From:
ferretface@aol.com
Date: 2005-01-31 21:16:23 UTC
Subject: RE: dental options
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-ID: <1318355.1107206183811.JavaMail.root@thallium.smartgroups.com>
Terri,
Look at the gums (over all the teeth,not just the molars) ...do they bleed when you touch them? Are they bright red and swollen? Any pus? Are the roots of the tooth exposed? If any of these things are there I would reccomend using the credit card and doing the dental now. Remember that it's not just about bad breath. It's about bacteria getting into the bloodstream and causing systemic infection (heart, liver, kidneys). If it's just tartar and gums look ok, yes, the tartar should come off but the dental can probably wait a couple of months.
MaxiGard is great but it won't take the actual tartar off, it needs to be scaled off (you need to start w/ a clean slate and then use the maxigard to prevent tartar build up in the future) Sometimes the tartar is not tartar and it's just plaque which can be rubbed off w/ the toothbrush you have or even a piece of gauze on your finger. Brushing now will prevent more build up so it's good to do till you can afford the dental. There are many animal toothpastes, just ask your vet. Mine chew the toothbrush too but you still get the effect of brushing (chewing up and down). Maybe you can ask your vet to see if he/she can try to scale the tartar off w/ out sedation (w/ a scaler like the one you want to buy, not the ultrasonic one). I do mine and they're actually pretty good.
Serena