“Flip The Lip”
Most of us would extend the life of our pets if we could. It has been shown that pets with dental disease live an average of 2 years less than those with healthy teeth and gums. We encourage all of our clients to “flip the lip” of your dog or cat to check the condition of their teeth and gums. Periodontal disease is seen in 4 different stages:
Four stages of periodontal disease
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| Stage 1: Beginning | Stage 2: Early | Stage 3: Moderate | Stage 4: Severe |
| Plaque and/or calculus on teeth | Plaque and calculus on teeth | Plaque and calculus on teeth | Severe gingivitis with bleeding gums, plus bad breath |
| Red, swollen gums | Red, swollen gums, bad breath | Bleeding gums, sore mouth, bad breath | Loss of tooth attachment greater than 50% |
| Cleaning and prevention may save teeth | Loss of tooth attachment up to 25% | Loss of tooth attachment between 25 and 50% | Loose teeth |
| Potentially reversible with treatment | Permanent damage | Permanent damage | |
If any of these symptoms are noted, please call Frankfort Animal Hospital today to schedule a dental cleaning. Proper cleaning of the teeth requires general anesthesia. To minimize the risk of anesthesia, the doctors at Frankfort Animal Hospital use modern anesthetics that are deemed safe even for older pets. Depending on your pet’s age and general health, a pre-anesthetic blood screen may be performed.