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How to brush your pet’s teeth

February 11, 2015 by Amanda McGrath

Teeth brushing is the most effective way to prevent tartar on your pet’s teeth. Always use pet toothpaste; these products are made to be swallowed. Using human toothpaste can result in an upset stomach. Pet toothpastes are also specially flavored and contain enzymes that inhibit plaque.

Tooth brushing 101

Start by choosing a time when you won’t need to rush. By using a relaxed, calm attitude your pet will be much more likely to cooperate. You will need a brush, finger brushes or long handled both work well. It is best to get your dog used to handling their mouth before you jump right into brushing. Do this by first gently rubbing your fingers over the pet’s teeth, then immediately give a treat. Your dog should quickly realize that whenever the mouth is touched he will get a treat. This step may take minutes or days. After your dog is comfortable with your fingers going over the teeth start getting him used to the toothbrush. Begin by putting a flavored paste on the brush and let your dog lick it off. After a few times, if he seems to not mind the brush, gently rub the large teeth towards the back of the mouth. Continue this step until your pet is comfortable letting you brush all the teeth. Most attention should be given to he outside of the teeth. Dogs naturally have a fairly small amount of tartar on the inside of their teeth.

Quick tips

Start young, a puppy that is handled a lot when small will have no problem later in life with teeth brushing.
Go at your own pace, if your pet is scared at any point back off and start again later.
It is best to brush everyday, but do as often as your schedule allows. Try to make is a daily routine, a quick teeth brushing only takes a few minutes.

Dental Cleaning; what do we do?

February 4, 2015 by Amanda McGrath

Once tartar has formed it is necessary to remove it by professionally scaling and polishing the teeth under anesthesia. The goal of a dental cleaning is to remove the visible tartar, invisible plaque, and the tartar beneath the gum line.

Blood work The first step in a dental cleaning is Pre-Surgical Blood work. At North Memorial Animal Hospital all pets having general anesthesia have a pre surgical screen done. The panel checks your pet’s liver and kidney functions, which is important because anesthesia filters though them. The panel for a geriatric pet is much more involved.

Anesthesia

Our surgery suite and dental station are equipped with a SurgiVet vaporizer for isoflurane gas. Isoflurane is one of the safest gas anesthesia used by veterinarians. Your pet will be completely sedated for a dental cleaning. We do everything possible to ensure their safety during the procedure. All pets having dental work done will have an endotracheal tube passed to help them breath. Monitoring equipment is used to measure the heart rate, level of oxygen in the blood, EKG and blood pressure.

Scaling – Scaling the teeth removes the tartar above and below the gum line. We use hand scalers and ultrasonic cleaning equipment very similar to a human dentist. By removing all the tartar from your pet’s teeth a much healthier gum line is possible along with fresher breath. If any extractions were needed they would be performed after the scaling. Any teeth that have root exposure are broken or loose will be removed. These teeth cause pets pain every time they chew. The mouth typically heals very fast and it is much more comfortable to have the teeth removed than a constant pain when eating.

Polishing – By polishing the teeth we can smooth the surface, making them more resistant to plaque and tartar formation.

Flushing – Finally we thoroughly flush your pet’s mouth to remove any dislodged tartar from the teeth and rinse away any bacteria still in the mouth.

Polishing By polishing the teeth we can smooth the surface of the teeth, making them more resistant to plaque and tartar formation.

Flushing Finally we thoroughly flush your pet’s mouth to remove any dislodged tartar from the teeth and rinse away any bacterial still in the mouth.

Why should you bother to spay or neuter your pet?

January 22, 2015 by Amanda McGrath

The advantages of spaying or neutering are huge, not only for the pets but for the people that live with them!

A spayed female will not have heat cycle. If a dog is not spayed she will come into heat about every 6 months, lasting for 3weeks at a time. This can be a very messy time for a homeowner. Often dogs do not like to wear any type of “diaper” and will pull them off, making it possible to stain all of your furniture and carpeting.

A cat that is not spayed will come into heat randomly. It will not be messy in your house, but noisy. A female cat in heat generally spends most of her time “calling” for a boyfriend. It can be humorous at first, unless you intend to sleep at any point!

Dogs that are not neutered are more likely to “mark” in your home, lifting their legs on anything they would like to claim as their own. Another characteristic of an unaltered male dog is to roam. Any chance they get to “find a girlfriend” they will, male dogs can smell a female in heat from very far distances. At our hospital almost every single hit by car emergency is an unaltered pet!

Dogs and cats that are not spayed and neutered generally have more aggression towards other pets. Hormone changes in female dogs during heat can trigger aggressive behavior. Cats are much more prone to fighting as are male dogs.

If you want the stress free life for both yourself and your pets, spaying and neutering are the best choices.

Ring in the New Year

January 1, 2015 by Amanda McGrath

Ah the New Year! A blank calendar, a fresh start and plenty of resolutions. If we had to pick the top three resolutions that should be on every pets list they would be:

1. Weight Loss – over 50% of cats and dogs in the US are overweight. All those extra pounds add up to an increase in some serious side effects. Pets that are overweight have an increased risk of diabetes, an earlier onset of arthritis and higher risks of heart and metabolic diseases. So in this new year instead of reaching for the treat bowl throw fidos’s favorite ball instead.

2 .Better Dental Care – Imagine if you will, that you have never brushed your teeth. Gross right? Sadly this is the case for most pets. Dogs and cats need proper dental care to keep them at their best health. Our office sells flavored tooth paste & tooth brushes. Stop in today and ask one of our trained staff to demonstrate how to properly brush your pets teeth.

3 .Get spayed or neutered – Every year it is estimated that 5 million pets are placed in shelters, of those 3.5 million are euthanized. It is a hard fact that there are not enough homes for every pet. Spaying and neutering is a sure way to lower those statistics. Besides the moral reasons for the surgery there are countless other benefits including lower risk of cancer, less roaming and no messy heat cycles to deal with.

Stay tuned in to this months blog posts as we dive in a little deeper on each of these topics.

Pet Insurance. What is it and how does it work?

September 2, 2014 by Amanda McGrath

Pet insurance is alot like human medical insurance, it helps to cover costs for emergencies. When an animal needs treatment and the owners cannot pay for it the situation is heartbreaking. Pet insurance helps to alleviate this. There are many different plans available, from emergency only coverage to plans that include vaccinations and preventative medicine.

Here’s how it works:

Have your pet treated by a licensed veterinarian
Pay in full for the treatments performed
Submit a claim to the insurance company
Get remimbursed quickly for the covered charges

There are many things to consider when choosing a pet health insurance plan. Here are some questions to ask about the policy:

Is there an age restriction? Some companies will start coverage after 8 weeks & some may restrict senior pets.
Is there a multi-pet discount?
Are any specific breeds not covered
Are hereditary conditions for your pet’s specific breed covered?
What are the deductibles, co pays and any caps on coverage?

Be sure to review the plan closely and make sure it offers the coverage you want. Our office handles claims frequently and would be happy to answer any questions you may have.

Which pet food is better? Organic, Natural or Holistic

August 19, 2014 by Amanda McGrath

Well, that depends. All 3 claims mean different things. Just because one food is labeled organic, holistic or natural does not mean it is better for your pet.

Natural:

The term “Natural” means a feed or ingredient derived solely from plant, animal or mined sources that have not been produced by a chemical synthetic process.
The Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) defines and regulates this term.

Organic:

Organic crops must be grown on land free of pesticides for at least 3 years.
Organic livestock is fed organic feed, is not given antibiotics or growth hormones, and has access to the outdoors.
The US dept. of Agriculture (USDA) defines and regulates this term.
Look for the USDA organic seal as proof of a certified organic pet food. Pet foods with this seal must contain 95%-100% organic ingredients.

Holistic:

“Holistic” as it refers to pet foods is not defined or regulated by any regulatory body. Basically a pet food company can use this term on any food for any reason.

All three of these terms are frequently used on pet food marketing materials. Be a smart consumer and look for the AAFCO labels and feeding trials to help make your decisions.

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