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Protect your pet's smile!
Buffy arrived at Harmony Animal Hospital for her annual visit and her owner expected vaccinations and a clean bill of health. What Dr. David Cox found was a painful, progressive disease that could develop into a serious illness.
Buffy was suffering from serious gum disease. Oral diseases often go undetected in both dogs and cats. The preliminary results from a recently completed University of Minnesota study of veterinary clinics across the country shows that oral disease is the number one diagnosed health problem of dogs and cats visiting veterinary hospitals.
"Dental disease is a problem that we see quite frequently here at Harmony, but it is often not recognized by the owner," said Dr. Cox. "The number one dental complaint that we hear from owners is bad breath in their pet. When we do our dental exam we often find that severe dental disease is the culprit. This may entail loose teeth and painful gum infections."
Pet owners should know that a simple three step program can keep their pets' mouths healthier. The three steps include taking their pet to your veterinarian for a dental check, and dental cleaning if indicated. Establishing a home care routine of brushing or using special products to reduce dental tartar, such as Hill's T/D diet, is step two. The last step includes regular veterinary checkups because plaque builds up quickly and some pets require more frequent dental care.
Studies have shown that 8 out of 10 dogs, and 7 out of 10 cats show signs of gum disease by the age of three. If left untreated, gum disease can lead to serious systemic diseases of the heart, kidneys and liver. There is no need for this to happen because most dental diseases can be controlled or even eliminated with proper treatment by veterinarians and home care by owners. Dog and cats over the age of one should be routinely checked for dental disease.
Good preventive oral care is an important part of the care you give to your pet. Time spent on preventive care will help keep your pet healthier, and it strengthens the human-pet bond.
"Pets that come into the hospital with gum disease are often in great pain," said Dr. Cox. "To encourage owners to investigate their pet's oral health we offer free dental exams. We also work with the owner and outline a simple, preventive care plan that will avoid the pain and discomfort of dental disease in their pet. This saves a lot of distress for both the pet and the owner."
Dental problems may cause your pet to suffer from:
- Prolonged pain
- Tooth loss
- Chronic infections
- Lowered resistance
- Possible heart, liver and kidney disease
Look for:
- Bad breath
- Drooling
- Yellow or brown discolorations on teeth
- Decreased appetite
We can provide complete and thorough dental cleaning in many pets with NO ANESTHESIA! Ask us about this special service for your pet.
Progressive Nature of Periodontal Disease
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Early Periodontal disease: Inflamed gumline -- red, swollen and sometimes tender. Plaque is barely visible, but it is already present.
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Extensive plaque formation with tartar build-up. Inflamed gumline. Mouth is proabably sore with occasional drooling. Beginning of mouth odor.
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Thick tartar formation (creamy-brown hard masses on the teeth). Inflamed and partially receding gums. Periodontal disease well under way below the gumline. Mouth is sore and bad breath is present.
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Severe tartar formation. Inflamed and receding gumline is very sensitive. Advanced periodontal disease is present with infection, bleeding, tooth and bone loss.
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February is Pet Dental Month. During dental month we do the dental cleaning at a reduced price and include some free samples of products. Call today for your pet's free dental exam and treat your dog or cat to a healthier smile.
Here's a fun and informative pet dental link.
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The Wrath of Grapes!
by Charlotte Means, D.V.M.
 Magoo was a big, playful Labrador retriever who often got himself into some sticky situations. Usually, his escapades were harmless. But one day, he managed to snag a box of raisins from the pantry and ended up eating an entire pound of the sweet treats. Other than being exasperated by Magoo's behavior, his guardians didn't think much about it. They knew that lots of people shared grapes with their dogs and often used raisins as training rewards. So it hardly seemed the kind of emergency that required a call to the veterinarian. In fact, if Magoo's parents had called the ASPCA's Animal Poison Control Center (APCC) just a few years ago, they would have been told not to worry about it.
Through the Grapevine
Enter the APCC AnToxTM database, a computerized system that contains nearly 500,000 animal-related medical conditions and that enables veterinarians to quickly identify toxic-substance exposures, recognize clinical signs and administer proper treatment. By tracking cases in this registry, similarities in animal medical conditions nationwide can be logged and syndromes can be identified.
Around 1999, the APCC began noticing a trend in dogs who had eaten grapes or raisins: Nearly all developed acute renal (kidney) failure. As more cases were reported, enough data was generated in the database to help veterinarians identify and treat dogs at risk. In all of the cases, the ingredients for potential acute renal failure were the same. Whether the ingested grapes were purchased fresh from grocery stores or grown in private yards didn't seem to matter, nor did the brand eaten. And the ingested amounts varied considerably, from over a pound of grapes to as little as a single serving of raisins. The cases weren't from any specific region, but instead came from across the United States.
The database showed that dogs who ate the grapes and raisins typically vomited within a few hours of ingestion. Most of the time, partially digested grapes and raisins could be seen in the vomit, fecal material, or both. At this point, some dogs would stop eating (anorexia), and develop diarrhea. The dogs often became quiet and lethargic, and showed signs of abdominal pain. These clinical signs lasted for several days -- sometimes even weeks.
When medical care was sought, blood chemistry panels showed consistent patterns. Hypercalcemia (elevated blood calcium levels) was frequently present, as well as elevated levels of blood urea nitrogen, creatinine and phosphorous (substances that reflect kidney function). These chemistries began to increase anywhere from 24 hours to several days after the dogs ate the fruit. As the kidney damage developed, the dogs would produce little urine. When they could no longer produce urine, death occurred. In some cases, dogs who received timely veterinary care still had to be euthanized.
Why did the fruit cause the dogs to become ill? No one knows. Suspect grapes and raisins have been screened for various pesticides, heavy metals (such as zinc or lead), and mycotoxins (fungal contaminants) and so far, all results have come back negative. In the cases where the grapes were grown in private yards, owners confirmed that no insecticides, fertilizers or antifungals had been used on the fruit.
"Raisin" the Success Rate
Even though the exact cause of the renal failure is unknown, dogs who ingest grapes and raisins can be treated successfully to prevent its development. The first line of defense is decontamination. Inducing vomiting in recent ingestions and administering activated charcoal helps prevent absorption of potential toxins. Dogs should be hospitalized and placed on intravenous fluids for a minimum of 48 hours. A veterinarian should monitor blood chemistry daily for at least three days following the ingestion. If all blood work is normal after three days, it's unlikely that kidney failure will occur. If a dog shows evidence of renal failure, fluids must be continued, and other medications should be used to stimulate urine production. Some dogs may need peritoneal dialysis, a process where the peritoneum (the membranes surrounding the abdominal organs) is used to filter waste products that are normally filtered by the kidney.
Thanks in part to the AnTox database, grape or raisin ingestion can be easily identified and treated. Today, a dog can make a complete recovery from this potentially fatal condition.
Dr. Means is a veterinary toxicologist at the ASPCA's Animal Poison Control Center in Urbana, Illinois.
Reprinted from ASPCA Animal Watch, Summer 2002, Volume 22, Number 2, with permission from The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, 424 East 92nd Street, New York, NY 10128-6804.
The ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center is the only animal poison control center in North America. Established in 1978, at the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine. The Center is the only facility of its kind. Located in Urbana, Illinois, the specially trained staff provides assistance to pet owners and specific diagnostic and treatment recommendations to veterinarians. In 2001, the Center handled over 65,000 cases.
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