Doggy Dental Downers

What’s Happening In Fido’s Mouth?

Whether your pooch has stinky smooches or crooked teeth, it’s a good idea to keep a close eye on what goes on inside his mouth. Just ask your veterinarian – your dog’s mouth is the gateway to his good health.

Here are some common oral conditions dogs may encounter:

Calculus, or tartar. Tartar looks a little different in dogs than it does in humans. In dogs, calculus is generally brown (instead of yellow, as it is in humans). This condition, which overlaps both the tooth and the gum line, is one of the most common dental problems that dogs may encounter. If left untreated, calculus can lead to abscesses and tooth loss. Moreover, an extreme case of calculus can lead to internal organ damage because bacteria can travel from the teeth into the blood stream.

Brushing your dog’s teeth, or gently rubbing his teeth with gauze, will help prevent the buildup and subsequent hardening of plaque and forming of calculus.

Malocclusions. This dental problem that is commonly faced by puppies when an adult tooth erupts before the baby tooth has fallen out. This can cause inflammation and tooth breakdown, and, if left untreated, sometimes causes an infection. Malocclusions can also cause adult teeth to erupt in the wrong position. Malocclusions cannot be prevented, but keeping an eye out for them can keep them from causing any harm. The critical window to monitor your puppy’s mouth is between 14 and 24 weeks old. If you suspect an adult tooth is growing in below or behind a baby tooth, call your dog’s veterinarian.

Gingivitis. Just like in humans, harmful bacteria in the mouth can build up on teeth, causing inflammation. This is called gingivitis. This inflammation can, in turn, lead to receding gums, loose teeth and, eventually, tooth loss. This is another reason to make sure your dog’s teeth are free from plaque.

Periodontal disease. Harmful bacteria strikes again! Periodontal disease is a serious, harmful condition caused by an imbalance of harmful bacteria in your dog’s mouth. One of the primary symptoms of periodontal disease in dogs is bleeding gum, so look for red or dark brown spots on your dogs chew toys. Severe periodontal disease in dogs has been linked to kidney failure, heart conditions and other life-threatening illnesses. If you suspect your dog has periodontal disease, be sure to contact your vet right away.

You can keep Fido’s breath sweet as a puppy’s and his teeth clean and white by adding a scoop of oral care probiotics to his food once daily. These beneficial bacteria crowd out the bacteria known to cause bad breath.

Eyesight and The Sense of Smell in Our Pets

… Or Why Your Dog Loves Your Smelly Shoes

Our friend Dr. Greg Martinez, author of The Dog Dish Diet dishes with us today about why our dogs LOVE to sniff.

Mammals changed from a nocturnal animal to a daytime creature over 65 million years ago when a huge void opened after the sudden demise of the dinosaurs. The animals that became our present day species did not need full color vision for nighttime hunting. They did need a good sense of smell and hearing. Even if they couldn’t see it, they could smell it or hear it coming…friend or foe.

Most mammals retain poor color vision, except for primates. Believe it or not, some reptiles and birds see color much better than us. Our three-color HD TV would seem a bit lacking in their eyes.

Dogs derive a lot of information and comfort from their 3-D sense of smell. Dogs can tell sex, location, and the last meal by a sniff of a recent acquaintance. Combine that with body language and they can tell attitude and intentions as well. They don’t need to engage in much small talk, just some butt smelling and body language.

When I come home from work, my dogs try to see how many cats and dogs I have worked on that day. Some days they are very interested in a particular case, as they press and sniff with deep inhalations.

Many clients like to tell stories of their dogs’ “fetishes.” Just the other day an owner told me that their dog loves to go through the laundry or floor pile of clothes to find a shirt to take downstairs and lay on. Today a friend told me her 9-month-old bulldog loves to chew on underwear, and actually chewed the crotch out of a new expensive swim suit. The big problem was that she didn’t notice the hole till she wore it out in front of her sister-in –law, who thought it was just a new fashion.

Dogs love odors and the clothes that come in contact with our scent glands are prized possessions. We should be honored. They love us so much that they want us with them, and our body scent is comforting to them. Clothing and shoes that contact scent glands are often at risk for theft and destruction by well meaning dogs. They can’t help it, they are ruled by their noss.

Second-Hand Smoke

Study Finds Link Between Pet’s Health Problems and Owner’s Smoking Habits

Quitting smoking is difficult, but researchers have found one more reason to add to your list: it could be making your cat or dog sick.

Research conducted at Tufts University and the University of Massachusetts showed a link between cats diagnosed with lymph node cancer and contact with second-hand smoke, revealing that cats exposed to secondhand smoke developed lymphoma twice as often as cats in smoke-free homes.

The probably link revealed by the study is likely the way cats groom themselves – because cats groom themselves often, they lick the carcinogens that have been deposited on their fur, causing problems like oral cancer.

Dr. Carolynn Mac Allister, a veterinarian at Oklahoma State University, said cat health is compromised because the grooming “exposes the mucous membrane of their mouth to the cancer-causing carcinogens,” ScienceDaily.com reported.

Additionally, studies have shown that dogs exposed to smoke also had a higher chance of getting cancer. Specifically, dogs with long noses often develop nasal cancer as a result of being exposed to secondhand smoke. Short-nosed and medium dogs often develop lung cancer as a result of being exposed to secondhand smoke.

If quitting isn’t quite in the cards for you today but you would like to do what you can to protect your pets from secondhand smoke, consider smoking outside, or limiting smoking to a designated area of the house to which your pets are not allowed.

A Major Threat to Dog Health

Take Ticks Seriously

It seems like just a few years ago, seeing a tick on your dog was nothing to fear. These days, we know that many ticks are carriers of diseases you won’t want to leave untreated.

A Little Lesson in Ticks

Contrary to popular belief, ticks aren’t insects, but arachnids, like spiders and mites. They have a one-piece body, with tough little barbs around their mouths, making it easier to attach to a host for feeding. They also have strong legs to hold onto the host, and many have a gluey substance on their legs that helps them stay attached once they grab on.
There are upwards of 200 known tick species in the United States, and they have loads of favorite places to hide, including beach grass, woods and lawns.

The Problem with Ticks

Where many pet parents used to simply worry about fleas, and the inconvenience of having a flea infestation on a pet or in our homes, the trouble with ticks is far worse.

Ticks can carry infections they pass along to our pets and even our family members. These infections need to be treated.

If you have removed a tick from your cat or dog and notice lethargy, loss of appetite, fatigue, vomiting, pale gums, swollen joints, fever or fatigue, call your vet right away.

If you have removed a tick from yourself or a family member, save the tick in a bottle of rubbing alcohol or a sealed plastic baggie. Then give your family doctor a call to find out if he wants to have the tick tested to determine if it is a disease-causing tick.

The Dreaded Lyme Disease

Lyme disease is a serious threat to good health, in dogs, cats and humans. The ticks who carry the disease often pick it up from other carriers of the bacteria that cause Lyme disease, including deer, raccoons and squirrels.

Lyme disease is transmitted through the bite of the deer tick, also called the black-legged tick. Symptoms in humans include fatigue, chills and fever, headache, muscle and joint pain, swollen lymph nodes, and a red circular skin rash.

There is a Lyme disease vaccine for dogs. If you live in an area where Lyme disease seems to be a problem (your vet will know) it’s wise to invest in the vaccine.

Stinky Kitty Kisses

What Your Cat’s Bad Breath Could Be Telling You

Does your kitty like to kiss your face? Your chin?

The old wives tale says that when a cat rubs against you with her face – be it your leg, your face, your hand… you get the picture! – she is being affectionate. That’s super cute and sweet, but if she’s rubbing against your face and she has fishy kitty breath? Yuck.

Why do Cats Develop Bad Breath?

Sometimes our cats develop bad breath for the very same reason we might develop bad breath if we never cared for our teeth. A simple build-up of plaque and tartar on your kitty-friend’s teeth can act as a fantastic breeding ground for the bacteria that produce the volatile sulfur compounds responsible for bad breath.

Simply learning to brush your cat’s teeth two to three times each week could eliminate her bad breath. If you’re not that patient, or if you think your cat might not be game for a good tooth brushing, you may consider sprinkling oral care probiotics on her food once a day. These friendly bacteria help reestablish the bacterial balance in your cat’s mouth, crowding out the bacteria responsible for foul-smelling breath.

If your cat’s bad breath cannot be resolved by basic oral care, it could be a sign that something is wrong. If your cat has consistently bad breath, take her to the vet.

If you notice that your cat’s breath smells, look for signs of dental or gum disorders:

• Does your cat seem to be in pain?
• Has her appetite decrease, or does she seem to struggle eating?
• Is you cat unable to keep food in her mouth once she gets it there?
• Does she paw at her mouth?
• Has she begun drooling?

All of the above are symptoms of a dental disorder, which could include an abcessed or damaged tooth, gum disease or even the presence of a foreign object lodged between teeth.

Other Causes of Bad Breath in Kitties

There are also several other underlying conditions that cause feline bad breath that can only be successfully diagnosed by your veterinarian, including kidney disease, feline leukemia virus and feline stomatitis.

Take Good Care of My Baby!

Caring for Your Pets While You’re Away

It’s one of the biggest challenges pet parents face: what to do with their dog or cat while they are away on vacation, and how to prepare the caregivers to take the best possible care of their furry best friends.

Kennel or Caregiver?

First things first: deciding who’s going to take care of your best friend while you’re away.

Many people have a trusted friend or neighbor who is willing to house-sit for a small fee while they are away. This arrangement is great if you want someone to take in the mail and make sure your plants are watered while you are on vacation.

This is an especially good plan for cat owners, since cats require far less time than dogs. Caregivers watching cats simply need to stop by, make sure the cat has plenty of food and water, make sure the litter box is clean and spend some quality time with cats.

Having a trusted friend or neighbor house-sit with a dog is a much more difficult undertaking. The housesitter would need to be available to walk the dog, clean up after it and give it lots of time and attention. Housesitters caring for dogs basically have to be willing to stay at the house with the dog so the dog isn’t too lonely or scared, since lonely, scared dogs can be very destructive.

Pet kennels, on the other hand, are generally staffed around the clock. Dogs and cats that stay at kennels are cared for by multiple employees and are given attention throughout the day. The drawbacks to kenneling include stress on the animals, who may not be used to being surrounded by many other animals, the fact that the animals spend much of their time in crates or pens, and kenneling for long periods can be costly.

Meeting Your Pets Needs

Be sure to figure out everything your pet’s caregiver will need to know well in advance of leaving. Important things like medications can be forgotten in the last-minute rush to get out the door.

Write down your pet’s normal schedule, his preferences for play (making sure the caregiver knows what toys the pet likes to play with will go a long way toward making the vacation easier on both of them!) when he is used to being fed and walked (and how often) and anything else that will make the time go more smoothly.

It’s difficult to leave pets behind when we go on vacation, but if you make sure all of your bases are covered well in advance of your trip, you and your pet can both have a fantastic time while you are out of town.

Thinking About Getting a Pet for Your Kids?

Prepping Children for the Responsibility of Pets

“Mom, PLEASE? The sign said the kittens are FREE!” It’s not uncommon for children to have trouble understanding the responsibility of owning a pet. Here are some ways to set limits and help children understand that even if the sign says “FREE,” having pets is a big job that comes with a pretty substantial price tag.

Discuss the Costs

If your children are old enough to have money of their own – from allowances, birthday gifts, etc. – you should sit down with them and discuss how much it costs to own a pet.

Start with the big expenses, like bills for the veterinarian. Vaccines alone can add up to hundreds of dollars. Add to that the cost of spaying or neutering a pet, and your child will see that the cost of that free kitten is probably far beyond what she has to spend.

After that, discuss the monthly expenses, like food. For some children, the monthly expenses alone will wipe out their available cash.

Discuss the Responsibilities

Just like adults, kids often forget there is a lot of work involved in owning a pet. Set up a sample chore chart of what would need to be done each day if you were to get a pet. If you are considering getting a dog, figure in the amount of time it takes to walk a dog each day, and the amount of time it takes to clean up any messes a dog might make.

Start Small

If you decide, after your child has reviewed the responsibilities of pet ownership, to go ahead and get a new furry family member, consider starting small. Instead of going for that free kitten or adopting a dog from the shelter, consider a smaller pet, like a gerbil or hamster. While there are still expenses and responsibilities with these smaller pets, ownership can be just as enjoyable and far more manageable for children.

Go to the Shelter

If you decide to take the plunge and get a cat or dog, consider adopting one from a shelter. Many of a pets’ veterinary needs are attended to before pets are adopted out from a shelter. The adoption fee is generally far less than that of a spay or neuter alone. Adopting from a shelter can also give you insight into the pet’s personality and whether it would be a good fit for your family.

Before you adopt or purchase a pet for your child, be sure your child is ready for the expense and responsibility of taking care of another family member. After all, you want your child’s first experience with pet-ownership to be wonderful!

Flying with Fido

Finding Safe Ways to Take Our Furry Friends on Vacation

While many of us can’t imagine a vacation without our canine companions – none-the-less boarding our beloved pooches while we are out of town! – it turns out that flying with our dogs can be nothing short of deadly, without proper planning.

If your pooch is portable, your odds of easy air travel increase dramatically. In fact, many airlines allow small dogs (those that can fit in a bag or tiny crate under the seat) to fly for a fee.

Tips for Traveling With a Small Dog

1.    Airlines usually limit the number of small animals allowed in-cabin, so book early.

2.    Your pet is your carry on, so be sure to pack everything else as checked baggage.

3.    Make sure your pet is comfortable enough to make the flight. Dogs don’t get potty breaks on the plane, nor are they allowed out of their crates/bags to stretch their legs.

4.    Check with your veterinarian before you book your flight to be sure your dog is healthy enough to travel whatever distance you are going, and to get advice about sedatives.

About Traveling With Larger Dogs

Unless there is absolutely no other choice in the matter, taking your larger dog (think: anything that doesn’t stow under a plane seat; this will include many smallish dogs!) on planes is simply not a good idea, because they would have to ride in the belly of the plane with the cargo.

Airlines require that larger dogs who are flying in the cargo (or checked baggage hold) of the plane be crated, and while these areas of the plane are also pressurized, the temperature is not regulated. This exposes animals to extreme temperatures in the summer and winter.

It is estimated that about 100 animals are killed, lost or injured during air travel each year.

A Safe Alternative For Those Traveling With Pets

Because there has been no safe alternative for flying with pets for so long, husband and wife Alysa Binder and Dan Wiesel started Pet Airways last summer. Pet Airways travels to major cities, including New York, Washington, Chicago, Denver, and Los Angele, for about $250. Pets flying on Pet Airways fly in the main cabin of an air freight plane that has been lined with pet carriers in place of seats. Pets (about 50 on each flight) are escorted to the plane by attendants that check on the animals every 15 minutes during flight. The pets are also given pre-boarding walks and bathroom breaks.

For our furry friends who need to travel, it seems Pet Airways is pretty much the only way to fly.

More Deadly Than Chocolate

Keep Sugar-Free Products Away From Dogs

Everyone knows that when Halloween, Easter and Christmas all roll around, there is one thing we definitely need to keep out of reach of our pooches: Chocolate. This information has been widely available for a long time. While dogs do tend to have a sweet tooth, we need to keep this particularly tasty treat to ourselves.

In the fields of both dentistry and nutrition, there has been a rising star for a safe and natural sweetener: Xylitol. This tasty sweetener doesn’t have the bitter tastes of other, chemical sweeteners, and, when used in moderation, it also doesn’t have the gastric consequences of most sugar alcohols. What’s more, this tasty sweetener has been found to help decrease the incidence of cavities in those who consume it regularly, making it a favorite choice for those who manufacture sugar-free gums and mints.

Unfortunately, there is a downside to xylitol. We need to keep it far, far away from our dogs. In fact, it is known to be so toxic to our pooches that as little as one to two pieces of sugar-free gum containing xylitol can cause acute liver failure.

The Signs of Xylitol Toxicity

If your dog consumes xylitol in sufficient amounts, he will generally begin vomiting right before his blood sugar plummets (hypoglycemia). Signs of perilously low blood sugar in dogs include weakness and stumbling around, collapsing and sometimes seizures. At that point, liver failure begins.

Get to the Veterinarian!

If you suspect your dog has ingested xylitol, get him to the veterinarian immediately. Bring as much information as you have. If your pet has eaten packaged foods containing xylitol, bring along the packaging and try to estimate how much he has ingested. If you have prepared foods containing xylitol, bring along the recipe and try to work out how much xylitol was in the amount of food he ate.

If treated quickly enough, your dog may survive ingesting xylitol.

Keep Xylitol Out of Reach

Because dogs have a sweet tooth, it’s likely your dog is on the lookout for any food you have left lying around. Be sure to keep packs of gum, mints and other xylitol-containing sweets in places your dog can’t reach.

Penny Pinching

Money Saving Tips for Frugal Pet Owners

As the national rate of unemployment has risen to numbers we haven’t experienced in America for decades, many are considering ways to trim their household budgets and generally spend less.

Luckily there are many simple ways you can trim the expenses of pet ownership.

Tips for Cutting the Expenses of Owning a Pet

Keep track of your pet’s medical needs. If you pet has special medical needs, your veterinarian may have suggestions about how to keep bills under control. If not, seek advice online or from a local shelter. Sometimes shelters sponsor clinic days with local veterinarians who are willing to impart services at lower costs.

Stock up and save. Buying in bulk is a great way to spend less on everything from kitty litter to dog treats. It not only saves you money per serving (or use), it also saves time and gas money.

Take care of oral care. One of the biggest health challenges for pets may be one of the least discussed, and that is, if you don’t take care of your pet’s mouth, it could lead to major health problems down the road. Poor oral care in pets is associated with kidney failure and other serious health concerns. Make sure your pet’s teeth are clean and healthy.

Keep on track with vaccinations and preventative medications. Giving  your pet the medications he needs to keep harmful illnesses and predators (such as ticks and fleas) is much cheaper in the long run than treating an illness or trying to rid a pet – and your house! – of an infestation. This is especially important as veterinarians are reporting a high rate of Lyme disease in pets in areas where Lyme is also epidemic in humans. Treating conditions like Lyme can be costly and time consuming.

Make sure your pet gets exercise. Pets that go for several long walks each week are less likely to have problems with weight and with their joints. Walking is as good for your pet’s health (especially your dog!). Again, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!

Taking simple steps to curb excess spending on pets is a great way to trim your budget and ensure that your pet has the best possible health.