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Dental Care

Support your pet's health with professional dental cleanings, exams, and oral care you can trust.

Pet Dental Care: Keeping Your Pet’s Smile Healthy for Life
Just like humans, pets need regular dental care to stay healthy and happy. Dental disease is one of the most common—and often overlooked—health issues in dogs and cats. Left untreated, it can lead to painful infections, tooth loss, and even impact vital organs like the heart and kidneys.

What Is Pet Dental Care?

Pet dental care involves the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases that affect your pet’s teeth, gums, and mouth. It includes:

  • Routine dental exams

  • Professional cleanings under anesthesia

  • Dental X-rays to check below the gumline

  • Treatment of periodontal disease

  • Extractions (if necessary)

  • At-home dental hygiene guidance

Why Is Dental Care Important for Pets?

By the age of 3, most pets already show signs of periodontal disease. Unfortunately, the early signs—bad breath, tartar buildup, or red gums—often go unnoticed until they become more serious.

Dental disease doesn’t just stay in the mouth. Bacteria can enter the bloodstream and affect your pet’s liver, kidneys, and heart. Routine dental care helps prevent these complications and improves your pet’s overall quality of life.

What Happens During a Dental Visit?

At our veterinary hospital, your pet’s dental care typically involves:

  1. Pre-anesthetic bloodwork to ensure your pet is healthy enough for anesthesia.

  2. Full-mouth examination and digital dental X-rays to assess the teeth and jaw health, including what can’t be seen above the gumline.

  3. Ultrasonic scaling to remove plaque and tartar buildup.

  4. Polishing to smooth the tooth surface and slow future buildup.

  5. Extractions if teeth are broken, loose, or infected (only if necessary).

  6. Pain management and post-procedure care to ensure your pet is comfortable.

All procedures are performed with your pet’s safety and comfort as our top priorities. We use advanced monitoring and gentle techniques throughout.

How Can I Help at Home?

While professional cleanings are key, home care is just as important. Your veterinarian can recommend:

  • Pet-safe toothbrushes and toothpaste

  • Dental chews or diets

  • Water additives or oral rinses

Even a few minutes of brushing several times a week can make a big difference.

Common Signs of Dental Trouble

Keep an eye out for:

  • Bad breath

  • Drooling

  • Difficulty chewing

  • Red or bleeding gums

  • Pawing at the mouth

  • Loose or missing teeth

If you notice any of these signs, schedule a dental exam promptly.

Your pet’s mouth is a window into their overall health. Regular dental care isn’t just about a cleaner smile, it’s about helping your furry companion live a longer, healthier life.

🐾 Looking to keep your pet healthy and happy? Visit us—we’re here to support every step of the way.

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FAQs

Answers to Common Questions

If there is an emergency during business hours, simply call Lazy 3 Animal Care's office 254-232-5693 ahead of time so we know what to expect when you arrive with your pet. If there is an emergency after hours, please call our office 254-232-5693 and listen to the complete answering machine message. It will give you the on call Doctor's phone number.

Lazy 3 Animal Care welcomes all breeds of dogs, cats, pocket pets, rabbits, birds, snakes, goats, sheep, pigs, cattle, horses, llamas, alpacas, deer, & exotics.

Simply call your previous vet and have medical records faxed or emailed to our office. Should you have copies, you are welcome to drop them by our office. Records can be faxed to 254-631-0780 or emailed to Lazy3animalcareoffice@gmail.com

At Lazy 3 Animal Care, scheduled appointments are the preferred and recommended way to see a veterinarian. Walk-in appointments are also welcome and will be worked in and seen by a veterinarian as quick as possible. In the event of an emergency during office hours, all appointments are temporarily put on hold until a veterinarian is available.

Lazy 3 Animal Care recommends that dogs be vaccinated annually with a version of a combo (Distemper, Parvo, Canine Influenza, Canine Hepatitis, Corona and Leptospira) and a Rabies vaccine. We recommend that cats be vaccinated annually with a feline viral respiratory combo and Rabies vaccine. Puppies can begin receiving their combo shots as early as 6 weeks old, receiving booster shots every 3-4 weeks until 16 weeks old. Likewise, kittens can receive their combo shots as early as 6 weeks old but only require a single booster 3-4 weeks later. Both dogs and cats should be at least 12 weeks of age to receive a Rabies vaccine.

Bad breath, inflamed gums, plaque and tartar buildup, and loose teeth are all of great concern when it comes to the health of your animal's mouth. If you notice any of these signs, Lazy 3 Animal Care recommends that you bring your pet in for a dental checkup or schedule a dental cleaning. If your pet's teeth are not in need of a cleaning at the time of the checkup, we can give you recommendations to help maintain your pet's overall mouth health such as helpful treats/toys, teeth brushing, and other pet safe dental products. Suppose your animal is at greater risk of complications during anesthesia. In that case, we have products that can help improve mouth health and remove plaque and tartar buildup without performing a dental cleaning.