Articles Inside
Silent
but
Stinky Disease
What Happened
to
Fluffy
Changing Your Pet’s Food
FREE
The silent, but
STINKY
disease that is affecting your pet
By Erin Quigley, DVM
If you asked most pet owners what the most common
disease in dogs and cats was they would probably say
allergies, cancer, diabetes etc. We are surprised to learn
the most common disease afflicting our pets is dental
disease, also called periodontal disease.
Most people would see their pet’s bad breath as an
annoyance, but a disease?? Yes the bad breath you smell
when your dog is giving you slobbery kisses can be a sign
of serious problems to come.
Dental Disease
Dogs and cats build a film on their teeth, just as people
do, called plaque. Plaque is actually a film of bacteria that
sticks to the surface of the teeth over time from normal
daily eating without daily brushing. At first it’s invisible
and you may not notice, except a little stinky breath. Over
time the plaque calcifies and thickens into a hard, dark
colored substance called tarter. This you may notice if
your pet allows you to look at his/her teeth or you may
notice an increased potency in your pet’s breath.
This is usually the stage when pet owners notice a
problem and may head to their favorite pet store in
desperation to improve the breath by popular treats
or even sprays that claim to dissolve the tarter
on your dog and cats teeth. Although
these products may help slow down the
progression of the dental disease and
help temporarily with your pet’s breath, it
often leaves pet owners dissatisfied.
What you didn’t realize, because your pet wasn’t
talking, is that dental sprays and chew bones can
make a big difference in preventing this yucky tarter
and bad breath, but they needed to be started when
the invisible plaque was there. Unfair, I know.
Don’t feel guilty, remember your pet wasn’t
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MetroPet Magazine | St. Louis - January 2014
talking and the bacteria film was invisible. And most dogs
and cats aren’t opening up and saying “ahh” so you can
look at their teeth.
Who can help?
Your caring and knowledgeable veterinarian. Your pet’s
doctor will during your pet’s routine yearly or bi-yearly
exam evaluate your pet’s dental stage. And advice you on
whether it is just time to increase those dental treats, or
time for a dental procedure/cleaning.
What about teeth brushing? My groomer brushes my
dog’s teeth every 6 weeks? Do I really need my dogs teeth
cleaned at the vet, it doesn’t sound very important? So
what my pet has tarter, it doesn’t seem to be bothering
them? But I give my dog chew bones?
I know you have more questions, let’s address the
common questions, myths and concerns and
give you more insight on how keeping up
with your pet’s dental health can help them
live longer healthier lives.
Teeth brushing
Brushing your dog or cats teeth can be possible
and commendable. Everyone will agree that is
the best method to prevent your pet’s teeth from
accumulating tarter and helping prevent bad breath.
There are many
types of tooth
brushes (hand
held, or finger
brushes) and
toothpaste
flavors specific
to your dog or
cat that can aid
to help you in
this challenging task. Your veterinarian or pet nurse
can aid you in where to start. What you need to know
ahead of time….this practice will be most successful
if you start when they are young puppies and kittens.
That way the get used to you sticking your fingers in
their mouths. Your 7 year old dog or cat may look at
you like your crazy if you are coming at them with a
foreign object, not to mention they probably already
have inflamed and painful gums they are not telling
you about, so may not be a successful venture.
The other more important fact is, brushing your dog
or cats teeth a few times a year, probably not going to
do too much. Think about it, if us humans brushed
our teeth every other month…ok stop thinking, that’s
gross. Let’s just say not too many smiling faces. So
although I commend your efforts or your groomer’s
efforts, unless it’s a daily routine, we are most likely
not going to make much difference in the progression
of tooth decay. All joking aside they have done
scientific studies that proved if the tooth brushing
wasn’t done daily it did not make a significant
difference to your pet’s health.
Don’t feel bad, the vast majority of pet’s especially if
started later in life are not going to tolerate this. Let’s
be honest. I as a veterinarian would never condemn
you if you don’t brush your pet’s teeth daily. Good
news is we can still prevent the disease.
www.metropetmag.com | St. Louis - January 2014
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Chew bones
Chew bones can be a helpful aid in preventing dental
tarter accumulation. And yes dry food accumulates tarter
and a lot slower rate than canned/wet food. So you are
doing well. But just remember not all chew bones are
the same. Be very cautious in choosing one for your pet
because they can lead to more serious problems, such as
intestinal obstructions and gastrointestinal upset. Not
worth it, ask your veterinarian for their recommendation.
Again they are only affective if you start early when you
are only at the invisible plaque stage, and unfortunately
not an option for our furry feline friends.
Dental disease and the
progression
So why is preventing this disease important other than
stinking breath? I know I left you in suspense. So what
happens after this stinking brown thick tarter is on
my pet’s teeth….First step infection of the gum tissue
adjacent to the tarter called gingivitis. Yes infection,
gingivitis may sound like a catchy word we hear on
toothpaste commercials, but the reality is there are
harmful bacteria residing in your pets’ mouths. The gums
are red and inflamed and painful. My dog or cat doesn’t
seem painful? He is not yelping? I believe you. But here is
the thing about dogs and cats. We baby them, and make
them part of the family, guilty as charged here. But in
reality they are instinctual survival driven animals. What
does that mean? They hide pain. They are not going to
tell you, they are not going to show you, or let you look.
Most will not yelp. But you may see other behaviors such
as a hesitancy to drink colder water, or chewing their dry
kibble slower. But if they eat can food or the inhale their
food you may not notice any pain…yet. Just remember if
you have ever had a sore tooth or inflamed gums, it feels
the same for them.
Next step tooth decay. Not far after the gingivitis, or
gum infection begins the tooth starts to decay this
leads to more pain when it reaches the nerve of the
tooth and could lead to bone loss where the jaw meets
the tooth roots. No one wants their pet’s teeth pulled.
Unfortunately what we are seeing in veterinary hospitals
is by the time we are performing dental procedures on
your pet’s, tooth extractions are necessarily due to decay
and to prevent pain. On the bright side once the tarter
is removed by ultrasonic scaling and decayed teeth are
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MetroPet Magazine | St. Louis - January 2014
removed by extraction under sedation, the infection
can be eliminated. This is important not only to prevent
further tooth decay and pain but to prevent the bacteria
in your pet’s mouth from traveling through the blood
stream and causing disease in heart valves, kidney and
liver tissue which have been clinically proven. The truth
is these diseases not only shorten and decrease quality of
life in our pets but at these advance stages of periodontal
disease and organ involvement the risk of complications
from anesthesia to eliminate the primary cause is high.
Take home message: Don’t wait that long. Schedule a
dental procedure/prophy at the onset of plaque/gingivitis
so the procedure is short, simple and extractions aren’t
necessary and the risk of anesthesia is very minimal due
to healthy heart, liver and kidneys.
So now that you are informed to how important your
pet’s dental health is to the longevity and quality of
his/her life feel empowered not overwhelmed. Your
veterinarian is your partner to help give you reassurance
and your pet comfort and the proper individualized
dental care for your family pet. Schedule a dental exam
today so you can prevent bad breath from becoming a
bad heart, and enjoy a long healthy life with your beloved
furry family member.
Erin Quigley, DVM, Member
of AVMA, MVMA, grew up in
Florissant, MO, and received a
Bachelor’s degree in Biology at
Missouri State University. After
college I worked as a receptionist
at Rock Road Animal Hospital,
a zookeeper at the St. Louis Zoo
and a veterinary assistant at
Howdershell Animal Hospital
until attending Veterinary School
at University of Missouri-Columbia. I graduated with
my Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine and have lived in
O’Fallon, Missouri since I graduated. I have worked as
a veterinarian in Troy, Wentzville, and Florissant, MO,
until purchasing Animal Medical Center of Wentzville in
2010. I married in 2011 and live with my husband Ryan
and boxer dog Finnegan in Lake St. Louis/O’Fallon.
When my husband and I have free time from the
clinic we enjoy spending time with our dog, family
and friends. Our hobbies include attending Cardinal
baseball and Mizzou football games. We also enjoy the
outdoors biking, boating and horseback riding.
Cold Winter Care Tips
Brrrr—it’s cold outside! The following guidelines
will help you protect your companion animals
when the mercury dips.
1. Keep your cat inside. Outdoors, felines can freeze,
become lost or be stolen, become injured, or
killed. Cats who are allowed to stray are exposed to
infectious diseases, including rabies, from other cats,
dogs and wildlife.
2. During the winter, outdoor cats sometimes sleep
under the hoods of cars. When the motor is started,
the cat can be injured or killed by the fan belt. If here
are outdoor cats in your area, bang loudly on the
car hood before starting the engine to give the cat a
chance to escape.
3. Never let your dog off the leash on snow or ice,
especially during a snowstorm. Dogs can lose their
scent and can easily become lost. More dogs are lost
during the winter than during any other season;so
make sure yours always wears ID tags.
4. Thoroughly wipe off your dog’s legs and stomach
when he comes in out of the sleet, snow or ice.
He can ingest salt, antifreeze or other potentially
dangerous chemicals while licking his paws, and his
paw pads may also bleed from snow or encrusted ice.
5. Never shave your dog down to the skin in winter,
as a longer coat will provide more warmth. When
you bathe your dog in the colder months, be sure to
completely dry him before taking him out for a walk.
Own a short-haired breed? Consider getting him a
coat or sweater with a high collar or turtleneck with
coverage from the base of the tail to the belly. For
many dogs, this is regulation winter wear.
6. Never leave your dog or cat alone in a car during cold
weather. A car can act as a refrigerator in the winter,
holding in the cold and causing the animal to freeze
to death.
7. Puppies do not tolerate the cold as well
as adult dogs, and may be difficult to housebreak
during the winter. If your puppy appears to be
sensitive to the weather, you may opt to paper-train
him inside. If your dog is sensitive to the cold due to
age, illness or breed type, take him outdoors only to
relieve himself.
8. Does your dog spend a lot of time engaged in
outdoor activities? Increase his supply of food,
particularly protein, to keep him, and his fur, in tiptop shape.
9. Like coolant, antifreeze is a lethal poison for dogs
and cats. Be sure to thoroughly clean up any spills
from your vehicle, and consider using products that
contain propylene glycol rather than ethylene glycol.
Visit the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center
more information.
10. Make sure your companion animal has a warm
place to sleep, off the floor and away from all drafts.
A cozy dog or cat bed with a warm blanket or
pillow is perfect.
More pet care information can be found on the
ASPCA website at www.aspca.org
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