Marmalade is taking over the blog today to remind all the pet parents out there to please take advantage of National Pet Dental Health Month this February.
Many veterinarian clinics offer a discount during the month of February for National Pet Dental Health Month. That discount can be a huge savings and will help avoid the need of your cat or dog having an unplanned dental with possible extractions. Let’s face it, emergencies don’t happen at convenient times. Dental health not only effects the teeth and gums. Severe health conditions can spread throughout their body to areas such as the brain, heart, kidneys, etc.
To understand why Marmalade and I are so serious about this topic, please take time to read Marmalade’s Dental Extraction Story – The Diagnosis & Treatment and Marmalade’s Dental Extraction Story – The Recovery. All I can say is I wished I had scheduled a precautionary dental exam/cleaning during the month of February instead of the emergency dental extractions that took place in May. There were no discounts in May, and Marmalade’s mouth could not wait for the following February!
Keeping your pet on a regular routine examination schedule (usually once a year or every 6 months), will help your vet stay on top of your pets dental health. Keep in mind, your vet can usually detect the signs sooner than we can.
Some of the common signs but not limited to are listed below.
If you notice any of these signs, please make an appointment with your pet’s vet.
- Bad breath
- Inflamed, swollen, &/or bleeding gums
- Bumps or lumps in mouth
- Difficulty eating
- Loose or missing teeth
- Excessive drooling (with or without bloody saliva)
- Pawing at the mouth or head shaking
- Weight loss
Please talk to your vet to determine if your cat or dog is a candidate that would benefit from a dental cleaning. Many vet clinics fill up on dental cleanings for the month of February, so I recommend scheduling an appointment sooner than later.
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!
Dayna is a food blogger and pet parent to Cooper the cat! 
