Bad Breath Usually Means Dental Disease
Most people write off dog breath or cat breath as normal. It usually isn’t. Bad breath that doesn’t go away is the most common sign of dental disease we see, and by age three most dogs and cats already have some periodontal disease, whether you can see it or not.
That matters for more than their teeth. Bacteria from infected gums get into the bloodstream and can affect the heart, kidneys, and liver. Dental disease also hurts, and pets are very good at hiding it. Left alone, it keeps getting worse, and treatment gets bigger and more expensive the longer it waits.
Most of this can be prevented with regular cleanings and a little work at home. Call us and we’ll take a look.
Signs of Dental Disease in Dogs and Cats
Pets rarely act like their mouth hurts. These are the things to watch for:
- Bad breath that doesn’t go away
- Yellow or brown buildup on the teeth
- Red, swollen, or bleeding gums
- Dropping food or chewing on one side
- Avoiding hard food or toys they used to love
- Pawing at the mouth or rubbing the face on the floor or furniture
- Broken or missing teeth
- Drooling more than usual
- Swelling around the jaw or face
- Eating less or losing weight
If you notice these signs, call our Madison Heights hospital for an exam. Dental problems can be painful even when your pet continues to eat.
What Happens During a Professional Dental Cleaning
A veterinary dental cleaning is nothing like your own trip to the dentist. It’s also very different from the anesthesia-free cleanings some groomers offer. Here’s what your pet’s day looks like at Madison Veterinary Hospital.
Exam and bloodwork first
Before any dental procedure, your pet gets a physical exam and pre-anesthetic bloodwork. It helps us assess organ function and plan anesthesia for your pet. We never skip it, and we’re glad to go over the results with you.
Anesthesia
Every veterinary dental cleaning is done under general anesthesia. We know that’s the part that worries people, so here’s why. To clean every tooth properly, we have to probe under the gumline, take X-rays, and treat anything painful we find. No awake dog or cat will sit still for that, and a cleaning that only reaches the surface leaves the disease behind. The anesthesia section below explains exactly how we keep your pet safe.
Full-mouth dental X-rays
A large part of every tooth sits below the gumline where nobody can see it. Dental X-rays show us the roots and the bone around them, and they regularly turn up problems in teeth that look perfectly normal. That’s why every dental patient gets full-mouth X-rays instead of us offering them as an add-on. You can read more about our equipment on the Radiology and Ultrasound page.
Scaling and polishing
We use an ultrasonic scaler to remove plaque and tartar from every surface of every tooth, including under the gumline, where the bacteria do the most damage. Then we polish the teeth so new plaque has a harder time sticking.
Probing and charting
Your veterinarian checks the gumline around each tooth for pockets, the gaps that form when bone and gum tissue break down. We chart every one, and that chart guides what we do next.
Extractions
If a tooth is too damaged to save, your veterinarian will talk with you about removing it. Whenever we can reach you, we call before taking a tooth out, and your pet gets pain control before, during, and after.
How We Keep Your Pet Safe Under Anesthesia
Owners ask about anesthesia all the time, and we’re glad they do. Here’s what happens at our hospital.
Every patient gets bloodwork and an exam beforehand. During the procedure, a veterinary technician stays with your pet the whole time, watching heart rate and rhythm, blood pressure, oxygen level, breathing, temperature, and anesthetic depth. Every patient has an IV catheter so we can give fluids or medication right away, and we keep them warm throughout. A healthy two-year-old gets the same monitoring as a fourteen-year-old.
We’ve done thousands of these procedures over more than 50 years.
Dental Care at Every Age
Puppies and kittens
The switch from baby teeth to adult teeth is worth watching. During early wellness visits we check for baby teeth that didn’t fall out, look at the bite, and get a baseline for later. It’s also the easiest time to start brushing, since young pets get used to it fast.
Adult dogs and cats
Most adults need a professional cleaning every one to three years. Some build up tartar quickly because of genetics, diet, or the shape of their mouth. Others stay fairly clean with good home care. We check teeth at every wellness exam and tell you where your pet stands.
Small breeds and flat-faced breeds can develop periodontal disease early. We assess each pet’s mouth and may recommend more frequent professional cleaning when needed.
Senior pets
Almost every senior pet has some dental disease, and it’s one of the biggest sources of chronic pain we see in older animals. Seniors may need additional assessment and anesthetic planning. We discuss those considerations before recommending a dental procedure. Owners are often surprised by how much more energy and appetite their older pet has once their mouth stops hurting.
Caring for Your Pet’s Teeth at Home
Cleanings last longer when you keep up at home. Daily brushing with a pet toothpaste works best. Never use human toothpaste, which has ingredients that are harmful to pets. Ask at your next visit and we’ll show you how to brush.
If your pet won’t put up with a toothbrush, you still have options: dental wipes, water additives, chews with the Veterinary Oral Health Council (VOHC) seal, and prescription dental diets that slow tartar. We’ll show you which of these will actually work for your pet.
Dental Care Is Part of Your Pet’s Overall Health
After dental work, we sometimes add laser therapy to support recovery and help manage soreness. If we find serious dental disease, we may use our in-house lab and imaging to get the full picture before and after treatment. Your pet’s dental care is part of the same plan as everything else we do for them.
We’re AAHA accredited and were named one of Newsweek’s Best Veterinary Hospitals in America in 2025 and 2026. Our hospital has cared for pets in Madison Heights since 1970.
