagostomy feeding tube. “Stoma” refers to opening...