Has your dog been skunked? Anyone who has been unfortunate enough to have this happen to their dog, knows what a chore it can be to remove that powerful odor. You will have an easier time with the deskunking if you act fast. Skip the tomato juice though, as it doesn’t do that great of a job and also can stain light colored fur. Here’s a recipe for a mix that does do the trick.

Things You’ll Need

• 1 tsp. of Dawn dish-washing detergent
• 1 quart of 2 percent hydrogen peroxide
• 1/2 cup of baking soda
• Mixing bowl

 In a bowl, mix the detergent, peroxide and baking soda. Create a lather, and starting with your dogs head, wash towards Continue reading →

February is National Dental Health Month and Cazenovia Animal Hospital is helping pet owners provide dental care for their pets by offering free dental consultations! Just call our office to schedule an appointment. Our knowledgeable technicians will evaluate your pet’s oral health and provide you with a customized treatment plan based on the condition of your pet’s teeth and gums.  We are also giving away free a free toothbrush and samples of Hills T/D (oral health diet) for your pet to clients scheduling a dental exam for their pet.

Remember… pets can live longer, healthier lives if oral health care is managed and maintained throughout theirs.

Would you let years go by between visits to the dentist?  Probably not! Your pet’s dental health is just as important to his or her overall health as your dental health is to your general health. Dental care of dogs and cats is one of the most commonly overlooked areas of pet health care. In fact, a recent AAHA study showed that approximately two-thirds of pet owners do not provide the dental care that is recommended as essential by veterinarians. What’s more, the American Veterinary Dental Society reports that 80 percent of dogs and 70 percent of cats show signs of oral disease by age three. Dental disease doesn’t affect just the mouth. It can lead to more serious health problems including heart, lung and kidney disease, which makes it all the more important that you provide your pets with proper dental care from the start.

Unchecked plaque in your pet’s mouth allows bacteria to flourish or overgrow, causing periodontal disease. These bacteria can enter the blood stream through lesions in a pet’s diseased gums. And it doesn’t always take advanced disease for this to happen. Once in the blood stream, the bacteria can travel throughout the body and potentially impact your pet’s organs.”

The formation of plaque on teeth leads not only to calculus or tartar buildup but also to gingivitis. And if gingivitis is left untreated, it will progress into more advanced periodontal disease. Anecdotal reports have suggested that chronic periodontal disease causes problems in the heart, kidneys, and possibly the liver. Recent studies have shown a correlation between oral disease and systemic diseases in people, and researchers now have a better understanding of how oral disease affects the systemic health of dogs and cats.

The bacteria in the oral cavity of a pet with periodontal disease can be released into the circulatory system and travel throughout the body. This can cause damage to cardiac tissue and lead to endocarditis. Studies have shown a link among bacteremias originating from oral infections.  There are also studies that link periodontal disease to an increase in insulin resistance. When bacteria invades kidneys, it damages glomerulus membranes, causing them to function improperly. Bacteria also can cause functional changes in the liver of dogs.

Because of periodontal disease’s affect on overall health, it’s more than a localized problem that leads to bad breath and tooth loss—it’s also the beginning of more severe systemic issues. By sharing this message, we can help you understand the importance of oral health, why we suggest  dental cleanings, and encourage homecare compliance, thereby ensuring a healthier life for your pet.

At the Cazenovia Animal Hospital, treating dental disease involves several steps including probing of teeth, scaling, radiographs (as needed), extractions and suturing (as needed), polishing and charting .  It is obvious that proper dental treatment involving the steps described above cannot be accomplished without general anesthesia.  This is why we have you fast your dog the night before his scheduled dental prophy.  Since most pets requiring dental work are older, we will also do preanesthesia blood screening the morning of the procedure. Dental cleanings done without anesthesia are only cosmetic and vital steps are skipped so that the teeth may look clean but harmful conditions under the gumline continue to progress and harm your pet.

We utilize a state-of-the-art dental unit that uses air and water to create the vibration of our ultrasonic scaler.  This is safer and protects teeth from damage due to excessive vibration commonly found with older ultrasonic scalers. Our high speed dental drill allows us to section teeth and extract them in a safer manner so that nearby structures are not damaged by excessive force.  We have the ability to do crown resections, gingival (gum) flaps and other advanced dental treatments.

Once we have completed the procedure, your pet will be closely monitored until he is awake and steady on his feet.  We generally discharge your pet between 4:00PM and 5:30PM so they can be home and settle in for the evening with you.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A complete home dental care program for your pet often will include brushing, feeding a special pet food and offering treats and chews that are good for your pet’s teeth.

Brushing Your Pet´s Teeth

STEP 1: Introduce a brushing program to pets gradually. Avoid over-restraining your pet and keep brushing sessions short and positive. A cat or small dog can be held in your lap. Praise and reassure your pet throughout the process.
STEP 2: At first, dip a finger into beef bouillon for dogs or tuna water for cats. Rub the soaked finger gently over the pet’s mouth and teeth. Make the initial sessions short and positive.
STEP 3: Gradually, introduce gauze over the finger and gently scrub the teeth in a circular motion.
STEP 4: Finally, you can introduce a soft toothbrush.  Use a sensitive or ultra-soft brush designed for people or a brush designed for pets. Special pet toothbrushes are available from your veterinarian or specialty pet store. Don’t use toothpaste designed for people because it could upset the animal’s stomach.

Watch a video from Cornell University on taking care of your pet’s teeth….click here.

 Feed a dental diet

Several commercial diets have been shown to promote periodontal health compared with regular dry food diets. Studies document a significant reduction in the plaque, calculus, and gingivitis index for the foods tested. The mechanism of action for these dental foods is based on either enhanced textural characteristics of the kibble to mechanically cleanse the teeth (e.g. Prescription Diet t/d—Hill’s; Science Diet Oral Care—Hill’s; Purina Veterinary Diets DH—Nestlé Purina; and Friskies Feline Dental Diet—Friskies Petcare) or chemical coating of the food with polyphosphate (e.g. Iams Dental Defense—Iams and Eukanuba Adult Maintenance Diet for Dogs—Iams).

Offer appropriate chew treats

Chew treats such as rawhide can also help remove plaque and tartar from a dog’s teeth. Rawhide hasn’t been observed to cause digestive problems in the studies documenting its efficacy in plaque and tartar control. However, swallowing larger pieces of rawhide could cause gastrointestinal tract problems so provide size-appropriate rawhides that cannot be swallowed as a whole; smaller pieces of rawhide should be discarded. Plaque and tartar reduction is enhanced with rawhide treats coated with calcium-sequestering substances such as sodium hexametaphosphate.

 

Some chew toys should be avoided because of their tendency to cause tooth fracture.  Products such as nylon bones, cow hooves, and real bones are too hard and often are associated with slab fractures of the carnassial teeth in dogs.  If you want to be very certain the product you want to give your pet is good for his teeth, look for the VOHC seal.  The Veterinary Oral Health Council (VOHC) provides an objective means of recognizing products that meet standards of effectiveness in controlling the accumulation of dental plaque and calculus in dogs and cats.  More information on the VOHC and the products that have earned the VOHC seal can be found at http://www.vohc.org/.

The Cazenovia Animal Hospital recently upgraded the in-house lab equipment to be able to provide complete and more timely results for you and your pet.  In-house blood testing lets you be more involved in your pet’s care, as you and your veterinarian can discuss the results sooner and develop a health care plan that will benefit your pet  and ease your worries.

With this new lab equipment we are able to perform a complete blood count (CBC) and a diagnostic blood chemistry panel, including electrolytes.  The CBC tells us if there is infection, inflammation or anemia.  The chemistry panel and electrolytes tell us if your pet’s liver, kidneys and pancreas are healthy and functioning as they should.  We can also run a thyroid function test in-house which is important because thyroid disease is common in dogs and older cats.

Another way our new lab equipment is providing quality care for your pet is with preanesthesia screening done the morning of your pet’s scheduled procedure.  The licensed veterinary technicians (LVT) run a CBC and chemistry panel to make sure the kidney and liver are functioning normally and there are no hidden infections, anemia or dehydration. This information may reveal problems that are not apparent on physical exam or that are not yet causing symptoms.  If we have concerns after reviewing the results, we may reschedule the surgery for when your pet is feeling better.  The doctor may adjust the anesthesia according to your pet’s needs or may decide that IV fluids would be beneficial while your pet is in the hospital.  We always call to discuss our findings and health care plan with you, so please make sure we have contact numbers to reach you.