Do you brush your pet's teeth?

Did you know that dental hygiene is just as important for your pet as it is for you?  It is one of the most overlooked areas in your pet's health care. Studies done by the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) show that two out of three pet owners do not follow the dental care recommendations made by their veterinarian.

Why don't pet owners follow our veterinary recommendations?  Think about it and read the information below to learn about periodontal disease in your pet. 

What is periodontal disease?   

Periodontal disease starts with a bacterial film that builds up on the teeth called plaque.  The bacteria die (yuck) and become hardened to the teeth with saliva.  This build up of dead bacteria and saliva becomes tartar, which provides a rough surface for more bacteria to attach to and continue to build up.  Early on when plaque is soft, it can be removed with a toothbrush or by chewing hard foods and toys. (all those dental products out there for pets to chew)  As the tartar builds up it becomes hard and builds up along the gum line causing inflammation and infection of the gums (gingivitis).  The gums will become red swollen or bleed easily.  The plaque then works its way under the gum line along the tooth root. In the final stages of periodontal disease, the tissues surrounding the tooth are destroyed, the bony socket holding the tooth erodes, and the tooth becomes loose and may fall out. This is a very painful process for your four-legged friend, but these problems can be averted before they start with proper dental care.

The smell that comes from that cute little mouth is the smell of bacteria building up on their teeth and causing infection in their gums.  Can you imagine going months or years without taking a toothbrush and paste to your mouth?  That is what happens with our canine and feline friends in most households.

It is advisable to have your pet's mouth evaluated by your veterinarian or veterinary technician at least annually and to have those teeth cleaned professionally at the first sign of tartar buildup or gum redness. 

Pet's teeth are cleaned just like your teeth are cleaned by your dental hygienist.  They are scraped and polished with similar instruments that are used on your teeth.  Animals usually have to be anesthetized in order to clean their teeth properly because most pets will not sit in a chair with their mouths open.  Most veterinarians will handle your pet's dental cleaning just as if they were a person going under anesthesia for a routine outpatient procedure.  Blood tests will be done prior to anesthesia to insure the health of the pet's kidneys, liver and immune system.  An IV catheter will be used to deliver medication and fluid and to insure safety during the procedure.  The teeth will then be cleaned, polished and x-rays will be taken to evaluate the tooth roots.  Therapeutic laser therapy can also be used to decrease gum inflammation and infection.  Once your pet returns home (most procedures take about 1 hour, so most pets return home in the early afternoon) you will be encouraged to follow up with proper brushing to keep up with the now healthy, clean mouth.  

How do you properly brush your pet's teeth?

Use a soft toothbrush or wrap your finger in gauze and hold it at a 45-degree angle to the teeth. Using small, circular motions, work in one area of the dog’s mouth at a time. Be sure to get to all the teeth including the ones in the back of the mouth. You may have to start with one or two teeth at a time until your pet becomes accustomed to your brushing routine.  Since the most tartar builds up on the tooth surfaces that touch the cheek, concentrate on those areas and finish up with a downward stroke on the teeth to remove tartar. 

You play an important role in your animals’ oral health. Regular teeth brushing at home, coupled with regular dental check-ups can help your pet live a longer, healthier life.

So, get to your veterinarian every 6-12 months and have your pet's mouth examined.  If a dental cleaning is in order, be sure to follow up in a timely manner.  Once your pet's mouth has been deemed healthy, be sure to brush your pet's teeth at least once per week.

If you have any questions or would like more information about dental care for your pet, call Warren Woods Veterinary Hospital at 586-751-3350.

The American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) has published the following guidelines for pet's dental health.

Oral Examinations: AAHA recommends that veterinarians evaluate puppies and kittens for problems related to deciduous (baby) teeth, missing teeth, extra teeth, swelling, and oral development. As pets age, your veterinarian will examine your pet for developmental anomalies, accumulation of plaque and tartar, periodontal disease, and oral tumors. The veterinarian can perform a basic oral examination while pets are awake. However, short-lasting anesthetic is required for a more complete examination.

Dental cleanings: Guidelines recommend regular examinations and dental cleanings under general anesthesia for all adult dogs and cats. These cleanings should take place annually starting at one year for cats and small-breed dogs, and at two years of age for larger-breed dogs.

Other guideline recommendations

• Pre-anesthetic exam–Your veterinarian should examine your pet to ensure it is healthy enough to go under general anesthesia. This examination may include:
  • Blood tests
  • Urine tests
  • Electrocardiography
  • X-rays
• Anesthesia monitoring–When your pet is under anesthesia, its vital signs (such as body temperature, heart rate, and respiration) should be monitored and recorded. This helps ensure your pet’s safety while under anesthesia. 
• Dental radiographs–X-rays of your pet’s teeth are needed periodically to evaluate your pet’s oral health. X-rays also help veterinarians detect abnormalities that cannot be seen through physical examination alone. They can also confirm the need for tooth extraction when teeth are loose or badly infected. 
• Scaling and polishing–Using instruments much like human dentists, veterinarians remove plaque and calculus from your pet’s teeth. Polishing with a special paste smoothes out scratches to the tooth enamel. 
• Fluoride/sealants–By applying an anti-plaque substance, such as a fluoride treatment and/or a barrier sealant, the veterinarian helps strengthen and desensitize teeth and discourage the development of future plaque.
  
  

One lump or two?

You are sitting on your sofa watching the Golden Globe Awards and the dog is curled up next to you watching, as you eat your popcorn.  One hand shovels the popcorn into your mouth, while the other is petting the dog.  Suddenly you feel something that you know does not belong on your pet.  A lump, soft and squishy, the size of a pea, under the skin of your dog's chest.  The dog does not seem to notice that it has a lump as you try to feel it and figure out where it came from.  

What should you do at this point?  Ignore it? Put down your popcorn and run to the veterinary emergency clinic?  Neither.

Lumps can develop in and on pets, just like they do in their human counterparts.  There are many different types of lumps, bumps or masses that develop in dogs and cats at all stages of life.  The most important thing to do when you discover a lump on your pet is to take note of it.  Try to remember where it is and how large it feels when you first notice it.  Write it down to be sure that you don't forget about it.  If there are more than one, count them and take notice of the location and whether or not they are changing. 

Now, step two is to take your pet into your favorite veterinarian for a visit.   You don't need to rush, but don't waste time either. You need to get this lump checked out.  Don't ever ignore the lump and hope that it will go away.  It may be something harmless or it could be something serious; you may need to act fast.   Either way it is best to know the proper course of action and your veterinarian is trained to help you make this decision. 

Your veterinarian will ask you some questions about the lump and palpate it.  Your veterinarian will then recommend a fine needle aspirate.  This test is simple to do with your dog awake and will require only a short amount of time to perform.  The veterinarian will insert a small needle into the lump to extract some cells.  The cells will then be transferred to a microscope slide and stained.  Once the cells are stained, your veterinarian will be able to look at them under a microscope and tell you whether this lump is benign, or is something more sinister.     

 The needle aspirate will not always be completely diagnostic,  but it can often give your veterinarian an idea whether the mass needs to be watched or if further testing needs to be done to determine a diagnosis.  Often times if the needle aspirate looks suspicious your veterinarian will advise you to have the mass removed surgically and biopsied.  Surgery is often the recommendation to remove and cure a cancer before it can spread to other parts of the body and cause more severe disease. 

So, eat your popcorn and pet your dog (not with the same hand) and call your veterinarian when you feel a lump.

Cat in the Christmas Tree?

It is Christmas time and the house is full of decorations for the holidays.  I have a Christmas tree in the middle of the living room that is often seen as a cat exercise condo by my youngest feline family member.  I have three cats living at my house, Pete, Colby and Stallone.  Peter and Colby are older cats, so they are satisfied with lying under the Christmas tree and enjoying the comfortable Christmas tree skirt that I bought from English Garden. (after last year's model fell apart in the laundry trying to get the cat hair out of it)  Stallone, our two year old cat,  thinks that the tree is an elaborate cat toy built strictly for his entertainment.  

Stallone was rescued with a litter of kittens while my son was on a mission trip in Chicago.  He was raised in our house with his litter mates and somehow managed to stay after my daughter fell in love with his little sweet face.  Little did we know that behind the sweet face was a huge personality and loads of trouble.   Stallone had a great time last year climbing the Christmas tree and batting around the ornaments and he has taken back to the same behavior this year.  We have had to sand bag the base of the tree to keep it from toppling over.

The Christmas tree is not the only hazard in the home for curious pets like Stallone during the holidays.  There are things around the tree that are also dangerous.  Christmas tree water may contain bacteria that can cause stomach upset or diarrhea in ingested.  Electric cords and lights may cause electric shock if the pet chews on them.  Cover the cords and do not allow pets to chew on them.  Ribbons and tinsel can get caught in the intestines and cause intestinal obstruction. Glass ornaments can cut pets when they are broken or could be ingested. 

Here are some other thing to be aware of if you have a curious pet like Stallone.

1. Holiday foods - Alcoholic beverages, chocolate, coffee, onions, onion powder, fatty foods, salt and yeast may all cause serious problems if ingested by pets.
2. Plants - Lilies that may be found in holiday flower arrangements could be deadly to your cat. Many types of lily, such as Tiger, Asian, Japanese Show, Easter, Stargazer, and the Casa Blanca, can cause kidney failure in cats. Poinsettias are generally over-rated in toxicity. If ingested, poinsettias can be irritating to the mouth and stomach, and may cause mild vomiting or nausea.Mistletoe has the potential to cause cardiovascular problems. However, mistletoe ingestion usually only causes gastrointestinal upset.Holly ingestion could cause vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, and lethargy.
3. Cold weather and snow can be dangerous for pets that are placed outdoors for any length of time.  Sub-freezing temperatures can cause frostbite and exposure injury to their eyes, noses and feet.  Do not allow your pet to stay outside for extended periods of time unless they have proper protection from the elements.

Pay close attention to the pets in your home as you are decorating for the holidays and keep their safety in mind in all that you do.  Hopefully your attention to detail will allow them to enjoy the holiday with you and your family.

Another Open House Success Story

Once again the Warren Woods Veterinary Hospital team put on a superb event to benefit Leader Dogs for the Blind in Rochester Michigan.  The hospital team opened their doors and welcomed in clients, pets and guests to the 15th annual Open House and pictures with Santa.  We had our authentic Santa Claus join us once again to pose with pets and their families for professional quality Christmas photos with all proceeds and donations going to our friends at Leader Dogs.  The event raised over $800 and a wonderful time was had by all.  Many thanks to our team and the loyal clients that support us at this event and throughout the year.

Dr. Julie Cappel

Warren Woods Veterinary Hospital

15th Annual Holiday Open House and Pictures with Santa

What is more fun than Christmas?  Christmas at Warren Woods Veterinary Hospital with Santa and a bunch of happy people and pets.  

This Sunday, December 8th, we are hosting our 15th Annual Open House and Pictures with Santa to benefit Leader Dogs for the Blind.   The hospital is open from 12:00 noon until 3:00p.m. for photos and tours with food being provided by our friends at Patterson Veterinary Supply.  Warren Woods Veterinary Hospital provides gift bags for the pets.  Each family will have the opportunity to have a 5x7 picture taken with Santa for a $10.00 donation that goes entirely to Leader Dogs for the Blind in Rochester. You can have the picture with just the pets or include the entire family for that great Christmas card photo.  Pictures are printed while you wait and can be sent to you via email if you want to reproduce them.

The Warren Woods Veterinary Team works very hard each year volunteering their time cleaning, cooking and decorating the hospital in anticipation of this event, then spend their Sunday at work!  Come join our holiday celebration with the best veterinary team in Michigan!!!

Anal Glands can be a pain in the butt!

What are anal glands you ask?  Maybe you really don't want to know, but your dog or cat may need you to be aware of these pesky little things that may cause a pain in their rear.

These small pea sized glands are located on each side of the pet's anus in the four and eight o'clock position.   These glands are sometimes referred to as "scent glands", because they are used to identify the dog or cat's scent to other animals.  The glands empty normally when a pet defecates as the pressure exerted by the formed feces causes the glands to express onto the stool.  They can also empty spontaneously under times of stress and you will smell an unpleasant odor coming from your pet.   In some pets the glands do not empty properly due to thicker than normal anal gland secretions or if the pet's feces is not firm.  When the glands do not empty properly they can become impacted and cause discomfort to the pet or, if left untreated may abscess causing the dog intense pain.

The glands can be emptied when they are not working properly by exerting pressure (anal sac expression) to the gland to relieve the obstruction.  This procedure should only be done by someone that has been trained to properly and fully empty the glands. Your veterinarian, or their trained licensed veterinary technician, uses a gloved finger inserted into the anus to squeeze the material from the gland.  Some groomers are also properly trained to do this, however this should not be routinely done at the grooming salon because normal anal glands should empty on their own.  If the pet is experiencing problems then they should be addressed.  Dogs will exhibit symptoms such as dragging their posterior on the ground (scooting) or licking or biting at the anal area.   Dogs with abscesses will act painful if their tail is lifted or you may see swelling on either side of the anus. Cats may defecate outside the litter box or lick at the anal area obsessively.   In abscess situations the gland may even rupture through the skin on the side of the anus and blood and purulent material will drain from the opening.  Dogs with anal sac problems will be treated by a veterinarian with expression of the gland, sometimes it will have to be lanced and the pet will be placed on antibiotics until the gland is healed appropriately.

Anal gland fluid is normally tan in color and watery in consistency.  It has a foul odor that may occur when your dog is stressed.  Impacted anal gland material is usually brown or gray and very thick.  The presence of blood, swelling or pus indicates anal gland infection.

If you are suspicious that your pet has an anal gland problem, have them examined by your veterinarian or have the anal glands checked by one of our veterinary technicians.  The technicians can express the anal glands and let you know if they are normal or if they are impacted or infected.  If there is any sign of infection they will have the veterinarian prescribe an antibiotic and pain medication for your pet.  Call 586-751-3350 if you have any questions about this or any other subject.

Don't let your dog or cat suffer from a pain in the rear end....