General advice for your beloved pets

Dental Disease in Dogs & Cats 🐾

Did you know…

👉 Around 80% of dogs and 70% of cats over 3 years old have some form of dental disease?

Yep — it’s that common… and often goes unnoticed until it’s quite advanced.

 

🦠 What is dental disease?

Dental disease (also called periodontal disease) starts with plaque build-up on the teeth. This plaque layer starts to harden after about 48hrs and will eventually thicken up to calculus.

 

If left untreated, it can lead to:

• Bad breath (not just “normal dog breath!”)

• Red, inflamed gums

• Pain when eating

• Loose teeth (eventually falling out!) 

• & most importantly, particularly for our elderly patients, harmful bacteria spreading through the bloodstream, infecting organs like the heart, liver, and kidneys. 

 

🪥 What can you do at home?

The good news — prevention makes a HUGE difference!

 

✔️ Brushing daily (gold standard!)

Start slow and make it positive:

• Begin by letting your pet taste a treat-based toothpaste. Once you know they like the taste start the brushing process and treat them with the toothpaste throughout.

• Progress to wiping teeth with a soft, clean cloth like a Chux cloth

• Then move to a finger brush

• Finally → a baby toothbrush or pet toothbrush

 

💡 Tip: Keep sessions short, reward heavily, and stop before your pet gets stressed. It can take many weeks of consistent work to build up to complete acceptance of brushing, but the reward will be worth it!

 

🌿 Products we love

We’re big fans of:

• Oxyfresh – water additives & gels for easy daily support

• Simply Seaweed – a fairly new natural supplement that helps reduce plaque formation. We've seen some incredible results with this one! 

• OraVet Dental Chews - a treat and plaque dissolver that works from the inside out! Great for those that don't actually chew their food! 🤭

 

🐾 Nurse Tip

Even small steps help! If brushing daily isn’t realistic, adding a supplement or dental rinse is still a win.

 

⚠️ Important for those already showing signs of moderate - advanced dental disease:

Unfortunately, no amount of supplements and/or brushing will remove hardened on calculus. Our nurses will give you an idea if this is the case with your pet, but if so the only way to remove this is with a dental cleaning procedure performed in clinic. Once your pet has their pearly whites back you can start their training and stay top of their dental health! 

 

Interested in a dental check up for your furry friend? 🦷 

Book a General Health & Well-being Check with one of our nurses now!

Weight Management 

Keeping our pets at a healthy weight is one of the most important things we can do for their long-term health 🐾

 

Did you know that overweight pets are at a much higher risk of:

• Arthritis & joint disease

• Mobility issues

• Diabetes

• Heart disease

• Reduced quality of life

• Shortened lifespan

 

This is especially important for large breed and working dogs, where extra weight can place significant strain on growing or aging joints. Even a small amount of excess weight can make a huge difference over time.

 

At Oceanside Vet Nurses, our nurse consults include more than just a quick weigh-in!

 

Our general nurse health checks can include:

🐶 Weight & body condition scoring

🦷 Dental health checks

🥩 Nutrition guidance

🪳 Flea, tick & worming advice

🏡 General husbandry & lifestyle discussions

📈 Weight-loss support plans & monitoring

 

We aim to make visits calm, supportive and educational — helping owners feel confident about keeping their pets happy and healthy at every life stage.

 

Regular weight checks are simple, stress-free and can pick up changes early before they become bigger health concerns.

All you need to know about Microchipping your dog or cat: 

Microchipping is a simple and safe procedure that helps ensure your pet can always find their way home if they become lost.

In New South Wales, microchipping is also a legal requirement for all dogs and cats.

 

💉 What is a microchip?

A microchip is a tiny electronic chip, about the size of a grain of rice, that is implanted just under your pet’s skin between their shoulder blades.

Each microchip has a unique identification number, which is linked to your contact details on the NSW Pet Registry.

It does not contain GPS or tracking — it simply allows vets, councils, and shelters to identify your pet and contact you if they are found.

 

🐶 Is microchipping required by law?

Yes. NSW law requires that all dogs and cats must be microchipped:

• By 12 weeks of age, or 

• Before being sold or given to a new owner,

whichever happens first. 

 

🏠 Why is microchipping so important?

Microchipping greatly increases the chances of your pet being returned to you if they become lost. Without a microchip, it can be very difficult to identify ownership.

 

Microchipping helps:

• Reunite lost pets with their families quickly 

• Provide permanent identification 

• Meet legal requirements in NSW 

• Support safe travel and veterinary care 

 

💙 Is the procedure safe?

Yes. Microchipping is:

• Quick (takes only a few seconds) 

• Safe and routine 

• Similar to a vaccination injection 

• Usually well tolerated by pets 

Most pets show little to no discomfort.

 

📋 What happens after your pet is microchipped?

After implantation:

• Your details are recorded on the NSW Pet Registry 

• You will receive confirmation of the microchip 

• Your pet can be identified anywhere in Australia 

It is very important to keep your contact details up to date.

 

🔄 Keeping your details current

If you move house or change phone numbers, please update your details through the NSW Pet Registry. This ensures you can be contacted immediately if your pet is found.

We can assist you with this if needed.

 

🐾 Microchipping and registration are different

Microchipping is the identification process.

Dogs and cats must also be lifetime registered with your local council by 6 months of age. We are happy to guide you through this process.

 

🩺 How Oceanside Vet Nurses can help

We can microchip your pet safely in the comfort of your own home.

This includes:

• Implanting the microchip 

• Registering the chip with the NSW Pet Registry 

• Providing confirmation paperwork 

• Answering any questions you may have 

 

We can also provide you with relevant paperwork needed to:

• Verify existent microchips

• Change ownership details

 

📞 Questions or bookings

If you would like to book a microchipping appointment or have any questions, please contact:

 

Oceanside Vet Nurses 

🌐 www.oceansidevetnurses.com.au 

📞 0435 082 770 

Helping keep your pets safe, identified, and protected 🐾