Pet Sense (Archives)
Dental Disease
Pets have become an integral part of our family, and most pet owners are very concerned about the health of their pets we treat them as our children, taking our pets to the vet for regular checkups, just as we take our children to the doctor. We get their shots, keep them on heartworm and flea prevention, and take them to the hospital when they are sick or injured. Our pets are living longer, as a result.
Regardless, still one of the most common preventable problems that we see at All Creatures is dental disease. Have you ever looked in your pet’s mouth? Most owners never consider the health of their pet’s mouth until their pet’s breath gets noticeably stinky. However, periodontal disease is the number one disease affecting their health.
Periodontal disease is the most common infectious disease in the world. Eighty percent of our pets 2-5 years old suffer some level of periodontal disease. Periodontal disease is a progressive disease that starts out as gingivitis or “red gums.” Pets get a thin film of plaque on their teeth, just as we do (which can be easily be removed with daily brushing). If left untreated, the plaque mixes with the saliva and hardens to form a dark brown film (tarter). Teeth can become twice their normal size due to the build-up of tarter. Tarter cannot be removed by brushing the teeth, it’s like cement and provides the perfect matrix for bacteria to form.
Tarter is harmful to the gums, as it pushes the gum line away from the teeth and creates a larger area for bacteria to grow. As the bacteria gets deeper in the gum line, the toxins it releases gain entry to blood vessels and bones in the jaw where it can spread to other parts of the body. Bacteria from tarter can affect the heart, liver and kidney function, just to name a few. This entire process can be prevented. Daily brushing is the gold standard for dental care. As humans, we brush our teeth every day; our pets need their teeth brushed too. The plaque that forms daily is easily removed by this method.
Many owners tell us that they simply do not have the time to brush daily, especially in multi-pet households. Unless the plaque is removed before it forms into tarter, brushing is a waste of time. Brushing our pet’s teeth once a month or even once a week is not enough. Remember, even if you can brush your pet’s teeth daily, they may still need yearly cleanings (it just depends on the pet – each one is different, just like you and I).
Yearly cleanings provide vets with a chance to examine the mouth close up while the pet is under anesthesia. This is important to allow the detection of any problem areas early on before they get worse. It also allows the plaque and tarter that form under the gum line to be removed, just as they are removed at your twice-annual dentist appointments. With daily brushing, your pet’s annual cleaning will be much less expensive and traumatic since the chance of extractions is much less.
We hope you realize how important dental disease is in your pet. Now you are aware of what to look for and what can be done to prevent your pets’ teeth from being extracted.
Let us know if you have any questions on the health of your pet’s mouth. And don’t forget – dental procedures are 10% off this month, so schedule your pet’s dental today. We complete dental procedures Monday thru Thursday (same day procedure). Once your pet’s dental is scheduled, make sure they are dropped off between 7-8am, and given no food after midnight the night before the procedure. We hope to see you soon!
her intestinal lining. Emergency surgery was performed that evening (there were six areas found on the intestines that were punctured from the attack). She is still recovering in the hospital area at All Creatures. She has remained with us after the surgery for continued IV catheter fluid therapy, injectable antibiotics, and observation because had a high risk of severe infection. She is doing very well and expected to go home Friday or Saturday.
Bernard is an 8 year old Labrador Retriever that was brought in Monday. Bernard was also attacked by another dog. He had several small bite wounds on his legs, and one on his abdomen area; however, the main concern for Bernard was his ear (it was shredded beyond repair). Bernard went through surgery, the doctor debrided most of the pinna (cut off the dead tissue from the injury). He is back at home with his family and recovering well. He’ll be back in a few weeks to remove the sutures.
This is a picture of Tug, a 6 year old Chow who had a double enucleation (both eyes removed). Tug was already blind in both eyes; however, the problems began to set in when the pressure of the eyes was building up and got too high (glaucoma). Glaucoma is very painful and the best solution was to remove them. Tug did very well through surgery and is now at home recovering.
IO, is an 8 year old uromastyx that was brought in to All Creatures because his lizard “roomate” attacked him. IO had a large laceration on his side that needed daily cleaning and medicating, as well as injectable antibiotics. His wound is healing up nicely and is also at home. Uromastyxs are desert species that are omnivorous (they eat both plants and animals).
