Why you should have your pet’s teeth cleaned?

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While it is true that 20-30 years ago, it was not routine to have veterinarians talk about our pet’s teeth as being important to their health, healthcare for our pets has exponentially improved over those years. Pets are living longer and a lot more is known about preventative healthcare than ever before.

There is absolutely no doubt that good dental hygiene is as important to our pets’ health as it is to ours. While dogs and cats don’t have the same social and cosmetic stigma attached to bad breath and stained teeth that people would experience, they are certainly affected by the same medical complications that may arise.

Not only do they develop bad breath, tartar build-up, gingivitis and gum recession, but these problems, if left untreated, can lead to tooth-root exposure, tooth-root abscesses, loss of teeth and pain. Indeed, having bacteria-harboring tartar against an inflamed gum line can lead to bacteria entering the bloodstream. From there, it can travel to other organs like the heart and kidneys, causing kidney infections and endocarditis (inflammation of the valves in the heart), which leads to heart murmurs and decreased heart function.

When a pet is scheduled for a dental cleaning, it is basically scheduled to have exactly what we have done at our dentist’s office – even down to the ultrasonic scaler and bubble-gum flavored polish. The only difference is that pet’s really must be under general anesthesia to allow a thorough examination of the mouth and adequate cleaning of the teeth. Even the most docile dog or cat cannot hold their mouth open and allow the veterinarian to work effectively.

Anesthesia and your pet
Of course, anesthesia is always the main concern – not only to the pet’s owner, but also to the pet’s doctor. That’s why it is important to follow your veterinarian’s recommendations regarding a pre-anesthetic work-up to be certain that anesthesia will carry the least risk possible. In young, healthy patients, this work-up is usually minimal. But in our senior pets, many times the veterinarian may recommend bloodwork, a urinalysis and an EKG to be sure there are no underlying, pre-existing age related problems that could make anesthesia more of a risk. Depending upon the results of those tests, it may be decided to postpone the anesthesia and dental cleaning until more serious problems can be addressed. At the very least, those results may indicate that an alteration to the anesthetic protocol may benefit the pet. Also, especially in older patients, it is wise to place an IV catheter and give fluids throughout the procedure to help them process the anesthesia more effectively.

Providing dental care for your pet while they are still awake is not advised. First of all, the chipping off of tartar that the individual may be capable of with a pet that is awake is purely cosmetic. They cannot possibly clean adequately beneath the gum line which is where bad breath and the real problems mentioned above begin. It is also very easy to damage the tooth and do trauma to the gums while trying to chip tartar away. Chipping and scratching of the tooth itself may also be a risk. Arguably the most important part of a teeth cleaning is thorough polishing because a smoothly polished tooth does not have a rough surface to which food particles and plaque can more easily cling. Your pet may appear to have cleaner teeth, but those practices will actually damage the tooth and make the problem worse.

Brushing your pet’s teeth
If you can train your pet to allow you to brush their teeth on a daily basis, you can reduce the number of dental cleanings necessary by extending the amount of time between those cleanings. Once tartar has developed, no amount of brushing can remove it. But if you are starting with a young, healthy mouth or a mouth that has just had a professional teeth cleaning under general anesthesia by a veterinarian, you can greatly improve your pet’s oral health and avoid an anesthetic episode at least in the near future.

We have several brochures at Case Veterinary Hospital and on our website to give you more helpful information and tips on how to care for your pet’s teeth. Together with your veterinarian, you can keep your beloved pet’s teeth and gums healthy and pain-free throughout their lifetime.

About the author: Dr. Carla Case-McCorvey, veterinarian and owner of Case Veterinary Hospital, grew up in the business that was first begun by her great-grandfather in 1909. After graduating from the University of Georgia’s College of Veterinary Medicine in 1999, Carla followed both her grandfather and father and now enjoys being the 4th generation (yet first woman) to run the family practice, which is celebrating its 100th Anniversary in Savannah, Georgia.

For more information about Savannah’s full-service small animal hospital, Case Veterinary Hospital, go to www.casevet.com

Pet weight gain and neutering – are they connected?

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Neutering not only helps to control the pet population, but it also decreases inappropriate elimination and destructive behavior, as well as decreases or eliminates the potential for many health problems.

Some owners notice that their pets gain weight in the months following the surgery, but research has not proven a direct relationship between neutering pets and subsequent weight gain. Though some pet owners report that their neutered pets have gained weight, we should not assume that one caused the other. Most pets are neutered at 6 months of age, which is the stage in their life in which they may begin to gain weight regardless of whether they are neutered. The bottom line is that our pets, like us, will gain weight if they consume more calories than they use.

Some pets may “slow down” somewhat once they are neutered. Sometimes, this is one of the reasons a frustrated owner of a particularly hyperactive or destructive pet chooses to neuter. But that only means that that particular pet needs to be given fewer calories to combat weight gain. The benefits of neutering pets far outweigh the slight possibility of needing to reduce their food consumption or increase their exercise.

Make the choice to have your pet neutered, then focus on maintaining a healthy weight if weight gain even becomes an issue.

Pets gain weight because calorie consumption exceeds calorie expenditure. Simply put, they’re eating more than their activity level requires.

There are three areas in which this balance can be adjusted:
1. Decrease the amount of food our pets eat by focusing on portion control.
2. Change their diet to a food lower in calories.
3. Increase their exercise.

Your veterinarian can help you determine the correct amount of food that your pet requires, which is very dependent upon the type of food being fed. Often, owners are unknowingly giving their pets twice the recommended daily allowance, which would pack the weight onto any pet – neutered or not. There are many commercial diets available with fewer calories, increased fiber, or specific protein and carbohydrate ratios formulated to encourage weight loss. Your veterinarian can prescribe an appropriate diet tailored to your pet’s specific needs.

Keeping your pet at his or her ideal weight will have a tremendous impact on their health, comfort and quality of life. Being fit decreases the potential for diabetes, heart disease and many other health-related issues. Carrying less excess weight also alleviates stress on joints thereby decreasing arthritis pain as our pets age.

About the author: Dr. Carla Case-McCorvey, veterinarian and owner of Case Veterinary Hospital, grew up in the business that was first begun by her great-grandfather in 1909. After graduating from the University of Georgia’s College of Veterinary Medicine in 1999, Carla followed both her grandfather and father and now enjoys being the 4th generation (yet first woman) to run the family practice, which is celebrating its 100th Anniversary in Savannah, Georgia.

For more information about Savannah’s full-service small animal hospital, Case Veterinary Hospital, go to www.casevet.com