Just like in humans, the dental health of cats and dogs is important to their overall health. There are things you as an owner can do to take preventative steps in your pet’s dental care, and the team at My Best Friend Veterinary Center is here to help!
Why is Pet Dental Cleaning Important?
Teeth cleaning is very important for cats and dogs. Plaque and tartar that build-up on your pet’s teeth can lead to gingivitis. Reddened, bleeding gums, difficulty chewing, and bad breath are all signs of gingivitis. Untreated gingivitis can progress to a more advanced form of periodontal disease, including bacterial infections that, if left untreated, can cause the loss of teeth.
The same bacteria causing gingivitis and periodontal disease can be carried into the bloodstream and cause damage to your pet’s kidneys, heart, liver and other organs. Regular dental cleanings remove plaque and tartar and prevent gingivitis and periodontal disease.
We recommend regular dental cleanings if indicated as part of your pet’s overall health care plan.
While we do look at your pet’s teeth when they come in for an annual wellness exam, we also offer dental cleaning as a separate service because we know how important it is they keep their smile bright and healthy!
Because anesthesia is required to keep your pet safe and still during the cleaning, we perform a thorough physical exam and blood tests to ensure that your pet is healthy enough for this procedure. These tests also help us develop an anesthetic protocol that is specific for your pet.
Once anesthesia is administered, the cleaning begins. We use modern and safe ultrasonic equipment to clean each tooth thoroughly, both above and below the gum line. We polish your pet’s teeth which creates a smooth, lustrous surface that is more resistant to plaque buildup.
Your pet’s dental care doesn’t end after he or she leaves our clinic. Our staff will show you how to brush your pet’s teeth at home. This is an excellent way to prevent plaque and tartar buildup and promote good oral hygiene.
Many people come to us asking how to tell if their pet is having dental trouble. Some signs to watch for include if the pet stops eating regularly, paws or rubs its face, or has bad breath that could indicate a problem with their oral health.
In dogs, it is never recommended they use hoofs of any kind for chewing, as they can break teeth. If you are going to give your dog something to chew on, use beef bones or rawhide.
There is also a special diet called T/D which may be recommended to encourage better dental health. T/D diet foods are available both for dogs and cats, and both are used to prevent tartar buildup and gingivitis. Our nutritional counseling services can help determine if your pet’s diet may be affecting their dental health.
If your pet has bad breath, is having difficulty chewing or is refusing to eat his or her normal food, please contact My Best Friend Veterinary Center for an appointment so that we can examine your pet’s mouth and teeth.
Dr. Tim is fantastic. Finding a good vet like at My Best Friend is like finding a good mechanic or a good spouse, when you find them, hold on to them. Dr. Tim has my full confidence and takes his time with my dogs and answers all of my questions thoroughly. He is meticulous and caring. I am very thankful to have found Dr. Tim and the staff at My Best Friend Vet Center.
Dr. Sandy and Dr. Tim and all the staff are wonderful. They've taken great care of my cat from day one.
I've taken my 2 cats to My Best Friend for over a decade. They staff is always friendly and professional. I recommend them.
Wonderful vet. My dog and my daughter had a good time. They were gentle and attentive. I'm glad this is his new veterinarian.
My cat has been vomiting for over a week. I made an appointment and saw Dr. Sandy. She was condescending, rude, and worst of all, uninterested in helping my cat. She didn't ask a single question, she scoffed at me when I asked one, she failed to perform a full wellness exam, and instead I was forced to pay for an unnecessary X-ray. I was given no treatment instructions. I said, "what do you think I should do?" Dr. Sandy shrugged and said, "I don't know." I left on the verge of tears and my cat is still ill. I will never be returning to this vet unless it's to express my discontent in person.
The doctors always make sure to explain everything to you. They make sure you understand everything before you leave. I can tell that these doctors really care about my pets.
I wouldn't trust my furry son with any other vet. The entire staff is amazing and have been in our life long enough that they feel like family.
First vet visit for our pup since we moved to the area. Made an appointment same day and off we went. Just a simple check up and shots but the staff were great and our visit was quick and pleasant. Between the good reviews here and our first visit experience, this will be our vet for sure.
I love this place! They take so much personal time with each animal they see. The vets and staff really care about the animals and work with pet parents to ensure a healthy &a happy pet. I can't say enough. I will be recommending them to all my friends and family!
Everything and everybody! They are consistently wonderful, compassionate and loving!
Just moved to the area and found the clinic to be very professional. Very friendly and knowledgeable. Very caring with my baby. That’s very important to me.
Best vet office around. They are kind and considerate of their patients and the fur-parents. Generally easy to get an appointment and they provide excellent care.
Awesome! Staff is so nice and helpful! Knowledgeable! I am so happy here and so are my pets!
My Best Friend sets the bar high! Dr Bill has taken EXCELLENT care of my precious pets for over 30 years. He has put together a wonderful group of professional, caring people. Dr Tim & Dr Sandy are also Amazing Veterinarians!
We’ve had problems with finding the right vet for our fur baby Arnie. Being a shelter dog and a stray before that, he’s extremely skittish and had difficulty finding comfort during his visits, until we brought him in today. The staff was fantastic at keeping him calm and comfortable even through his shots, and were very informative on proper care for our little guy going forward. We’re ecstatic to have finally found our go-to vet office!
Staff is so much a family, I'm so thankful to them at helping me not only as a client, but offering friendly advice. Making tough decisions for a pet is hard, and they helped me say goodbye to my cat. It was the most peaceful experience, and for that...I'm forever greatfull. Their card put me to tears, with my cats footprints, words cannot express their kindness. I was able to recover because of the experience with My Best Friend Veterinary Staff, I adopted a new Kitty. Can't wait to show them!
We've taken our cats and dogs to them since we moved to St. Louis. The office is staffed with friendly people who seem to genuinely enjoy and care about my pets! We have seen all the veterinarians there and they are all knowledgeable and caring! They are very reasonably priced and will give you a cost estimate prior to your visit if requested!
I’ve been taking my fur children to MBF for over 15 years. The doctors and staff are wonderful. I wouldn’t go anywhere else.
The BEST. Their loves for animals is amazing. Dropped our sweet 9 year old dog off for an eye tumor removal and she was shaking when we got there. Dr. Sandy and the staff loved on our dog until she stopped shaking and off she went with them- no problem! Surgery was clean and healing is great!
Great vet center. The staff is wonderful, Milo sees Dr. Tim who has been great in treating Milo for separation anxiety.
My Best Friend has provided excellent care to the many pets I have been honored to share my life with over the years!
This is an excellent vet office. The staff are knowledgeable and friendly and the veterinarians are wonderful. I'll never take my fur babies anywhere else if I can help it.
Caring staff & vets - had Dr Sandy & really liked her.
My Husband and I have been Loyal Patrons of "My Best Friend" for 25 years. Dr. Bill and his staff, are the most loving and caring group/family you could ask for to care for our precious animals. Thank you from Lola and Whoopi.
Extremely helpful staff and top notch clinic ! Very impressed with the facility and staff.
We were so lucky to find this vet close to our new apartment. They helped make it possible to keep our newly adopted dog because Dr. Tim was on top of the latest developments in allergy treatments. The front office staff was always kind and appropriately cheerful. We feel fortunate to have had them in our lives and will miss them very much as we relocate out of state. Thanks for everything!
Awesome place! They are so personable and really love animals! We had Dr. Bill. I'm sure all of the Doctors there are wonderful but we will be sticking with him!
Friendly and totally engaged in the well being of animals.
Dr. Tim has been seeing Louie since he was a little puppy of 7 weeks! We love their office and how kind and caring their staff are, especially to my two pups who get a little anxious around lots of people. Thanks for keeping Louie and Tilda happy and healthy!!!
We love My Best Friend Veterinarians - highly recommended!
If you are looking for a wonderful vet to take your dog or cat, I would HIGHLY recommend My Best Friend Veterinary. The entire staff is amazing and the new space is spectacular. Your dogs and cats will thank you later.
Bill may be the only human I like more than dogs.
Our family has been going to Dr. Bill for many years. He is the best of the best. He is not only a vet, but a friend. Thank you to you and your staff for doing such a wonderful job and caring for all of our pets over the years!
View some of the personalities we work with on a daily basis!
We are centrally located in Olivette, on the south side of Olive Blvd. between I-170 and Dielman Rd.
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