You know how we always hope someone would tell us if we had bad breath? Well, your pet’s counting on you to be that true friend. Act accordingly by brushing up on the importance of cat and dog dental health care!
According to the American Veterinary Dental Society, 80% of dogs and 70% of cats have some degree of periodontal disease by age three. Periodontal disease can not only cause infection, bone loss and painful abscesses in the mouth, but we’re becoming increasingly aware of whole-body issues relating to problems starting in the mouth. Serious forms of kidney, heart, and liver disease have all been linked to bacteria entering the bloodstream from a dental infection.
Proper pet dental care has two components: home care and veterinary care.
Home is where the health is.
Clients often ask me how often they should brush their pet’s teeth. I always ask them how often they clean their own! The same rules apply; it’s bacteria and plaque that are causing the damage. Brushing your pet’s teeth once daily is the #1 way to reduce the risk of dental disease in your pets.
An instructional video on how to do this for dogs can be found here on the Virbac website. Virbac makes a wide range of dental health products for pets, and I’ve had particularly good luck with their enzymatic toothpastes. For cats, it can be a little different, but Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine has produced an educational video to help.
Home care can also include specialist diets (e.g. Hill’s t/d), medicated chews (e.g. Virbac C.E.T. dental chews) and even supplements you can add to their drinking water (e.g. Oxyfresh Pet Oral Hygiene Solution).
The professional touch.
While there is an increasing level of specialization in the veterinary field, your regular veterinarian can still take care of most of your pet’s health needs, including dental care. Your veterinarian will examine your pet’s mouth during their annual exam and assess whether or not a dental cleaning is required.
These cleanings are performed while your pet is under anesthesia, as this allows a complete exam of your pet’s mouth while enabling veterinary staff to thoroughly clean and polish the teeth. It also allows them to assess the areas below the gum-line that you can’t see and determine whether there are any teeth that may require additional work or even extraction.
Some pets can go their whole lives without requiring a dental cleaning, whereas some will need it annually. Breed often has a lot to do with this; some breeds just have bad teeth! Whether it’s because of overcrowding of the mouth or the species of bacteria they cultivate, breeds like the Yorkshire Terrier, Bichon Frise, Miniature Pinscher and Greyhound are particularly prone to dental disease and may require more frequent treatment than others.
So, to paraphrase my dentist, you don’t have to look after all of your pet’s teeth, just the ones you want them to keep! Seriously, dental disease in our pets is a subject that is starting to receive more and more attention as we make links between poor dental health and poor health overall. Looking after your pet’s teeth really can benefit them more than just getting extra kisses because of nice-smelling breath!
Everyone’s tired of hearing about the flu. After this past flu season, it’s hard to even hear the word without thinking about all the people you know that have missed work or school because of flu-related sickness. But now you hear your dog can get the flu? What’s up with that?
First of all, what is flu? Since H1N1 hit the headlines last year, we’ve been subject to news reports, newspaper articles and internet stories that tell us exactly that. Recap: it’s caused by a virus called influenza, it spreads easily and it affects mainly the respiratory system.
Simple, right? Not quite – first of all, it doesn’t just affect people. Horses, pigs, cattle, birds and, yes, that’s right, dogs, can also catch their own specific types of flu. The different strains of influenza virus are named for two specific proteins that vary depending on the specific virus (these are what the H and the N indicate). Where the human “swine flu” is H1N1, the canine flu is H3N8.
How does Fido catch CIV?
Because of how easily the virus can be transmitted, dogs that share air-spaces are the most at risk for infection. A dog infected with the H3N8 virus can spread the virus around an animal shelter, boarding home or even a dog park rapidly and effectively. Not all dogs that contract the virus will show symptoms, but they can still be carriers for the virus.
So, how can you tell if your dog has been infected with H3N8 virus? Well, without a clinical test you can't be 100% sure, but there are some symptoms that infected dogs may show one or more of:
• coughing
• runny nose
• fever
The illness can progress rapidly so having your pet seen by a vet soon after noticing any of these problems is important. As with any systemic illness, very old and very young pets are most at risk so pay special attention to these individuals.
While the signs listed above are common for many diseases, your vet can assess whether the history of exposure and the timing of your pet getting sick correlates with them being at risk for CIV infection. If they feel it appropriate, they will recommend blood testing (usually CIV testing requires a blood test on initial presentation, then another in two weeks) and probably some medical treatment.
Treatment tends to be aimed at helping your pet fight the virus himself. Because we can’t treat most viral diseases directly, treatment supports your pet’s normal functions while its immune system eliminates the infection. Giving your pet additional fluids (often by IV), helping him reduce fever with anti-inflammatory medications and then combating any secondary bacterial infections with antibiotics are the mainstays of treatment. Most cases will resolve with home-care within a few days while a few will need hospitalization while he recovers.
What to do?
The logical question on your part, of course, is, “Surely the best way to look after my canine compadre is to prevent him from getting the disease altogether?” Absolutely; an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, as they say.
Let’s take the basic facts of infection: your pet can be infected by another dog through direct contact, sharing air-space or through the infected pet’s saliva on food bowls, toys or even people’s hands.
So, how do you avoid your pet being infected? If your pet is a home-body and never leaves the couch, there’s very little cause for concern. Similarly, if you carry your Chihuahua around in his own custom carrier, he’s highly unlikely to be infected. The group most at risk includes pets that stay at boarding kennels, go to day-care, attend mixed obedience classes, or are in any other situation that results in dogs mixing or spending prolonged periods of time “breathing that same air”. Obviously, to help reduce the risk of infection, all good pet facilities thoroughly clean all bowls and toys that could be used by different pets as well as washing their hands between handling pets (and it makes good sense that pet owners should do the same).
The good news is that, if your pet is considered “at-risk”, there’s now a vaccine available to help protect your pet. In fact, many kennels and doggy day-care facilities are now requiring a CIV vaccine before they allow your pet to stay with them. (To be effective, the vaccine requires two injections two to four weeks apart; contact your veterinarian for more information.)
In summary, while CIV is nothing to be *sneezed* at, you can ensure that you keep your pets safe by staying informed and following your vet’s advice.
As a cat owner, you know that your feline can be finicky at times – even when it comes to her cat litter. While there's no shortage of litter options on the store shelves, how do you know which litter is best for your choosy cat? Hopefully, you’re already using an option that works for you and your cat (or at least well enough to avoid unfortunate non-litter box accidents!) but is the litter you’re using the best option for you, your cat and, let’s not forget, the environment?
Cat litter has come a long way since it hit the market in the ’40's and 50’s. Back then, sand, dirt, and even ash were considered acceptable uses for litter, until a clay-based litter developed by Edward Lowe called "Kitty Litter" was created and began to populate the market. Fast forward to 2010 and clay-based cat litters have evolved from a substrate that simply absorbs urine into scoopable clumping litters that currently dominate the store shelves.
Clay-based litters typically contain impure clay called bentonite. Bentonite is used in cat litter because it can absorb liquids such as urine quickly and efficiently, trapping the waste and odor. It doesn't hurt that bentonite is readily mined and cheap to use, as well. Unfortunately, clay-based litter isn't as environmentally-friendly as other types – which is why more than 2 million tons of cat litter, much of it clay-based, end up in landfills each year.
As technology has advanced over the years, so has the number of natural materials that can be used to create cat litter. Wood pulp from trees such as ash, aspen, and pine, as well as corn, wheat, peanut shells, even recycled newspapers have all come into play in the litter box. The obvious benefit to these are that they are from renewable sources instead of mined clay. Also, the food-based litters can be somewhat more digestible when swallowed inadvertently by our pets.
Let’s face it, cat litter isn’t necessarily what we’d usually consider a threat to our pets’ health but there is some controversy over whether certain cat litters can adversely affect your pet:
- Intestinal obstruction? Several individuals have reported that they have lost (usually young) cats due to intestinal blockage caused by clumping cat litter. While the loss of any pet is obviously tragic, I struggle to see this as a tangible risk to feline health. With the huge number of cats using clumping cat litter around the world, I would have to expect to see more veterinary-documented cases of intestinal obstruction due to cat litter if this were a common problem. Having said that, in the spirit of prevention, I usually avoid clumping litters in cats under 4 weeks of age and keep an eye on cats and dogs around the litter box; if anyone is eating appreciable amounts of litter, I would consider a change to non-clumping litter.
- Dust allergies? This is a concern I can certainly jump on-board with. As with people, if your pets have respiratory allergies or asthma, litters that are overly dusty can certainly exacerbate these conditions. Using a low-dust litter like Yesterday’s News (made from recycled newspapers) can be beneficial in these cases.
OK, now you’ve got a litter that you’re happy isn’t going to make Kitty sick, what to do with the treats that your feline pal leaves in the litter box? Fortunately, there are an increasing number of options when it comes to disposal of litter:
- Flushable – For those of us that hate carrying the litter out to the trash can and cringe at the landfill we’re helping to create, flushable litters can be a viable option. Before using a flushable litter, please check that your state allows cat litter to be flushed and that your septic system is approved for this type of waste.
- Automatic litter boxes – Several of my clients have reported great success using automated litter boxes like the Cat Genie that hook directly to your septic supply and even washes and dries the special plastic cat litter! While they can initially be a little pricey, converts rave about never having to scoop again and all the money they save on cat litter! Also, like flushing, this minial handling of cat waste helps to prevent you pet passing along any transmissable diseases like toxoplasmosis.
- Toilet training – While I have yet to see it personally, people are starting to train their cats to use the toilet! Anyone remember Mr. Jinx in the Ben Stiller/Robert De Niro comedy Meet the Parents? A recent article in the Wall Street Journal lifts the lid on this phenomenon and points out some of the potential difficulties and dangers.
So now that we know what’s out there, what should you choose? Personally, I’ve settled on a corn based litter called, unashamedly, World’s Best Cat Litter. It may cost a little more per bag but I found that I use a lot less of it than my previous clumping litter. Initially, I chose the multicat formula for my three cats but found that it had a ripe, “foody” smell (assumedly from the corn derivative) so switched back to the regular kind which appears to be pretty much odorless. I mixed a little of their old brand cat litter (slightly used) in with the new type initially and the transition seems to be have been relatively smooth.
Whether you end up choosing clumping or non-clumping, natural or clay-based, or any of the other options available, a good rule of thumb to maintain a fresh litter box is to scoop out any waste found daily and change the litter completely every 2-4 weeks. This will not only keep the litter box clean and smelling fresh, but it will reduce the risk of any nasty bacteria finding its way out of the litter box on a traveling paw.
Most of us are familiar with the "12 days of Christmas" jingle often heard this time of the year, in which someone's true love gives to them an ark's worth of animals – from calling birds to French hens to swans a singing. But not everyone is prepared to welcome a menagerie home during the holidays.
A cute, fluffy kitten or tongue-wagging puppy may look like the perfect Christmas present (especially when they're staring at you with those big, buy-me eyes), but the decision to bring a pet home is best made after the holidays, for a number of reasons:
Holidays are hectic
Pets are living creatures that require care, food, shelter, and lots of time and personal attention. The holidays can be hectic, with time hard to come by, so it is difficult to give a new pet, especially a puppy or kitten, the time and attention it requires while you're worried about wrapping presents and picking up your Santa suit from the cleaners.
The decision to add a pet to your family should be best left until after the stress of the holidays dies down and you and your family can think about whether or not bringing home a new pet makes sense; waiting until after the holidays will make the pet’s transition into a new home easier, as he won’t have to deal with guests or dangerous holiday hazards such as chocolate, mistletoe, or ornaments.
Pets are not toys
Giving a pet as a gift can also send the wrong message, especially to a child. A child may equate that pet as a gift, "something to play with," rather than an animal that requires very specific needs to survive. Toys that children receive at Christmastime are commodities – goods for which there are demand – such as the hottest new toy on the market or the latest gaming system. Ironically, the hottest toy on the market this year has the word pet in its title – Zhu Zhu Pets. Real pets, on the other hand, are additions to the family – living, breathing, pooping, and barking additions that are not at all like toys. If a pet is given as a Christmas gift, a child may become disappointed with the work involved with the "gift" (it’s certainly more work than a Zhu Zhu Pet) and could lose interest after a short amount of time.
Don't bite off more than you can chew
Much like retail stores, animal shelters swell with “buyers” around the holidays, and fill with "returns" after people realize they've bitten off more than they can chew (or when the new pup has bitten off more than he can chew of the family room couch). People fall in love with the novelty and cuteness of a puppy or kitten and often forget about the other things that come along with a new four-legged friend, such as trips to the vet, food, intensive potty training, and etc.
One of the biggest things that people don't account for is the cost of owning a pet. According to the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association Pet Owners Survey, dog owners spend $219 and cat owners spent $175 on routine veterinary visits (vaccines and wellness exams) annually. I would say those are incredibly conservative numbers. In many cases, the cost of pet ownership can run in the hundreds to thousands per year, especially if your pet gets sick, injured, or otherwise. Those costs can be offset greatly by investing in pet insurance and following a healthy lifestyle that includes a good diet and plenty of exercise, but there will still be some cost involved to the owner.
As a veterinarian, I'm interested in helping you make the best choices possible for your pets, which is why I recommend you wait until after the holidays to make the decision to bring a new pet home. Instead of bringing the pet home right away, give the person a picture of the pet as a gift for the time being, and wait until everything is ready to go pick the pet up. The process will be easier once holiday hazards are gone, and you will have given the person responsible for the care of the animal enough time to prepare, both mentally and financially, for the new arrival.
Another Christmas is just around the corner, and its certainly not the first for your senior pet. But what do you get the pet that has given you everything?
Your senior pet has received his fair share of bones, toys, and treats over the years from Santa Paws, but as he enters his twilight years, consider giving him gifts that will make his senior years more comfortable. Below are some gift ideas to help your old friend feel as young as a puppy on Christmas morning:
Joint Supplements
Senior pets often benefit from additional supplements that help ease some of the effects of aging on joints, which "break down", much like parts of a motor, from use over time. Glucosamine and chondroitin are two parts of healthy cartilage that are available in supplement form for joint support. Supplementing your senior pet with glucosamine and chondroitin will help support the cartilage in his joints that have worn down over time, making those cherished early evening walks enjoyable for him well into his later years. Ask your vet about which supplements would be best for your aging pet; specific veterinary formulations can have added benefits over and above the joint support.
Steps/Ramps
In old joints, erosion of cartilage and long-term inflammation can lead to arthritis. In many of our pets, it’s inevitable, I’m afraid. For a pet that has arthritis, movement can be stiff and sometimes painful. They may not be as active as in the past, or as eager to jump up to their favorite resting spot. If your pet still loves to sleep on the bed or ride in the car but has a hard time making the leap, you can give him a lift with stairs or ramps designed to give your senior pet the boost he needs. They won't stop him from hogging the sheets, though.
Accident Control Aides
Older pets can have a hard time controlling their bladder, leading to messy and unwelcome accidents in the house. If your senior pet is dealing with incontinence, the first thing you should do is take them to the vet to determine the severity of the problem. If your vet believes home control is an option, there are a couple of items that you might want to pack under the Christmas tree this year. The first are some "piddle pads" which allow your pet to go to the bathroom close by, rather than outside, when emergency strikes. They are especially handy for lining crates or areas where your pet sleeps in case of an accident. Look for ones that are washable and reusable for the best value. If more complete control is necessary, you can get some diapers for your pet, but they must be changed often to maintain good hygiene. Talk to your veterinarian about the best option for your senior pet's incontinence.
A Soft, Thick, Orthopedic Bed
Your senior pet loves sitting by the Christmas tree as kids open the presents, but it may be hard on him. Keep sore, aching joints off cold, hardwood floors this winter with a thick orthopedic bed. Pet beds are available in a number of styles and materials to best suit your individual pet's condition, size, and needs. A bed thick and large enough to support your pet when he lays down should suffice. If he needs extra warmth, consider choosing a bed made of self-warming fabric (usually these contain a foil sheet that reflects your pet’s warmth back to them – very space-age!). If your pet is dealing with incontinence, choose a bed that has a removable, waterproof liner that you can clean whenever an accident occurs.
Senior Pet Food
As pets grow gray and "long in the tooth", their metabolism slows and their teeth wear down, so purchasing your pet a quality senior pet food formulated specifically to meet his nutritional needs is important. No senior dog is the same, so discuss with your vet the best type of food for your pet's specific diet needs and then seek out a food that meets those needs best.
Food that is lower in calories and higher in fiber, protein and vitamins should give your less-active senior pet the nutrition he needs to stay strong for years to come.
Your pet, of course! It’s not always easy being green, but at Petplan, we believe it’s definitely worth it. We’re committed to helping animals and the earth by reducing our carbon paw prints. From less paper at the office to more natural care for our pets, Petplan’s green initiatives continue to spark media interest. The latest report, published on the AMEX openforum gets our culture right; we’re a Lean, Green Pet Insurance Machine.
And nobody knows this better than our pets. Whether they’re visiting our pet-friendly office or living it up at the dog park, we’ve got our pets living greener than ever. Move over plastic scoop bags, the green machine’s got something better. Check it out!
Bulk Up. Fresh, local, nutritious foods and treats not only protect your pet’s health, but the earth as well. Find a local resource you trust and buy in bulk to cut down on packaging and gas emissions on your way to the store.
Get in Gear. Organic fabrics bring cozy comfort to your pet’s accessories and bedding. Choose top quality products made from recycled or sustainable fibers for a greener getup.
Mr. Green. Whether it’s your pet himself, or the mess he makes, let’s face it, you’re doing a lot of cleaning. Why not try earth and pet-safe products for all the dirty jobs? Pick grooming products made from natural ingredients without perfumes or additives that may bother your pet’s senses. And when it comes to cleaning, pass on the sulfates, phosphates or chemicals in favor of earth-safe alternatives.
The Poop on Scoop Bags. If it’s plastic, it’s landfill, no matter what’s inside. Join the pet care revolution. Choose bio-degradable bags to scoop responsibly.
Litterific! Now your kitty can spare the landfill last week’s litter with a flushable alternative featuring highly absorbent proteins and fibers made from natural corn. The finished product is an odor-controlling, clumping, dust-free litter box experience modestly called the World’s Best Cat Litter.
For even more tips on greener pet care, stop by Planet Green.
Let’s face it: cancer is never a good word to hear. While you’re probably used to hearing it being applied to diseases in people, we should all be aware that cancer can affect our pets too. In fact, figures suggest that cancer plagues our four-legged friends as much as it does our human family, with almost 50% of all disease-related pet deaths resulting from complications of some form of cancer.
As a practitioner, I’m not personally a big fan of using the word “cancer”; I think it’s too vague to accurately describe to most of the things we come across. When you consider that a small, completely harmless skin tag can be called “cancer”, then compare that to an aggressive bone tumor which can be labeled using the same word, you can probably see what I mean. When dealing with such important matters, it’s important to learn some basic terms:
Neoplasia – (Pronounce it with the word “play” in the middle) The medical term for “cancer”, it means “new growth” in Greek. And cancer is just that; a very simple definition is that cancer is an uncontrolled reproduction of cells.
Tumor – The abnormal growth caused by the neoplastic/cancerous disease process. Tumors can be of almost any conceivable size and shape depending on the type of cell that is affected.
Benign – A “good” word to be using about any form of cancer. Benign tumors do not tend to invade neighboring tissues or spread to other parts of the body. Benign tumors often don’t even need to be removed but, if necessary, surgical removal usually cures the problem
Malignant – The opposite of benign. Malignant tumors can grow very quickly and are often able to spread through the bloodstream (metastasize). Many forms of cancer can be “staged” to assess how malignant they are.
Now we have some useful terms, let’s get back to what happens when we’re in a position where we have to use these words about our pets:
First rule? Don’t panic. Get the facts. We’re in a position to know more about these diseases and the options to treat them than ever before. In fact, some of our treatments are more advanced than those in human medicine. For example, in 2007 we saw the release of the first vaccine in any species that was developed for treatment of a neoplastic disease. The melanoma vaccine by Merial has been undergoing clinical trials for the past two years and has seen excellent results.
The tidal wave of veterinary specialization that has swelled up over the past ten to twenty years means that we now have dedicated oncologists for our pets that can help advise owners on the most up-to-date options for treatment of their pets. Having said that, more advanced care comes with a more advanced price tag. When you realize that chemotherapy, radiotherapy and surgery are often viable treatments for some forms of cancer, you can appreciate that costs stack up.
Cancer treatment is one of the areas where I think that people really see the value in their Petplan insurance. We’ve paid claims for all types of neoplasia including bone cancer, mast cell tumors, lymphoma and even brain tumors. While not all of these stories have happy endings, our policyholders are always grateful for the ability to do everything they can for their pets without having to worry about the financial implications of expensive and protracted veterinary care.
So, now you know some words about cancer and have some information about what we can do. Hopefully you feel a little better. While you have a more hopeful feeling, and since it’s Pet Cancer Awareness Month, I encourage you to help support those dedicated to finding a cure for cancer and the pets that are affected by cancer in our lives.
· Spread Awareness - Talk with your veterinarian and other pet owners about pet cancer. Joint a support group. Volunteer at a local animal cancer center or to help with a fundraising event. Anything you can do to help will benefit the cause for a cure.
· Spread the Wealth - There are a number of programs, institutions, and foundations set up to help contribute important funding to cancer research and pet care; below are just a few, and I’m sure they’d love your support (monetarily or otherwise):
http://www.csuanimalcancercenter.org/
http://www.chaseawayk9cancer.org/
http://petcancerawareness.org/
http://fetchacure.com/
Admit it! While you and your family enjoy all that Halloween candy, you feel terribly guilty when your dogs look up at you with those begging saucer eyes. They’re just dying to get their paws on one little piece of that Halloween candy haul. But like any good pet parent knows, the sugary candies and chocolates passed out on Halloween can be very dangerous, or even deadly for dogs. But that certainly doesn’t mean our little friends should get left out every October 31. Your pooch keeps you and your family company on the door-to-door trick or treat visits. Don’t they deserve a treat too? And what about all those canine ghouls at your doorstep – don’t let them leave empty-pawed this year.
Whip up a little something just for them. This recipe for pumpkin dog biscuits serves up autumnal flair for Halloweenies that go bump (or woof) in the night. Here’s what you’ll need:
1-1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup white flour
1/2 cup water + 1 tablespoon water
2 tablespoons dry milk
1/3 cup corn meal
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 cup oats
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
Mix all the ingredients together to a thick consistency. Then roll it out about a quarter-inch thick on a cooking sheet. Cut the dough into two-inch long strips and arrange them on a cooking sheet. Then bake for one hour at 350. For extra crunch, turn off the oven and allow the biscuits to sit over night (out of paw’s reach).
No time to bake? No problem. Consider passing out pre-made Halloween dog treats on the big night. Healthyhoundbakery.com uses only natural, healthy ingredients in all their homemade holiday treats.
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