February 2009 News Letter
It is Dental Month in February. Now
is the time to get a dental cleaning appointment for your pets. The Holiday
season is over now and the kids are back in school, what better time than now to
get your pet taken care of? This month I have focused almost entirely on
dentistry. It is as important for your pets as it is for you. I know that the
economy is a concern for everyone, but not having a dental performed can lead to
many other problems that will be more expensive in the long run. The
information in this newsletter can give you some insight on different diseases
that bad dental hygiene can cause, and the different signs to look for.
I hope everyone had a great Holiday Season and that all their resolutions come
to be. I am still working on mine.
Dental Health Tips
- Don't ignore bad breath, discolored
teeth, or red gums of your canine friend. Your dog needs diligent oral care
from both you and your veterinarian to live a full and healthy life.
- Symptoms of canine oral disease include bad breath, a change in eating
or chewing habits, pawing at the face or mouth and depression.
Veterinarians recommend regular dental exams for all dogs.
- Small breed dogs are prone to tartar accumulation when very young, which
results in the loss of many teeth by the time they are 10 years old.
- Larger breeds, such as German Shepherd Dogs, don 't collect as much
tartar on their teeth so they are not as prone to gum recession. Though
they can have problems with gingivitis and tartar, they are much more likely
to experience tooth fracture.
- Look in your dog's mouth regularly. If his gums are cherry red, he has
gingivitis. If you smell foul breath, he has a bacterial infection. It
might just be from plaque, but it could also be an abscessed tooth.
- Whether a dog has an abscessed or fractured tooth or tartar and gum
disease, the bacteria in his mouth can penetrate his gums and migrate via
the bloodstream throughout his body. The heart, kidneys and liver are
particularly susceptible to invasion by oral bacteria.
- When you detect a problem in your dog's mouth, have your veterinarian
examine him as soon as possible.
According to an American Veterinary Dental Society survey, 80% of dogs show
signs of oral disease by the time they are 3 years of age. Regular brushing
helps to prevent it and dental care treats are a nice help in between.
Here are a list of treats, chews, and other products you can purchase from your
veterinarian:
1. CET Chews, there are many different sizes
2. Nolvadent Oral Spray
3. CET Tooth Paste
4. T/D diet from Hills and DH diet from Purina
Here are a list of the top over-the-counter products that AKC Gazette staffers
tested, that can help in your dogs bad breath and pearly whites:
1. 3M Dental Treats- pliable texture, minty taste, most dogs loved them
2. Greenies- 95.7 percent digestible, sizes teeny to jumbo, dogs love them
3. White Bites- baking soda infused, freshens breath, good dissolvability
4. Iams Tartar Treats- helps with tartar buildup, slows down the desire to
gulp and instead is chewed more slowly, supervision is always a good idea
5. Easy Brush- Chew it your self toothbrush for dogs, work toothpaste into
brush before hand.
Keeping your
cat's teeth healthy
Most dental problems
start small and build up over time for cats. Beginning at a very young age,
food particles, bacteria and debris can build up at the gum line and under the
gums to form plaque. Left untreated, plaque can harden to become calculus and
lead to serious oral conditions, including gingivitis, periodontal disease and
stomatitis.
Bacteria associated with tooth and gum disease could spread to internal body
systems and contribute to infections in other organs, such as the heart, kidneys
and liver. A regular dental prevention program is important in extending a
pet's life.
Periodontal disease is the most common disease of small animals. It can be very
painful, but pets suffer in silence, sometimes until all of their teeth have
become infected. Relieving the pain may bring a noticeable brightening to a
cat's behavior and personality.
Cats should have regular dental exams. The frequency depends on the animal's
age.
Kittens - an exam at every vaccination date then at 6 months of age,
after the vaccination series is completed.
One to three years - exams should be performed annually unless a problem
is noted.
Four to six years - If
your cat's teeth are taken care of, then an annual exam is sufficient, but every
6 months is best.
Seven and up - Dental exams must be every 6 months.
Exams are performed much like a dentist checks your teeth. It's an inspection
to check for gum disease, tooth discoloration, loose teeth and indications of
sensitivity and pain. It may also include:
periodontal probing: Use of an instrument that probes between the teeth
and gum to measure depth of the gum pocket. Deep pockets are signs of
periodontal problems.
Anesthesia: Examining a pet's mouth is not as simple as asking them to
open wide and give a local anesthetic injection. Cats may have to be
immobilized with a tranquilizer or sedative.
X-rays: many tooth problems can be diagnosed by full mouth x-rays,
because 70 percent of the tooth structure is below the gum line and not visible
with the naked eye. Our clinic is equipped with a dental x-ray unit in house.
Danger signs:
Tooth discoloration, signs of a stony yellow or brown substance on the teeth
Red or inflamed gums, particularly where the tooth and gum meet
Bleeding gums
Loose teeth or any sign that your cat flinches when a tooth is touched
Bad breath
Drooling
Teeth Care
One survey shows that only 1 out of 10 pet owners care for their pet's teeth.
Although dog and cats rarely get cavities, the tartar that forms can lead to
gingivitis, periodontal disease, tooth decay, tooth loss, and bleeding gums.
The bacteria in a pet's mouth, can travel through the blood stream and
eventually damage major organs.
Feeding your pet dry food does help with some of the tartar and plaque build up,
but is not the only prevention available. Brushing your pet's teeth, using
dental diets, giving dental chews, and often a 5 day dose of antibiotics every
month (pulse therapy), can reduce the threat of the dental diseases. Your
veterinarian can give you information on which prevention is best for your pet.
A dental cleaning performed by your veterinarian is much like a human dental
cleaning except the patient is under a light anesthetic. The anesthetic used
now is safe and well monitored. Dental x-rays can be taken to determine if a
tooth is cracked or abscessed. A trained member of the staff uses both an
ultrasonic scaler and hand tools to remove the tartar and plaque above and below
the gum line. The second step is the polishing. During these procedures, if
any tooth looks suspicious or loose, the veterinarian will examine the tooth
more closely, and if necessary, extract it. The whole dental procedure is
over-seen by the veterinarian in case of any problems or issues that may arise.
They may even prescribe an antibiotic, if needed, for any infection that is
noted during the exam and cleaning, or pain medication if a tooth or teeth need
extracting.
If your pet is a senior, you will want to consider pre-anesthetic blood tests to
determine that it is safe for your pet to be anesthetized. If your pet is
younger than 7 years old it would still be a good idea to get a pre-anesthetic
blood tests, the tests can be used as a base line if your pet gets sick at a
later time and it is cheaper if it is performed at the time of the dental.
After the extensive cleaning and polishing, is the best time to start your
prevention regiment. The teeth are clean and healthy now and whether you brush,
use chews, or a dental diet, you can help keep the tartar and plaque down and
reduce the need for frequent dental cleanings. Ask your veterinarian which
prevention they recommend.
Staff News
We are offering a 10% discount on dental
cleanings the month of February only. This discount applies only on the
cleaning and does not include, blood work, extractions, dental x-rays, etc.
Please call early to schedule your appointment. We can only perform a certain
number of dental cleanings per day, so please don't delay. Your pet
will be glad you did and so will you.
FOR AN APPOINTMENT, CALL 361-4646 (615) We are "CARING PEOPLE CARING FOR
YOUR PETS".