Dental Care and Your Pets

     Dental disease and dental care is a very broad and unfortunately a commonly overlooked problem.  The old adage that “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” definitely applies here.  As veterinarians, we try to instill good habits from puppy-hood; such as brushing and proper diet, but nothing is fail proof.  Many options are available. The biggest key is to pick one that is best suited for your lifestyle. Choose one that you can, and will actually do.

Brushing-  Tooth brush and finger brush kits are available with flavored dentifrice.  The key is to start young and get your pet used to your fingers in their mouth.  Start slow, maybe      brushing a few teeth and gradually work up to the entire dental arcade.  To be most effective teeth need to be brushed daily.  If you won’t be able to brush daily then it is best to pick another method or a combination of methods.

 Water additives-   There are multiple water additives that are intended to disinfect your pets mouth as they drink water such as C.E.T. Aquadent.  To use, simply mix in proper amount of   water and additive, making this the sole source of drinking water, the chlorhexidine in the product helps to remove the bacteria that lead to calculus formation.

Chews/Treats-  A book could be written on the different treats and chews available that are intended to help our pet’s teeth or breath.  The physical act of chewing causes the pet to salivate more, helping to flush the mouth as well the mastication of the treat “scratches” of the plaque that will form tarter.  Examples of these products include C.E.T. Hextra chews, Greenies, Nylabones, and many others.  Pet preference will help you decide which one is appropriate. Remember, if your pet has allergies, anything that goes in the mouth can affect them.

Diet-  Kibble is preferred to canned or semi-moist diets.  As with the treats or bones, the physical act of chewing helps to scrape off the plaque that forms tartar.  Science diet makes a food called T/D, its cancellous nature acts like sand paper when the dog eats.  I personally prefer this diet be used as a treat, not as a sole diet.

Vaccine- Pfizer Animal Health introduced Porphyromonas Denticans-Gulae-Salivosa Bacterin vaccine approximately three years ago, simply referred to as “dental vaccine.”  The intent of this vaccine is not to prevent dental tartar accumulation, but to prevent that tartar from weakening the gingiva and from climbing up the roots of the teeth causing periodontal disease and tooth loss.  It cannot be used as a single modality for dental health, but is another weapon in the fight to keep your dogs mouth healthy.

Dental Prophy-  A dental prophy is very similar to your going to the dental office and the hygienist “doing a cleaning.”  Our technology is a little different; we employ Piezo scalers that will also get tartar off from under the gum.  Dental prophies in pets require general anesthesia, and with that comes increased risk.  Although a necessary evil, sometimes this is the best option to get things under control. Followed by a good discussion on what else is available to help increase the time-span before another prophy is needed for the safety of your pet.

 As you can see, many options are available.  A good, honest discussion about your needs and desires as a pet owner is critical to success.  Pick a plan that you will stick to and be honest when asked. That helps us determine if we need to “go a different route.”  The key to success is knowledge. After reading this article go lift your pets lip and look at the teeth. If you don’t like what you see give us a call and we can go over the options available and get a plan of action to get you on the right track.

Here in the beautiful mid-west we are graced with the changing of the seasons, this season brings with it snow and ice.  With this snow and ice comes slippery conditions forcing many of us to the hardware store to purchase ice melt pellets or solutions.  Reading this newsletter, you have pets, as I you probably stare at the different jugs and bags wondering, is this stuff safe?  It must be or they wouldn’t sell it, right? 

There are multiple ice melt products available for use. Potassium chloride (good to+25 degrees F), urea (good to +20 degrees F), rock salt (good to +10 degrees F), magnesium chloride (good to -22 degrees F) and calcium chloride (good to -25 degrees F).  All of these products have detrimental effects on driveways, decks, wood floors and most of all can be potentially harmful to children and pets.  Salt (used by 60% of ice melt purchasers) is a corrosive compound and its residue can damage lawns, plants, and even contaminate well water and water supplies.  Salt can also severely damage and permanently discolor brick pavers, stones, asphalt, concrete and wood decking.  When tracked inside, it can also damage rugs, carpets and wood floors.  How do these products affect pets?  How bad can it be, they just walk on the stuff a little?  According to the American Veterinary Medical Association and American Animal Hospital Association exposure to salt and salt-based ice melt is a common occurrence and can cause dogs severe dermatitis, inflammation of the paws and serious gastrointestinal problems including vomiting and internal burns of the mouth and digestive tract.  The problem for dogs is that they are let outside to play or “do their business”, later when they are inside with higher temperatures the ice melts and dogs lick their paws ingesting the salt.  The salt can heat up to 175 degrees and not only burn their skin but their mouth and digestive system.

There are alternative products available to help provide traction such as sand, unfortunately, no ice melting properties.  There is a product Safe Paw (www.safepaw.com) made up of crystalline amide core infused with special glycols that is non-corrosive.  The best policy is to limit contact if possible and wipe feet off when pets come back inside.

We are proud to announce that we are now carrying Redpaw brand dog foods. These diets were designed by a biochemist and champion dog trainer.  We are currently carrying Redpaw PowerEdge 32k and Perform 32. These diets have no fillers, artificial colors, flavoring, or sweeteners. Visit www.redpawfeed.com for more information and ingredients.  

Strothertowne Pet Hospital

Warren B. Jones DVM

651 SE Bailey Road – Lee’s Summit, MO 64081

816-524-7200

Warren B. Jones and the staff at Strothertowne Pet Hospital strive to provide the finest quality patient care coupled with superior client communication. Our clinic is a full service veterinary hospital providing wellness exams, vaccinations, spay, neuter, dentals, elective procedures, as well as orthopedic surgery. We are located on the southeast side of Lee’s Summit, Missouri, and are convenietly located close to 50 and 291 Highways. We strive to provide a family atmosphere where meeting you and your pet’s needs are priority one. Feel free to stop in and ses us and our facility any time!

Come see our new line of Lupine collars and leads!! They are guaranteed EVEN IF CHEWED!!!! Many sizes and designs to choose from. Stop in today!