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February MewsLetter (Archive)

February 23, 2016

February MewsLetter 2016
Dental Awareness Month

 

Fun Facts:

  • By age 3, 70% of cats and 80% of dogs have some form of periodontal disease.
  • The walrus has the longest canines, which can reach a length of 1 m (3 ft 3 in) and weigh up to 12 lb.
  • By age 4, 85% of dogs and cats show signs or oral disease
  • Sharks can grow a new set of teeth every 2 weeks!
  • 2/3 of  your pet’s tooth is under the gums, they have REALLY long roots compared to us!
  • A tooth root abscess typically ruptures through the skin so pus coming out from under your pet’s eye is typically a sign of an infected tooth root!
  • The crocodile bird  flies into the open mouth of a crocodile and cleans it’s teeth for it!
  • Teeth may be modified scales! Kind of gross when you think about it…

Does your pet have…

– Bad breath
– Loose teeth or teeth that are discolored or covered in tartar
– Your pet shies away from you when you touch the mouth area
– Drooling or dropping food from the mouth
– Bleeding from the mouth
– Loss of appetite or loss of weight (this combination can result from diseases of many organs, and early veterinary examination is important)

These are all signs of dental disease in cats and dogs
In veterinary medicine we typically recommend dental cleaning under general anesthesia. Although it is possible to remove some plaque and tartar from teeth on awake patients, we are unable to assess under the gums, assess periodontal disease, and identify other problems properly. Furthermore, we would not be able to use our ultrasonic scaler to clean the teeth and we would not be able to clean the inside/backside of the teeth. Lastly, if your pet has any tumors in the oral cavity, we would be able to remove them and send them out for biopsy.

Which tumor do you think is cancer  and which one is benign changes?

 

http://www.avdc.org/oraltumors_clip_image002.gif                                                  http://www.avdc.org/oraltumors_clip_image004.jpg
We require blood work and a physical prior to general anesthesia and monitor your pet’s vitals including oxygenation, blood pressure, and EKG. Patients have their airway protected via endotracheal tube and the larynx, tonsils, and under the tongue can also be examined while they are under anesthesia. Patients typically spend less than 30 minutes under anesthesia for a routine cleaning and are awake and ready to go home later that day.

Quiz answer: Mass A was biopsied and came back as a malignant cancer while Mass B was gingival changes that was benign. Looks can be deceiving.

Dental month special

$50.00 off a dental cleaning if it is booked in the month of February!

Author: Admin | Category: Pet Health, Uncategorised

Hampden Veterinary - 9 Commerce Court Hampden Me 04444