Mike SciaccaJarvis sauntered into the small, rather...

Mike Sciacca

Jarvis sauntered into the small, rather ordinary office at Hamilton

Animal Hospital in Huntington Beach as though he knew what he was in

for.

His happy body language didn’t change when he took his place on

Ken Kurtz’s lap on the floor. He listened to and obeyed Kurtz’s every

command.

Kurtz sweet-talked his 13-year-old male Brindle Boxer to let him

know that everything would be all right.

Jarvis didn’t budge; in fact, he looked right into Kurtz’s face,

the gaze, indicating complete trust.

Then, Kurtz went to work.

Kurtz, 36, is the founder of PetDent, a company that specializes

in a procedure that gently and safely cleans animals teeth without

the use of anesthesia, which can be potentially be harmful. The

procedure is done with the animal completely awake.

Established in 2002, PetDent’s mission is to prevent oral disease

from occurring through regular dental cleanings and oral examinations

for the overall good health of a pet.

Kurtz and his pet hygienists work under the care of a pet’s

regular veterinarian and provide their service only through vets. Pet

dental care should not be performed outside a hospital, Kurtz said.

Barry Love is a veterinarian at Hamilton Animal Hospital where

Kurtz has done business for the past seven years.

“I don’t think you can completely replace an anesthetic exam but

his procedure definitely compliments a regular exam,” Love said. “Ken

is amazing with the animals. He’s really good about picking up on an

animal’s stress and he’s very astute on picking up on oral cavity

lesions as best one can while an animal is awake.”

Kurtz estimates that he has done dental cleanings on more than

5,000 animals in his seven years with the Hamilton Animal Hospital.

The procedure is also less expensive that a cleaning with

anesthesia at Hamilton Animal Hospital. While Kurtz’s service costs

$125 there, regular cleaning with anesthesia runs from $160 to $276.

He currently works with six different veterinarians in Surf City.

Pet dental cleaning in Huntington Beach has “caught on,” Kurtz

said, noting that an average of 40 dental cleanings a month take

place at the Hamilton Animal Hospital alone.

Love said that it’s about a “50-50” mix between dogs and cats

coming in for the procedure.

The only breed on which Kurtz said he does not perform the

procedure is the Rottweiler.

“I’ve been doing this for 13 years and more and more pet owners

are becoming aware of how important dental care is for their dog or

cat,” he said. “Veterinarians have become more open-minded about

dental cleaning, too.

“I liken pet dental care to that of a human -- you take care of

your teeth through regular brushing and regular checkups and by doing

so, you have strong, healthy teeth. It’s the same enamel, same

tissue. It’s preventive care.”

Kurtz recommends dental cleaning for one’s pet every six months.

Jarvis receives regular checkups.

According to the American Veterinary Dental Society, 80% of dogs

and 70% of cats show signs of oral disease by age three.

Oral disease begins with a buildup of bacteria in a pet’s mouth

and common indications of oral disease include bad breath, a change

in eating or chewing habits, pawing at the face or mouth and

depression, the American Veterinary Dental Society reports.

Periodontal disease leads to tooth decay, bad breath and bleeding

gums and can lead to tooth loss and infection in major organs.

Pet owners can reduce the risk of oral disease with routine dental

and physical examination, a regular dental care regimen and purchase

formulated foods with proven benefits in plaque and tartar removal,

Kurtz said.

The dental cleaning procedure will remove the plaque, stain and

tarter above and below the gum line and the removal of the bacteria

that can cause gum disease, each instance restoring the pet’s teeth

to a clean and polished state, he added.

“Not only are you taking care of your pet’s teeth, you also are

bolstering the overall healthiness of your pet through regular

cleanings,” he said. “Without regular checkups the constant flow of

bacteria makes a pet’s body end up working overtime and that bacteria

can affect their lungs, kidneys and heart.”

In addition to his Huntington Beach clientele, Kurtz has worked

along side veterinarians from Sacramento and San Francisco all the

way down to San Diego and Palm Springs.

His clientele includes Moose, the Jack Russell Terrier known as

“Eddie” on the NBC show, “Frasier” and Jill, the canine who played

“Verdel” in the motion picture, “As Good As It Gets,” starring Jack

Nicholson.

During his career he has cared for the pets of celebrities such as

Bob Hope, Gregory Peck and Jeff Goldblum.

But on this day, Jarvis was the most important client to Kurtz.

“It’s really hard to put into words how I bond with an animal,” he

said. “It’s not magic, it’s not through hypnotizing, but done through

gentle reassurance. Animals are really intuitive to who is working on

them and you really have to have a strong feeling for the animal.

It’s definitely a bond I have with that animal.”

* MIKE SCIACCA covers sports and features. He can be reached at

(714) 965-7171 or by e-mail at [email protected].