​Dental prophylaxis or a dental cleaning is one of the most common anesthetic procedures done in veterinary clinics. Who has not ever commented on their pet’s breath? Dental disease can cause many problems such as: bad breath, loss of teeth, chronic infections of the gums, inflammation of the kidneys and liver and can interfere with eating and cause pain. Dogs and cats don’t get cavities like people do. Pets primarily have issues with tartar build up and secondary periodontal disease. Tartar or calculus is hardened plaque on the teeth formed by minerals, debris and bacterial action. Pets are also likely to fracture their teeth. Cats do get a cavity-like tooth problem, called “Feline Oral Resoptive Lesions (FORL) also known as “Cervical Line Lesions” (CLL) since they occur on the neck of the tooth (where the tooth meets the gum line). These lesions cause a cats enamel to be eaten away and exposes dentin and the crown of the tooth can fracture off. These lesions are painful for the cat.

The bacteria in the mouth cause the plaque on the teeth to become mineralized. As the tartar worsens and goes under the gum line the tooth will slowly loose its attachment to the bone. This loss of the periodontal ligament is known as a“pocket”. As the pocket worsens from the subgingival (under the gum) infection it will cause the tooth to loosen and may even reach the root area and cause a root abscess. Patients with bad dental disease will have halitosis from the periodontal disease and high bacterial population in the mouth. Giving the patient antibiotics for the teeth will also help the breath. Severe halitosis can be a sign of an abscessed tooth. This is why brushing with antibacterial toothpaste made for your pet is so important. You can use a soft bristle brush and just focus on the outside of teeth along the gum line. It also helps to chew rawhide and other dental treats. There are also dog foods that are made to help prevent tartar build up. Ask your veterinarian what they recommend.

A very common injury in dogs and cats is to get a fractured tooth. Cats tend to fracture their upper canine teeth by bumping them on something hard. They will get swelling at the gum line and may get a sinus infection when the root infection invades the sinus area.  Dogs frequently get slab fractures of their upper fourth premolars from gnawing too hard on a bone or chewing rocks or something else hard. If the pulp canal is exposed (visible as a blood spot) it will eventually lead to a root abscess. A dog with swelling of the face just below the eye may have may have a root abscess. These are painful and require extraction. Advanced dentistry like a root canal can only be done if it is a fresh fracture.

Periodic dental prophylactic cleanings where the teeth are scaled and polished will help slow the progression of gum disease. By removing the tartar you can have a fresh start and then do the brushing and other steps to prevent further tartar build up.  If you do give your pet marrow bones be sure they are cooked and watch to see if your pet tries to crack the bone. If so you should take it away so you don’t have to have visit your veterinarian for an extraction!

​We are often called by our clients for questions about pet’s diarrhea. What can we do at home to treat it and is it serious. We like to know the pet’s signalment (age, breed, and sex), and if the patient is eating still and otherwise normal. If your pet still wants to eat and is not vomiting, you can call for an appointment. If your pet has vomiting and diarrhea you should see your veterinarian as soon as possible. Especially so if the patient is depressed or if it is a small animal (under 15-20 pounds) as they can dehydrate rapidly.

Diarrhea can be caused by everything and by nothing. By that I mean a patient can get diarrhea for no apparent reason, or it can be from very specific reasons. Many times the patient ate something they should not have. We call this garbage gut. If we don’t know it ate something but we suspect it, we will likely assume the pet “got into something”. Often whatever the patient ate favors the “bad” bacteria, such as the Clostridium which can form spores. The capsule of the spores has toxins that affect the GI tract. An example would be the toxin made by Clostridium botulinum, known by many as “Botox”.If we suspect bacterial overgrowth we are likely to use amoxicillin or metronidazole to help correct the bacterial imbalance. There are also herbs that can help and dietary manipulation can help. Activated charcoal capsules can be beneficial in the case of food poisoning or bacterial overgrowth with toxins.

Sometimes just adding some fiber to the diet, like canned pumpkin (approx. 1 tablespoon per 10-15 lbs) can help a lot. The extra fiber allows the Gastro-Intestinal Tract (GIT) to have better motility and likely the toxins get caught up in the fiber. Feeding bland easy to digest food can also help. Things like low fat cottage cheese and rice can help or one of the low residue prescription diets (I/D by Hills or EN by Purina).

If the patient is on a once a month heartworm pill it is not likely diarrhea from parasites, however it is a good idea to do a fecal to rule that out.  Parasites are more common in younger dogs. Also puppies are very susceptible to parvo and distemper virus,  A puppy with dark diarrhea that is vomiting should be considered an emergency. The parvo virus has a foul odor from the digested blood in it.

Patients with frank blood (red blood) usually have some form of colitis; however, ingestion of a foreign body (toy, stick, rock etc. ) can also cause frank blood.  If it is very little blood, and the patient is not vomiting and appears normal otherwise, it is not likely an emergency. If a patient has thick jelly or jam like diarrhea with or without red blood, it should be seen ASAP, since it may be a disease which can cause fatal diarrhea called Hemorrhagic Gastroenteritis (HGE). HGE is very common in small breed dogs but can occur in dogs of any size, and has rapid course (<24 hours).

Sometimes a patient, usually a middle age or older one will get diarrhea secondary to a metabolic disease like diabetes mellitus, or from liver disease or cancer.  This is why the signalment is important, and the general history, and knowing the diet and if any recent changes and if on any medicine and which heartworm pills the dog is on, or if a cat if on any flea meds.  Give us more information so we can help you decide if you need to be seen or not.