Once dental disease is present, this inflammation will lead to irreversible damage to the surrounding tissues. Without plaque removal or control, dental disease always progresses in severity.  In the mouth, tissue damage and eventual tooth loss will occur. The rest of the body can be affected by bacteria traveling through the bloodstream, potentially affecting organ function.

Signs of Dental Disease:

-   plaque and tartar (light brown color)                                      -   bad breath

-   gingivitis (redness, swelling or bleeding of the gums)      -   pain

-   tooth mobility/movement                                                          -   gum recession

*Your pet may not exhibit all of these signs*

Pain:

Your pet may experience pain with any grade of dental disease. Pain can come from sore gums, exposed roots or cavities, fractured teeth, loose teeth, or even misaligned teeth. Some common signs are: chewing on one side of the mouth, chattering teeth while eating or drinking, pawing at the mouth, drooling, dropping food out of the mouth, avoidance of being touched around the mouth, or vocalization.

Food & Brushing Teeth:

Tooth brushing is a mechanical action to prevent plaque and tartar accumulation.  Some foods will try to mimic this action with specialized kibble, or have enzymes which break up plaque.  Tooth brushing may prevent tartar accumulation, but any existing tartar can only be removed by scaling and polishing under anesthesia

Dental Procedure:

A full dental examination is possible only under general anesthetic – have you ever tried to look in the back of your pet’s mouth!?!  The purpose of an exam is to visualize the plaque and tartar on all surfaces of the teeth, assess gingivitis or gum recession, tooth mobility, and exposed pulp or roots.  Digital dental X-ray can be used to see root structure, which helps us completely assess tooth health.

Scaling and polishing is the only way to remove tartar once it is deposited on the teeth.  Some practices may offer sedation dentistry, or dental work without any sedation or anesthetic.  For staff and patient safety, we find that this does not allow for proper evaluation and treatment.

Please contact the clinic for a complimentary dental exam with one of our technicians.  They can let you know where your pet’s dental health stands currently, and can advise you about how to proceed to maintain your pet’s best overall health.

Keep in mind that canned food generally contains 60-70% water, and dry kibbles are around 10% water.  This is why the term “dry matter basis” is so crucial!  Comparing foods on a dry matter basis is the only way to compare “apples to apples”, and get a true idea of what’s in food.

LOOK AT THE FIRST FIVE INGREDIENTS

The ingredients in a food are listed in order of weight on the ingredient list.  This means that if chicken is the first ingredient listed, it may not comprise most of the food, since meat is full of water.  That water will be mostly taken out of the food by the time it becomes the kibble you feed your pet.  If chicken meal is high on the list, this is actually a good thing, since the water has already been processed out of the chicken before it’s added as an ingredient.

There are very few rules about how to list ingredients on pet food.  The items do not have to all be in one place on the list.  One ingredient can be broken into several smaller items to make it seem like there’s less of it in the food

SEE HOW MUCH YOUR PET WILL NEED TO EAT PER DAY

Some expensive foods scare people away because they’re pricier than the same size bag made by another company.  Be sure to look at how much your pet will need to eat, by looking at the feeding guide.  Often a higher quality food will require that less food be given to your pet each day, because the ingredients are of a higher grade.  If you factor the amount fed each day, you’ll often find that the price of each daily meal is much less than you’d think!

Keep in mind that the feeding guide is just a suggestion.  Each pet will need more or less, depending on individual metabolism.

There are a few other things to keep in mind when picking a pet food…

WATCH OUT FOR GIMMICKS

There are a few regulations on how to label pet food, but they aren’t always well known by the public.

If you want your pet to lose weight and are looking for a lower calorie diet, be sure the bag says “light” instead of “lite”.  Keep in mind that a light diet is lower in calories than that company’s regular pet food.  It may still contain more calories than another light diet.

The name of a canned food can tell you a lot about what’s in it:

If a food says it’s a “lamb and rice food for dogs” then you know that lamb is 95% of that food, excluding water.

A “salmon dinner” means that salmon is 25% of the food, excluding water.

If your dog eats “dog food with beef”, then beef is 3% of the food, excluding water.

FOOD FADS

Every few years, there’s a new school of thought that pops up about how to feed our pets.  The most recent is the high protein idea.  It says that especially dogs need higher protein diets than were commercially available as they are descended from wolves, which are carnivores.  We talked briefly in a previous article in this series about how dogs are omnivores, meaning that they consume both meat and plant material.

The main concern many people have about high protein diets is that the pet’s kidney’s have to work much harder to eliminate the waste products of protein break-down.  This can lead to early kidney failure.

Since there are few regulations about creating a pet food, often new diets are put onto the market without sufficient testing.  There’s no way to know that your pet will thrive on a food…in essence your pet is the test patient for that food!  Only two companies actually feed their diets to pets before the diets are put on the market for the general public.  These two companies are Medi-Cal/Royal Canin and Hills.

NUTRITIONAL ADEQUACY STATEMENT

Look for a food that says it’s “complete” or “balanced” for your pet’s lifestage.  The basic lifestages are puppy/kitten, adult, and senior.  Be wary of foods that say they’re balanced for all lifestages.  When you think about it, young pets have much different nutritional requirements than an adult or senior pet.  Each lifestage calls for different levels of protein, fat, calories, and certain minerals and vitamins.  How can one food have enough of each nutrient for each lifestage, but not too much at the same time??

HIDDEN EMPLOYEE PERKS

Remember that employees at a pet store will have a reason why they recommend a particular food.  Often, it’s because they get a perk from the food manufacturer.  Maybe if they sell so many bags, they get free food themselves.  Also, many employees get their only nutritional training through the pet store.  Possibly they were told during training to always recommend a certain food, because the pet store is owned by that pet food’s manufacturer.  This is quite common and is something to keep in mind.

Ultimately your veterinarian will have your pet’s best interests in mind, and can recommend a food that will maintain your pet’s good health.

A by-product is simply something produced while making something else.  For example vitamin E is a by-product of soybean production.  High-quality meat meal by-products and by-product meals composed of internal organs are highly digestible and full of nutrients.  Just because an ingredient is a by-product meal does not mean that it’s composed of beaks and feathers as some would have you believe.

MYTH: Corn is just a filler.

Humans cannot digest corn, but the corn in pet foods is an excellent source of highly digestible carbohydrates for energy, essential fatty acids for healthy skin and coat, and beta-carotene and vitamin E – nature’s antioxidants.  Also corn is full of quality proteins needed to muscle and tissue growth.

MYTH: Raw foods help pets live longer.

Feeding raw meat, eggs, and bones can be dangerous for your pet because of the excessive levels of nutrients such as protein, calcium and phosphorous.  Pets eating these foods are also at an increased risk of broken teeth, damage to the stomach and intestines, and exposure to bacteria such as E. coli and salmonella.

MYTH: Pet foods contain dangerous preservatives.

All pet foods need to contain preservatives or else they would spoil and rot.  Most companies these days use natural preservatives such as vitamin E, citric acid, beta-carotene, and rosemary extract.

MYTH: Dogs are carnivores.

Dogs are omnivores, which means that they eat both meat and plant matter.  When a wolf or other dog-like animal eats its prey, it will consume the intestines, which contain plant material.  In fact, many dogs will pick all the choice berries off a bush as they go past.

MYTH: Large breed puppies need extra supplements because they grow faster.

If you choose a high-quality food that is specifically for large breed puppies, you should not need any supplements.  In fact, these dogs need to be fed controlled amounts of protein, calcium and phosphorous so that they do not grow too fast.

Before even considering all the different companies out there, you need to understand that anyone can make a pet food.  As long as a laboratory analysis puts the nutritional values within certain ranges, the food can be sold.  There are few regulations on pet foods – and none where the terms holistic, and human grade are used.

The first thing to look for on a bag of food is the AAFCO seal.  AAFCO stands for Association of American Feed Control Officials.  This organization sets the nutritional standard for pet foods in the United States and Canada.

Second, look for a statement that goes something like this… “Animal feeding tests using AAFCO procedures substantiate that Yummy Yummy Adult dog food provides complete and balanced nutrition for maintenance of adult dogs.”  There are two important parts to that statement – the fact that Yummy Yummy pet food company has used feeding trials, and that their Adult dog food is meant to adult dogs only.

FEEDING TRIALS

Pet food makers produce a food that will supply a certain amount of protein, fat, and other nutrients.  They can do this using a formula set up by a laboratory to achieve these levels.  But there’s nothing to say that the pet eating the food will actually like the food and do well on it.

For instance, say you have some leather boots, motor oil, and sawdust.  If you sent this mixture to a lab, they would tell you that you have:

32% Protein

18% Fat

3% Fiber

As a label on a pet food, this might look pretty good but do you think a pet would thrive on this concoction???  That’s why it’s important that a pet food company actually feeds their food to pets to ensure that the nutrients are bio-available – that they are nutrients that the body can break down and actually use.

***Bonus points if you realized that the analysis above does not equal 100%.  This is because all foods contain a certain portion of water…even dry kibbles!  In another installment we’ll talk about how to compare pet foods to each other.  Hint – the words “dry matter basis” will be crucial!***

LIFESTAGES

Pets have specific lifestages, and they all have different requirements.  Puppies and kittens need a different nutrient balance than an adult or a senior pet.  This is why you should question any diet that claims to “provide complete and balanced nutrition for all lifestages”.

Coming next month…Pet Food Myths.

As a responsible pet owner, you may be aware that spaying and neutering your pet is highly recommended.

Spaying is the surgery where a female dog or cat’s uterus and ovaries are removed.  Neutering involves removing the testicles of a male dog or cat.  Both of these surgeries ensure that the pet cannot reproduce, and ideally the surgery is performed before sexual maturity (roughly between 4 and 6 months of age).

An intact pet is one who has not been spayed or neutered.

There are many reasons why we recommend spaying and neutering…

MEDICAL

Not only does spaying and neutering control the pet population, but it is medically important in the life of an individual pet.  There are many cancers and other diseases related to the reproductive tract.  If the pet’s reproductive tract is removed, the chances of developing these medical issues is greatly reduced.

Intact males can develop prostate enlargement and testicular cancer, while females are at risk for mammary and uterine cancer, as well as pyometra – a life threatening infection of the uterus.  Neutering can greatly decrease the risk of these diseases.

COMMITMENT OF TIME AND MONEY

Many people want their pet to have “just one litter”, not knowing that there is a lot of care involved with a litter of puppies or kittens:

-        The mother needs special food and care

-        Ultrasound or x-ray to determine size of the litter

-        Risk of emergency cesarean surgery if there are problems in birthing (emergency fee, surgery cost, hospitalization)

-        Extra food and care for the litter

-        Vet visits for vaccines and dewormer before the puppies or kittens go to their new home

-        Potential extra care needed if the mother rejects any babies (such as bottle feeding every 2 hours for 8 weeks)

BEHAVIOR MYTHS

There is a misconception that a female who has a litter with become more “motherly” toward the family members, especially children.  A pet’s attitude and behavior is based more on training and how that pet is treated as it grows up.

It would be more beneficial to expose your pet to many different people and animals when it’s young; this promotes tolerance in the pet, which becomes more accepting of any new people or animals later in life.

HEALTH OF THE BREED

Most people who have only one litter will not pick the mate based on genetic soundness and who will produce the healthiest offspring.  They often breed their pet and their friend’s pet because “they would make such cute puppies/kittens”.

Responsible breeders, however, research their animals thoroughly and have a long-term goal in mind that ultimately will benefit the breed as a whole.  They base their choice of mates on very specific criteria.

OVERPOPULATION

Finding appropriate home for all the puppies or kittens can also be difficult, with all the animals in shelters needing homes desperately.

 Ultimately it is a medically and socially responsible decision to have your pet spayed or neutered.

In honor of World Rabies Day (September 28, 2011), here is some information about rabies.

Rabies is a virus that is most commonly transmitted by contact with infected saliva.  It affects the central nervous system and causes brain disease and eventually death.  There are two forms of rabies – furious and dumb.

Furious rabies is the more common variety. A dog with furious rabies becomes dangerously aggressive, followed later by paralysis of the jaws.  It will drool and the vocal cords become paralyzed, which leads to a change in the tone of the dog’s bark.

Dumb rabies is less common, and is characterized mainly by paralysis. The paralytic features start with the muscles of head and back regions. Quite often the pet has difficulty in the swallowing, prompting the owner to try and help feed it, potentially exposing themselves to the disease.

Cats mostly exhibit the furious form of rabies. For instance, the cat may strike in air as if trying to catch mice.

In Alberta, bats are the biggest rabies carrier.  The bat doesn’t have to bite; it can scratch someone with its nails and pass rabies that way.  Wild animals with rabies quite often lose their fear of people making it very important that you not handle a wild animal!

In Canada this year there have already been 44 reported cases of rabies, mostly in wild animals (foxes, bats, and skunks).  3 of those cases were in household pets – 2 cats and 1 dog.

Preventing rabies is as easy as keeping vaccines up to date.  There is no test for rabies that can be done on a live pet, so prevention is key.

Vaccines contain all or part of an organism that causes a particular disease.  When a vaccine is given, the body reacts to the organism and the immune system learns how to attack it in the future.  However, over time the immunity decreases, required a booster of the vaccine.  By boosting a vaccine, we can “remind” the immune system about the organism, giving the pet better protection against a disease.

Newborn animals have not yet had a chance to make their own immunity, but still need protection against infections present in their environment. They receive this immunity from their mother, partly across the placenta before birth, but mostly through the “first milk” or colostrums they drink in the first day or two after birth.  Maternal immunity is only temporary. It declines steadily over the first few weeks of life and is largely gone by twelve weeks of age.

Every pet is individual and the levels of antibodies decline at an unpredictable rate.  This is why we traditionally vaccinate puppies or kittens at 8, 12, and 16 weeks of age.  The pet will be seen one year after the last puppy or kitten visit to boost all the vaccines.

What is somewhat more controversial is when to further boost the vaccines as the pet becomes an adult.  Generally, veterinarians follow the instructions provided by the vaccine manufacturer.  Some vaccines have been tested to be effective for up to three years, while some are only proven for one year.

Some pet owners chose to have the pet’s annual physical exam done routinely, but instead of vaccinating, a blood sample is collected and tested for the level of specific antibodies.  This is called titre testing, and indicates the level of the pet’s immunity.  The titre levels help to guide the owner and veterinarian as to when the pet’s vaccines need to be boosted next.

Titre testing is only available for certain viruses, and is more expensive than vaccinating.  If the titre is low, then the pet will need to have those vaccines boosted anyway.

Keep in mind that immunity is not absolute. Immunity (as reflected by an adequate titre level) can sometimes be overcome when there is:

• an overwhelming exposure to a high dose of a virulent or particularly harmful strain of the microorganism
• a higher level of stress (i.e. – boarding, travel, high anxiety pets)
• an already weakened immune system due medical conditions, diseases, or from fighting other infections
• a history of immuno-suppressive medication, such as a steroid.

Every pet and every family is different.  A veterinarian’s duty is to educate a pet owner and present appropriate courses of action.  Please consult your veterinarian to determine how to effectively maintain your pet’s health.

First off, try to remain calm.  Pets sense fear and will react by becoming more fearful themselves.  Speaking to your pet in a soothing tone may help calm both of you.

Also any pet that is conscious may bite out of pain or fear, regardless of who is on the receiving end!  Please be careful and muzzle the pet if needed.  You can use a nylon muzzle, or tie the mouth shut with nylon stockings, a belt, a necktie, or a length of gauze or rope.  Once the mouth is shut, secure the loose ends behind the dog’s head to keep the makeshift muzzle from falling off.

If you can, try to organize mentally or on paper the following notes:

• What happened?
• Where on the body is the trauma, especially in the case of being hit by a car?
• When did it happen?
• What has your pet eaten in the past 24 hours?

Hit by Car

Control any external bleeding by putting pressure on the wound.  In the case of life-threatening bleeding on a limb, you can use a tourniquet, being careful to loosen it every 15 seconds and then re-tying it.

There may be internal bleeding or broken bones, so try to keep the pet as still as possible when moving out of the road and into a.  Use a board or tarp, being careful to keep the neck steady.

Even if your pet shows no signs of broken bones or external bleeding, shock can result from unseen internal bleeding.  Be sure to get to a veterinarian immediately for a full assessment.

CPR

First check the mouth and throat for any obstructions.  Remove them, if safe to do so.

Lay the pet on its right side and feel for a heart rate.  You will be able to feel it just behind the left armpit through the chest wall.  If the heart is not beating grasp the chest between your thumb and fingers and start compressing the chest wall.

For cats, you will need to do 120 compressions per minute, and 100 compressions per minute for dogs.  For larger dogs you will need to press firmly on the chest with both hands – one hand on top of the other (similar to chest compressions in a human).

Continue with compressions until a natural heart rate resumes, then concentrate on breathing for your pet.  Do this by placing your mouth on your pet’s nose and blowing until you see the chest rise.  Give 12-20 breaths per minute for a larger dog, or 20-25 breaths per minute for a small dog or cat.

While breathing for your pet, continue to check for a heart rate every 15 seconds.

Get to a vet clinic as soon as possible, so that the vet can establish a clear airway and use medications to attempt to keep the heart beating.

Heatstroke

Do not leave your pet in a parked vehicle, even with a window cracked as the vehicle’s temperature can climb to dangerous levels very quickly.

A pet suffering from heatstroke will pant heavily, drool (and then have dry gums as the heatstroke progresses), weakness, confusion, and vomiting or diarrhea.  Bathe your dog in cool (NOT COLD) water until you can get to a veterinarian.  At the clinic, your vet can continue cool water baths, as well as monitor for symptoms of shock and use medications to help bring the temperature down.

Poisoning

Many things are toxic to pets – chemicals, plants, even some foods that are safe for people.  If you suspect that your pet has ingested something dangerous DO NOT ATTEMPT TO MAKE IT VOMIT.  Some toxins should be neutralized in the stomach, because they can cause more damage to the esophagus during vomiting.  If appropriate, your vet can use a medication to cause immediate vomiting in a safe environment.

Bring the packaging of any chemicals to the clinic with you.  This will tell the vet what the active ingredients are and how to counteract them.

***The information in this article is not intended to replace the medical opinion of your veterinarian.  Every pet and situation is unique.  Please consult with your veterinarian to ensure proper and complete treatment for your pet.***

The Heartworm Life Cycle

Heartworm is exactly what it sounds like – worms that live in the heart.  It is transmitted through a bite from an infected mosquito, and can be dangerous to your pet’s health.

Symptoms of heartworm in a dog can include:

• Mild, persistent cough
• Reluctance to move or exercise
• Fatigue after only moderate exercise
• Reduced appetite
• Weight loss

We recommend that all dogs be protected against heartworm with a monthly medication from May to October of each year.  If you travel outside the province with your dog, please let us know where you’re going, as you may need heartworm prevention for an extended period of time, depending on the climate you’re travelling to.

Heartworms in the Pulmonary Artery

Heartworms in the heart

 There are two easy ways to administer the prevention medications – one is a tablet, and the other is a topical liquid that is absorbed through your dog’s skin.

Depending on your dog’s travel history, it may be necessary to test for heartworm before giving the preventative medication, as some medications will kill any adult worms that are present, causing damage to your dog’s lungs, and possible death of your pet.  It is easy to test for heartworm – a quick in-house blood test is all that is involved, with results usually reported to you the same day.

If the test comes back positive, there is a treatment available.  Treatment must be carefully managed, often requiring hospitalization for one to two months in order to minimize harmful complications.

You may have noticed no mention of heartworm in cats.  Cats are unique creatures in that they are very resistant hosts.  In the rare case that a cat becomes successfully infected, the time between infection and death is usually very short.  Also the symptoms in cats are rather vague and can be easily confused for other disease processes.  If your cat travels to heartworm endemic areas or you are otherwise concerned about heartworm, please contact your veterinarian.

If you have any questions about heartworm disease or preventative medications, please ask your veterinarian.

Permission to use images provided by the American Heartworm Society (www.heartwormsociety.org).

Does your pet have any of these common signs?

-        Not wanting to go up or down stairs

-        Difficulty jumping into or out of vehicles

-        Stops playing sooner than normal

-        Plays normally, but is slow/stiff the next day

-        Can’t run/walk as far as before

-        Stiff to get up after sleeping

-        Licks one area incessantly

-        Doesn’t tolerate kids as well as before

 If your pet is “slowing down” there are several things you can do to help.  Weight loss is important, in order to put less stress on inflamed joints.  Your veterinarian will have recommendations about diet choices, supplements, and possible medications to make your pet feel and move better.

 Senior pets are also prone to developing “lumps and bumps” as they age.  These masses can be benign fatty lumps or more malignant tumors that need to be addressed.

 As a general rule, you should feel the lump(s) no more than once a week to monitor changes in size or consistency.  Also if your pet starts to lick or chew the lump, or if the lump is affecting motion on a limb, you should consult your veterinarian as soon as possible.

Your senior pet needs a special diet that is lower in protein, fats, and calories (compared to an adult diet).  This is important as your senior pet has a slower metabolism and is usually less active than before, so may have a tendency to put on extra weight.

 Also lower protein means that the kidneys don’t work as hard.  Kidney function decreases as a pet ages, so the less stress we can put on them, the longer we expect them to function well.

 Symptoms of common medical issues with senior pets are:

-        Drinking and urinating more

-        Eating more & losing weight

-        Eating less & gaining weight

-        Incontinence

-        Altered mental status/behavior (staring at walls, seeming “lost”)

 If your pet is experiencing any of these symptoms, consult your veterinarian.

 Every year that a senior pet ages is similar to 2-4 human years.  Please consult your veterinarian to see if bi-annual exams (every 6 months) are appropriate for your pet.