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SANDY, Utah — If the sloppy kiss your dog plants on you contains a shot of bad breath, don't simply turn up your nose. It's probably time to get your pet's teeth examined. Dental care can extend and even save a pet's life.
"We realized that we hadn't been doing a good job of taking care of their dental hygiene," says dog owner Tim Strickland.
So Strickland recently brought 11-year-old sisters Rio and Tula to the veterinarian. Just like humans, the pair of English pointer and Labrador mix dogs are a bit scared to have their teeth cleaned.
Dr. Aaron Barney, a veterinarian and chief of staff at Willow Creek Pet Center, says, "Going in for yearly check-ups is critical just like it is for humans."
Hundreds of cats and dogs will get their teeth cleaned at Willow Creek during the Pet Center's annual dental care promotion.
Barney says, "It allows us to do the right thing and keep these pets healthy as long as possible and in our lives as long as possible."
That is Strickland's goal. He describes Rio and Tula as part of the family saying, "They're wonderful, they're just such good dogs. You couldn't have asked for better members of the family."
Inside an examination room, veterinary technician Kathy Robertson talks Strickland through the teeth cleaning procedure before Tula and Rio are weighed, get their blood work done and eventually receive anesthesia.
Robertson easily identifies a serious dental issue for Rio. "You can see there's a fracture on that tooth there, she says.
It's an oral problem Strickland only recently became aware of, but he's anxious to correct and prevent in the future.
Rio and Tula recently lost 10 pounds apiece but never stopped eating, so there were no red flags about toothaches.
"Pets are so stoic and tough that they don't show us their pain. We assume that if they eat every day that everything's fine with their mouths," says Barney.
And even if pet owners take preventive measures like brushing their pets' teeth or feeding them dental care products like Greenies, plaque can still build up.
Robertson immediately identifies some on Rio's teeth. "All that brown gunk is the tartar that's built up and this is actually a tooth that has a fracture on it."
As Rio sleeps peacefully, Robertson cleans her teeth with an ultrasonic scaler and Dr. Paul Steinman removes the fractured tooth.
Robertson says, "It's quite painful just like you or I if we've got a bad tooth."
Once the tooth is gone and the bacteria removed from Rio's mouth, the danger of a painful infection is also eliminated.
"It has the potential to spread to internal organs and then ultimately with periodontal disease comes pain," says Barney.
Tula is already resting comfortably in recovery waiting for her sister's procedure to be over. When the girls head home, it will be with clean mouths and hopefully a longer lease on life.
"We're getting an extra year, an extra two years out of a lot of those pets because their mouth is healthy," says Barney.
Strickland hopes to extend Tula and Rio's lives. "These are two of our kids. Dogs aren't pets for us, they're just a part of the family."
February is National Pet Dental Health Month with a special focus by veterinarians on teeth cleaning and examination. Willow Creek Pet Center will continue its dental promotion through March 19. Email: solney@ksl.com
