Dental Care

At Companion Animal Hospital River North, we’re dedicated to keeping pets in the community and surrounding neighborhoods healthy inside and out. To help you and your pet combat dental disease, we provide complete, professional cat & dog teeth cleaning and offer at-home maintenance recommendations.

Dental disease is not only the most common condition ailing our pets; it is also one of the most easily preventable. This progressive infection begins to develop when bacteria from calculus buildup spreads under the gum line. In advanced stages, dental disease can lead to bone and tooth loss and infection of the heart, liver or kidneys.

HOW TO PREVENT DENTAL DISEASE

With a proper pet dental care routine, your pet will never have to experience dental disease. An effective routine will include both daily at-home care and veterinarian-prescribed dental cleanings scheduled as needed. Home care may include daily brushing, dental wipes, dental chews and a special dental diet to supplement your pet’s regular diet.
Additionally, if your pet has dental disease to a certain degree, we may recommend a cleaning and help you put together a dental plan to follow at home to prevent future infections.

OUR PET DENTAL SERVICES

To treat dental disease and/or assist in its prevention, our veterinary team can offer the following services:

• Pre-dental blood work to check your pet’s health before placing them under anesthesia. Keeping pets sedated during their cleaning allows us to safely and thoroughly clean your pet’s teeth.
• Periodontal exams that include checking each tooth and its surrounding pockets for infection, damage or other issues. This is done while your pet is sedated.
• Digital, full-mouth X-rays to view below the gum line and check for tooth and/or bone damage.
• The dental cleaning involves scaling each tooth above and below the gum line to remove plaque and tartar, and polishing the teeth to reduce future accretion.
• Extracting any teeth that are loose, broken or abscessed.

DENTAL DISEASE SYMPTOMS IN DOGS AND CATS

Catching dental disease at an early stage can save your pet a lot of discomfort. Common signs include:

• Bad breath
• Loose, broken, and/or yellow or brown teeth
• Red, swollen and/or bleeding gums
• Drooling excessively
• Dropping food while eating
• Decreased activity
• Unusual swelling around the face
• Pawing or rubbing at face/mouth

Pet Dental Care Near You

Call Companion Animal Hospital River North at (312) 643-2901 to schedule an oral exam for your pet. If they show any of the above dental disease signs, they may need cat or dog teeth cleaning.