So what is periodontal disease?

Periodontal disease begins with plaque build up on the surface of your dog’s tooth. Just like in humans, the plaque starts as a biofilm of bacteria mixed with food particles and saliva. If this film is not removed, it eventually layers into what is known as tartar.

The tartar begins to mineralize and the bacteria begin to infect the gum causing gingivitis. As the tartar continues to build up, it works it’s way beneath the gum causing the gum line to recede. Eventually, the infection continues to spread and will loosen the attachment of the tooth and tooth loss will occur.

Besides the tooth loss, the gum infection also begins to shower the dog’s blood stream with tiny bits of bacteria. These bacteria will begin to settle in all the major organs, especially the mitral valve of the heart and in the kidneys. This can lead to congestive heart failure and kidney failure and ultimately the untimely death of your pet.

So what can I do to prevent dental disease?

Start with getting your pet used to having his teeth brushed at an early age. Just like in humans, plaque replaces itself every 12 hours, so optimally, your pet’s teeth should be brushed twice a day. Do not use human toothpaste, the fluoride could be swallowed by your pet and cause toxicity. Use toothpaste that is designed and flavored just for pets. I know that brushing your pet’s teeth is hard to do, but brushing really helps keep their mouth healthy.

Also available are special diets such as Hill’s t/d to mechanically remove the tartar and keep the pet’s teeth clean. There are also enzymatically treated chews, such as greenies and C.E.T. chews that can help remove the plaque and tartar.

There are also dental oral rinses and Breathalyser water additives to help with oral hygiene.

Once tartar is formed on your pet’s teeth, your veterinarian will need to scale and polish your pet’s teeth under anesthesia to remove the tartar that is beneath the gum line. Once removed, it is up to you to practice good dental care with your pet with daily brushing and other dental products to keep the mouth healthy.

I hope everyone had a great Holiday. I was blessed with a weekend with my kids and grandkids. Heather and Bird came up and brought Jaelyn who will be 3 in February and London who just turned 1. Dawn and Matt also joined us before they headed off to California. Dawn is the music director for the Conroe High School and Matt for the Willis School District. The Conroe band will be marching in the Rose Bowl Parade tomorrow morning on New Year’s Day. They will be band number 53, so if you are watching the parade, keep an eye out for them.

The clinic will be closed this weekend for the holiday and we will be open on Monday.

We closed early today, but before I could slip home, we did have to do an emergency surgery on Taz. Taz came in just before we were headed out not feeling well. Dad had given her a ham bone yesterday and thought that may be what was ailing her. A cursory exam revealed an enlargement in her belly. I wasn’t sure if it was from the ham bone or something else, but after taking some radiographs and an ultrasound, we discovered that Taz had some stones in her bladder and a few of the stones had slipped down into her urethra and plugged her up like a cork in a champagne bottle. (Since it is New Years I thought that description was aprapro).

She was not able to urinate and her bladder was distended and the urine was backing up into her kidneys causing her kidneys to start shutting down and toxins were building up in her body. Being New Years Eve, it was too late to try to find a surgeon for her and she definitely couldn’t wait, so Tamara and I sent everyone home, locked the front door, turned off the phones and got to work on Taz to remove the stones from her bladder and urethra. We flushed over a hundred smaller stones and I had to massage the larger stones out of her urethra and flush them out of her bladder. The surgery went well and Taz will be staying at the clinic for a few days until she is up and eating and can urinate on her own.

Taz’s surgery reminded me of all the other holidays and birthday’s I had to stay late for emergency surgeries. One year, an Irish Wolfhound got into some antifreeze on New Year’s Eve, and we had to spend all day on New year’s day giving her some alcohol as the antidote while we counted inventory.

Then there was the C-section I had to do on Good Friday, and a pyometra surgery I had to do on Heather’s birthday.

But the new Christmas puppies I get to see like Precious, make up for all the late nights and extra hours.

I want to wish all my friends and pets a wonderful New Year and I guess I will see you Next Year.

As of this morning 12,000 animals were recovered by the SPCA, City of Arlington Officials and members of the North Texas Humane Society. One respondent reported over 2000 iguanas were already dead and there were still more to be found.

A hearing will be held in 10 days to determine if the animals will be returned to the owner or left in custody of the animal shelters. Read more from the news by clicking the link below.

http://www.myfoxhouston.com/dpp/news/local/091215-exotic-animals-raid

But give them a break!  Winterize their environment to keep them comfortable during the colder months.

Providing adequate shelter from the elements is the key to a healthy outdoor pet.  The healthy animal that has a cozy refuge where he can seek from the cold wind, driving rain, sleet, and snow will be better able to tolerate cold temperatures.

Pet’s shelters should be tightly constructed so there are no big cracks or gaping holes for drafts to whistle through.

The doorway should be just big enough for the animal to get through, and positioned away from prevailing winds.  The shelter itself should be just big enough for the animal to stand up and turn around in comfortably. Any bigger than that is just extra space to be warmed by your animal’s body heat, requiring that much more energy to stay warm.
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Insulation may be added between the roof and an inside ceiling to help maintain a constant temperature.  Building the shelter up off the ground several inches and adding insulation underneath will greatly add to the animal’s comfort.

If you use commercial insulation, be sure it is sealed away from the animal, especially the curious chewer, by tight flooring and/or ceiling.  Since these materials can be harmful, if you have doubts about keeping them away from your animals, insulate with cedar shavings.

Adding bedding of cedar shavings will give the animal something to burrow into on extremely cold days, helping him to maintain a comfortable body temperature.

If you use other bedding, it should be changed at least once a week and checked frequently to be sure it is clean and dry.  Because it cannot be kept clean and dry, old carpeting does not make good bedding.  Besides, carpeting is a great temptation to many animals, who may respond to your good intentions by shredding it all over your yard.

Position the shelter where it will receive the most available sunlight.  Shrubs and bushes or solid wood fences on the shady side of the shelter will offer additional protection.

Sick, injured, very young or old, short-haired and habitually indoor animals should not be left outside for extended periods of time in cold weather.  These animals are more susceptible to harm from the cold, and may even suffer hypothermia, or too low body temperature.

Symptoms of hypothermia include altered consciousness, shallow and infrequent breathing a slow or absent pulse, delayed or absent reflexes, and dilated pupils.  Survival depends on how long the animal’s body temperature has been lowered and to what extent.

If your pet is stricken with hypothermia, wrap in blankets, being careful not to obstruct breathing, and bring to the clinic immediately.  Treatment must be directed at rewarming (internally as well as externally if hypothermia is severe), and maintenance of vital body functions.

Frostbite or freezing of tissue can also occur in winter, but is rare in healthy, well-nourished animals.

Frostbite of the tips of tails of cats and short-haired animals is probably the most common cold injury.  This usually requires no treatment unless secondary infection develops.

Deep-freezing of tissues rarely occurs except in animals that have been physically injured or caught in wildlife traps that cut off circulation.  In this type of situation, it is imperative to seek professional veterinary assistance, keeping the frozen part frozen and protected from trauma during transportation.  Avoid thawing followed by re-freezing, as this will result in more tissue damage.

No pet should be out in zero and sub-zero weather for more than a few minutes at a time without adequate shelter.  When the weather gets this cold, provide additional bedding or consider bringing the pets inside.
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Winter is not a time to begin keeping an animal outside.  Acclimatization should begin in warm weather, permitting gradual increase in hair growth as temperatures become cooler.

Be sure to feed adequate amounts of food to produce enough body heat to maintain normal body temperature.  Remember since their water will freeze outside, you will need to provide a fresh drink at least twice a day.

A little extra attention and common sense will keep your companion animals comfortable all winter long.