Milly Sherwood

Five-year-old Yorkshire Terrier, Milly, from Walsall, West Midlands, is one of many dogs across the UK who has had problems with her teeth.

Her owner, Mrs Sherwood, suspected something was wrong with her teeth because of her bad breath: “I took Milly to the PDSA hospital in Wolverhampton to see if they could check her teeth over. I was quite shocked to hear she’d have to have some removed and that she’d got a bad build-up of plaque.“

PDSA vets had to remove nine of Milly’s teeth and nurses did a scale and polish to remove the plaque. PDSA Senior Vet, Tim Browning, says: “Like humans, dogs can adapt after losing some teeth, but it’s not ideal. Milly is one of many pets we see who have developed dental disease over time. Luckily, Milly’s dental problems are now under control and with regular brushing and check-up’s, her remaining teeth should be okay.

“In most cases, if dental disease is caught early, we can often remove the plaque and save the teeth. The best way to prevent the onset of dental disease is to feed pets a balanced and healthy diet and brush a dog’s teeth daily. Some dog breeds are more prone to dental problems than others and Yorkshire Terriers are one such example.”

Mrs Sherwood continues: “I wasn’t aware how important it was to clean Milly’s teeth , but I’m going to start now to prevent this happening again. We’ll also be watching her diet. We do give the occasional treat, such as biscuits, which she loves, but I’ll be making sure its dental chews or nothing from now on.“
 

24/06/2010