A guide to understanding prevention, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment of periodontal disease in Mt Pleasant dogs and cats

Did You Know???

• A sticky film, known as plaque, forms on teeth from the combination of food, the proteins in saliva, and bacteria. It builds up between teeth and gums causing irritation, redness and swelling.
• If plaque is not removed, it hardens into a crust called tartar. These bacteria can then lead to an infection known as periodontal disease.
• Periodontal disease can lead to pain, periodontal damage, bone loss, tooth loss, weakened immune system, diabetes, respiratory disease, cardiac disease, and organ damage.
• 85% of all dogs over 1 year of age have some degree of periodontal disease, but only 3 % of them are actually treated!!!
• Dogs are diagnosed with dental disease more than any other type of infection.

Symptoms of Periodontal Disease

• Patients with periodontal disease may have some or all of the following symptoms. If your pet has an occurrence of any of these, please schedule a visit with your veterinarian:
• Brown-yellowish crust on teeth
• Bad odor from mouth (halitosis)
• Red or swollen gums
• Gum recession
• Pain and/or bleeding when eating or when gums are touched
• Decrease in appetite, difficulty eating
• Loose, missing teeth
• Facial swelling
• Change in behavior or attitude

Getting a Dental Checkup with your Mt Pleasant Veterinarian

Getting regular checkups from your veterinarian in Mt Pleasant is the first step to preventing periodontal disease in your pet. It is a quick and painless checkup for your pet, but is vital in keeping them happy and healthy. The earliest stage of periodontal disease, which is known as gingivitis, is reversible. The earlier gingivitis is detected the easier it is to treat.

Your Mount Pleasant veterinarian will check your pet’s teeth for tartar build up on the teeth surfaces. They will also check for color changes of the gums, bleeding, swelling, and gingival recession (when the periodontal line recedes from the tooth).

How is Periodontal Disease Treated?

• The first thing your Mt Pleasant veterinarian will recommend is a professional dental cleaning. This is a special type of cleaning performed by a veterinary professional, which removes plaque and tartar from the tooth surface, as well as beneath the periodontal line. The gums are checked for the formation of pockets. If a pocket is found, a procedure called root planing is performed in which the root surface is cleaned and smoothed so that periodontal tissue can firmly reattach to the tooth root. After the tartar has been removed, the teeth are polished until the surfaces are smooth. This will help prevent the build up of more tartar and plaque.
• Radiographs (x-rays) will help your veterinarian determine how much the periodontal disease has affected your pet’s mouth. This will show how much of the bone has been damaged or lost, which causes mobility of teeth. It will also show whether or not any of your pet’s teeth need to be treated with perioceutic antibiotics(antibiotics placed around the infected tooth)
• Often times, pets may need certain teeth extracted because of the severity of the disease in the mouth. Your veterinarian will be able to see which teeth have been damaged, once the teeth are cleaned and x-rayed.
• Your veterinarian office in Mount Pleasant will most likely prescribe a series of antibiotics and pain medications for your pet. The antibiotics will help to fight off the infection in your pet’s mouth, and prevent it from spreading to other parts of the body. Pain medication will help to eliminate any discomfort your pet may have before or after the procedure.

Preventing Periodontal Disease in your Pet

• The most important step to preventing periodontal disease in your pet is regular brushing at home. It is important to use pet-friendly brushes and toothpaste, since human toothpaste can cause upset stomachs in your pet and can be toxic.
• It is also very important to have regular 6-month checkups with your veterinarian so early signs can be detected. This can help your pet to live a longer and happier life.
• Having your pet’s teeth professionally cleaned every 6-18 months can help prevent the build-up of plaque and tartar. It allows your veterinarian to clean under the periodontal line, where bacteria can wreak havoc on your pet’s body.
• There are other products that can help keep your pet’s teeth clean between professional dental cleanings. Dental chews, oral rinses, water additives, and dental wipes are all available the veterinary clinic in Mount Pleasant, SC.

Dog and cat gum disease is swelling or soreness of the gums around your pet’s teeth. Together with food remains and saliva around gum and tooth, may result in plaque creation (accumulating about teeth. The bacteria have toxins that create inflammation in the gums. If left untreated, these bacteria can spread to the roots of the teeth causing an infection known as periodontal disease. In some cases, the bacteria can spread to other parts of the body harming different organs such as the kidney, liver, and the heart.

Signs of pet gum disease in Mount Pleasant are not always easy to see, and can sometimes be painless. The first stage of pet gum disease, known as gingivitis, is reversible, so it is important to keep your pets’ teeth cleaned and to have them checked regularly by your veterinarian.

The Stages of Pet Gum Disease

Stage 1: Gingivitis
Gingivitis is the first stage of gum disease. It is the only stage that is reversible with proper treatment. Patients with gingivitis usually have mildly sore gums that can be red or puffy, and may bleed.

Stage 2: Periodontitis
During this stage, the gums begin to pull away from the teeth, known as recession. This allows plaque to spread to your pet’s tooth roots causing an infection, damaging the bone and fibers that hold the teeth in place.

Stage 3: Advanced Periodontitis
This is the final stage of gum disease. The fibers and bone holding the teeth in place are destroyed, causing teeth to shift or loosen and can affect your pet’s bite. If treatment can not save the teeth, they may need to be removed by your veterinarian in Mount Pleasant.

Symptoms of Pet Gum Disease

Patients with periodontal disease may have some or all of the following symptoms. If your pet has an occurrence of any of these, please schedule a visit with your Mount Pleasant veterinarian:

• Brown-yellowish crust on teeth
• Bad odor from mouth (halitosis)
• Red or swollen gums
• Gum recession
• Pain and/or bleeding when eating or when gums are touched
• Decrease in appetite, difficulty eating
• Loose, missing teeth
• Facial swelling
• Change in behavior or attitude
• Plus that appears between teeth and gums
• Excessive drooling
• Unwillingness to eat hard foods
• Crying out while eating
• Dropping food from mouth

Did You Know?

• Bad breath, also called halitosis, is not a normal condition for pets.
• Small breeds with crowded teeth and dogs that groom themselves are more prone to getting gum disease.
• Pets with diabetes are also more susceptible to gum disease and tooth loss. The bacteria can cause a rise in blood sugar making diabetes more difficult to control.
• American Veterinary Dental Society reports that 70 percent of felines and 80 percent of canines exhibit evidence of gum disease by the age of three.
• The inflammation and infection associated with gum disease may damage other organs such as the heart, liver, and kidneys, or lead to other serious health problems.
• If left untreated, gum disease can progress to more serious forms of periodontal disease.
• Up to 60 percent of the symptoms are hidden beneath the gum line.

How Can Pet Gum Disease Be Prevented in Your Pet?

1. At home dental care is the easiest and most effective way to prevent gum disease. Regular brushing at home prevents the build-up of bacteria and plaque on your pet’s teeth. Be sure to use pet friendly toothpastes only. Human toothpastes can be toxic to your pet.
2. Having your pet checked by your veterinarian in Mount Pleasant every 6 months can also help prevent gum disease. They can catch gum disease in its earliest stages, which can be reversed with proper treatment. These checkups can help your pet live a longer and happier life.
3. Professional dental cleanings every 6 to 18 months removes the build-up of plaque and tartar. It allows your veterinarian to clean under the gum line, where bacteria can lurk.
4. A great way to help keep your pets’ teeth clean between professional dental cleanings is to use certain veterinarian recommended products. Dental chews, oral rinses, water additives, dental wipes, and certain diets are all available at your Mt Pleasant veterinary office!

When the client called the Mt Pleasant, SC veterinarian and described the symptoms the pet was presenting, immediately a blood sample was collected.  Findings showed changes in the kidney function of the pet.  The kidneys are the bean-shaped organs responsible for filtering out waste products from the blood and for producing urine.  Sometimes, by the time kidney disease is detectable in the blood, up to 75% of kidney function may be lost and they are no longer able to do their job properly.

In most cases, the damage to the kidneys cannot be reversed.  It is imperative that you contact your Mt Pleasant veterinarian at the first signs of behavior changes whether dietary or physical.  You should schedule routine six-month wellness examinations at your animal hospital Mt Pleasant SC to ensure your beloved pets are seen by a professional more than once a year.  This will allow your veterinarian more opportunities to detect the early onset of kidney disease before the damage is done.

The health and wellbeing of your pets is important to you and your family. It is also important to keep down the cost of Mt Pleasant SC veterinarian bills! You need to carefully consider the food that you give your pets. People sometimes just pick the first dog food bag they see at the store. It is easy to overlook the importance of dog food but it is essential to pick the right one for your dog.

 To keep your dog or cat healthy, plenty of fresh water and good quality food.

How do you maintain the health and wellbeing of your pets and keep down the cost of veterinary bills? Carefully think about the food that you provide. Do not just grab the first dog or cat food bag you find at the store. It is very important to pick the right food for your pets.

 Fresh water and good quality dog food in proper amounts to meet energy requirements are the key. Follow the instructions on the food package to feed the correct amount.

How do you pick the correct pet food?  Select one that has overall quality. What we have learned is that you will pay a similar amount per nutrition unit. For example: Compare the cheapest bag you can find with Royal Canin from Mount Pleasant Animal Hospital. You will find that you will feed less with the high quality food, provide better nutrition and come close in cost per value.

A phrase you will hear about dog food is human grade, which means that the food is good enough for humans to consume. Many commercial dog foods are made from materials unusable or less desirable for human consumption. Often the meat that is used in dog food is of a quality considered unfit for humans.

Major dog food companies try to provide balanced proportions of vitamins and minerals for maximum benefit. Reputable dog food companies provide an explanation for each supplement and how it benefits your dog, simply provide rough labeling.

Check the proteins, vitamins and minerals provided. Meat-based protein rather than flour, corn gluten meal, or corn is best. Studies indicate dogs reap a healthier coat, fewer digestive problems and firmer stools with quality food. Pet nutrition experts agree that the best dog food is made from human grade ingredients like meat, whole grains and vegetables.

Ask us at Shuler Veterinary Clinic or Mount Pleasant Animal Hospital before selecting your dog food. The health of your pet is also our concern.

Canine Influenza is…

• An emerging threat to the respiratory health of dogs across the US
  - All breeds and ages are susceptible to infection
  - Because it is a new virus, dogs have no natural immunity to it
• Highly contagious and easily spread through:
  - Direct contact (licking or nuzzling)
  - The air (coughing or sneezing)
  - Contaminated surfaces (picked up on the hands or clothing of a person and then spread when another dog is touched or petted)
• Characterized by a persistent cough that may last several weeks, as well as runny nose, watery eyes, and a loss of appetite and/or energy
• Usually mild, but can progress to a more severe infection or pneumonia in 10% to 20% of cases, and is fatal in up to 8% of sick dogs
• A concern for owners whose dogs:
  - Come from a shelter, rescue center, breeder, or pet store
  - Board at a kennel
  - Attend doggie daycare or group training
  - Visit a groomer, dog park, or other places where dogs congregate
  - Participate in dog events and competitions

Canine Influenza Vaccine, H3N8 is…

• The first vaccine available to aid in the prevention of disease associated with canine influenza
• Proven to significantly reduce the coughing, severity, and spread of canine influenza infection
• Proven safe; a killed virus vaccine developed, manufactured, and marketed by Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health and conditionally licensed by the USDA
  - A conditional license is issued to meet a special circumstance such as the emergence of a new virus for which there is no existing vaccine
• Administered in two doses given 2 to 4 weeks apart
  - One annual booster injection is needed to continue protection

Please contact Mount Pleasant Animal Hospital or Shuler Veterinary Clinic to schedule an appointment for your pet! For more information on canine influenza, H3N8, visit www.doginfluenza.com.

To teach your easy dog tricks you will need to have some small reward treats. Be in a quiet suitable place and keep the training sessions to ten to fifteen minutes or your dog will start to get bored.  When he gets something right, give lots of praise and a reward treat. Be careful not to get him over excited or he will loose concentration.

Getting your dog to give you his paw:
First get your dog to sit, then as you say the word ‘paw’ take your dog’s paw in your hand. Give a treat and repeat. After a few times do not take his paw so quickly, say the word, Count to one then take it. You should notice he is bringing his paw up as you say the word. If he does not, go back to saying it at the same time. Do this a few more times then slow your response. After two or three sessions most dogs pick this one up quite happily.

The high five:
Like a lot of tricks, the high five is a progression of the previous trick. Hold a treat in your fingers and raise your hand slightly higher than you would for the paw trick. Your dog will think you want to do the paw trick and will reach for the treat with his paw as you taught him earlier. As he reaches up you say “high five” and give him the treat. Once your dog has mastered the paw trick this one should be very easy to learn and with just a few sessions he will be doing it on hand signal rather than voice control.

Getting your dog to jump through a hoop:
Hold the hoop low enough so your dog does not hurt himself. Sit your dog on one side of a hoola hoop. Get his attention on your hand on the other side of the hoop. Take a treat in your hand and give the dog the command to release him from the sit. At first he may attempt to go around or under the hoop. If this happens, start again. Your dog wants the treat and will soon learn that going around or under does not get it so he will soon start going through it. When he does say hoopla and give him the treat. He will soon be jumping through the hoop on the command of hoopla.

80% of dogs and 70% of cats develop gum disease by the age of three.  Periodontal disease is the most common dental condition and can cause bacteria and toxins to enter the bloodstream and potentially affect internal organs.

Pet Smile at Mt Pleasant SC Veterinary Clinic

Routine dental cleanings include ultrasonic scaling and sub-gingival scaling and polishing. This procedure is always done under anesthesia.  The overall health of your pet outweighs the anesthetic risk.

If your pet presents any of the following, call our office to schedule a dental:

· Bad Breath or Mouth Odor
· Tartar Accumulation
· Oral Discomfort (Pawing at Mouth or Rubbing Mouth Along Ground)
· Trouble Chewing
· Red or Bleeding Gums
· Dropping Food While Trying to Eat
· Not Eating Well or Cries When Trying to Eat

Once your pet has received his/her dental cleaning, one of our Mt Pleasant SC Vet Clinic technicians will discuss at-home care for your pet.  There are many oral hygiene products to get your pet’s at-home dental care started.

29464 Vet Flea Pyramic

Only 5% of any given flea population is on the pet. 95% of every flea population is in the environment. You may have a problem without seeing the fleas.

The first step to eliminate a flea infestation is to stop reproduction.

The cat flea (Ctenocephalides felis) is the flea found on cats and dogs. This means you need to treat both dogs and cats, not just the dog or just the cat.

Fleas stay on the pet. When an adult flea hatches from its pupal stage, it jumps on a dog or cat passing by and stays with that animal for life.

Fleas do not jump from one dog to another. Fleas are acquired from an of infestation of the premises, whether that is outdoors or indoors.

Eggs are laid on the hair coat of the pet and then roll off into the environment where they hatch into larvae. They then enter a pupae stage before emerging as adults.

Once a flea jumps onto an animal, it immediately feeds and breeds, laying eggs within 24 hours. A female can lay 50 eggs a day, each day it is alive. That’s 2000 eggs in a lifetime!

You need a product to kill adults as well as a product to inhibit growth.

No one product does it all. Talk to us at Mount Pleasant Animal Hospital or Shuler Veterinary Clinic to see which flea prevention or treatment is right for your pet!

Pup thinking about exercise

Exercise is as important for your dog as it is for you. Throughout the age spectrum, dogs need lots of exercise. The type of exercise you choose depends on the age and fitness of your dog. Also consider your own lifestyle. Ask your veterinarian at Mount Pleasant Animal Hospital or Shuler Veterinary Clinic before putting an exercise regimen into effect. We will alert you on exercises your dog should stay away from and provide you with ideas on healthy routines that will prolong your dog’s happy and healthy lifestyle.

Why bother?  It helps with weight control. Overweight dogs are more susceptible to a number of health problems. Being overweight places extra pressure on the heart. Excess weight puts stress on a dog’s joints. In addition, exercise promotes good oxygen intake, building a better cardiovascular system. This sounds my personal physician talking to me.

Exercise is especially important for large breed, working, and active breed types. It’s one of the best ways to spend time with your pet. Dogs are wonderful athletes and most adapt to even strenuous exercise, provided they have had adequate opportunity to grow into it.

Daily exercise is recommended unless the there is a medical problem. Please ask Mount Pleasant Animal Hospital or Shuler Veterinary Clinic veterinarians if there should be any limitations. Certainly, obese dogs and those with heart and lung diseases won’t romp like a pup and you should use our advice and caution.

Even in cold weather, an exercising dog needs plenty of water; have enough available. Limit exercise in freezing temperatures unless your dog is really used to it. If your dog is shivering, get him back indoors or in some form of warm shelter. In warmer weather, provide a place to cool down out of the sun. Exercising when below 30 percent humidity and less than 80 degrees is best. Both of these hot and cold conditions vary with the breed and hair coat.

Now go out and have some fun!

You have just picked up perfect puppy. After hours on the Internet, you found the right breed for you and your family. Through the newspapers, your Mount Pleasant SC Veterinary Clinic, publications, breeders, humane society, SPCA, meeting and greeting pups, you find just the right match.

Now what? You need to pick out a name!

You will use your dog’s name more than 35,000 times over the course of his life. Be sure you’re picking a name you will adore throughout the years.

Picking the perfect puppy name is at your fingertips with these few steps:

• You may think it’s an honor to name your pup after you’re favorite Uncle, Percivile. Naming a child after him may keep you in the will, but probably not your new hound.
• Dogs understand short commands. Easy names with two or fewer syllables work well.
• You will be using your dog’s name in public. “Smelly” may be cute among your close friends, but it will not go over well at all locations.
• The name should not sound like any commands. “Stacy” sounds too much like “stay” and this will only confuse your dog.
• Let the kids dive in and help. Kids like it simple too. If calling your Golden Retriever “Bubbles” works for them, consider keeping the high test name strictly for AKC purposes.
• If you’re bringing home an older dog, ideally, stick with his existing name. If “Farley” was the first boy who broke your heart, stick with similar sounds when choosing a new dog name. Example: “Barney”.
• Try out the new name for a few days. You’ll know right away whether it’s a keeper. If not, move on quickly to one of the many other names you have on your list.

Everywhere you are, you’ll find a variety of terrific ideas on what to name your pooch. Just look around. A few things will stand out about your new puppy. Enjoy her for a couple days and take these into consideration.

• Personality. Given a couple of days, your new dog’s personality will probably come right out. Examples: “Puddles” works for the pooch who can’t seem to find outdoors fast enough.
• Appearance. What does your dog look like (color, size, coat, eyes)? You may call a cream colored cock-a-poo “Buffy” and “Stubbs” would be a great name for a dachshund pup.
  If you want to go beyond the basics, many famous dog namesor foreign dog names can fit the bill. Consider these favorite puppy names when making your decision.
  • Celebrity puppy names. Today, dogs have more celebrity following than their famous owners. Chew on “Lola,” a name used by both Hilary Duff and the Osbournes.
  • TV dogs. “Scooby” and “Astro” come to mind if you want to honor a famous TV pup.
  • Movie dogs. Cool movies and cool dog names seem to go hand in hand. Cool Hand Luke’s “Blue” would be a fitting label for a variety of dogs.
  • Comic dogs. Think “Snoopy”, “Daisy” and “Odie.”
  • German dog names. For starters, try out “Fritz” or “Kaiser.”
  • Irish dog names. “Finn” fits well for any pup, as does “Murphy,” which just happens to mean “hound of the sea.”
  • French puppy names. “Pierre” and “Gigi” are top contenders for any dog, especially those with a little oo-la-la in their genes.

  The choices are endless. We have seen many thousands of dog names at our Mount Pleasant SC Veterinary Clinics over the years. You know what? Seems like just about every name fits perfectly.