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Pet Health Library

Dental & Oral Health

  • Abscesses are one of the most common and difficult clinical problems in rabbits.

  • Middle aged dogs often suffer severe dental problems which frequently cause them considerable pain and discomfort.

  • Colostrum is the antibody-rich milk produced from the mother's mammary glands during the first few days of life. It contains a thousands of antibodies (immunoglobulins), lactoferrin, growth hormone, growth factors, white blood cells, enzymes, vitamins and substances that regulate the body's immune response.

  • Common conditions of pet rodents include respiratory diseases, anorexia and lethargy, overgrown teeth, and tumours.

  • Common conditions of pet rabbits include snuffles, gut stasis, abnormal caecotrophs, parasites, dental disease, uterine cancer, and sore hocks.

  • Dental disease is one of the most frequent ailments seen by veterinarians, and can be found to some degree in the majority of cats over two years of age.

  • The rabbit's teeth grow continuously throughout life in order to cope with constantly grinding food. This applies to both incisors (front teeth) and molars and premolars (back teeth).

  • The most common dental problem with dogs is not decay (caries) as with us but periodontal disease. It occurs in over 85% of dogs over the age of three.

  • An epulis is a benign oral tumour that affects the gum. It arises from the periodontal ligament which lines the tooth cavity and surrounds the tooth.

  • Gastrointestinal disease in ferrets is all too frequent - from dental disease, through gastric foreign bodies to persistent diarrhoea. Some are readily prevented while others require considerable diagnostic investigation and long term treatment.