Dental home care

We are focusing our client information during the month of February on things related to pet dental health. One of the most important aspects of caring for your pet’s teeth is to focus on prevention of problems before they occur by incorporating some dental home care into your routine.

The first step is to remember to look in your dog or cat’s mouth on a regular basis. By doing this, you will be able to recognize when a problem is occurring; broken teeth, a bad smell or red gums are examples of things that warrant further attention.  In addition to these checks done at home, it is also important that a veterinarian examine your pet’s mouth regularly, which is done as part of any complete physical examination.  Veterinarians have a unique, dual role as your pet’s doctor and dentist and can help to identify problems and create appropriate treatment plans.

What else can you do to prevent dental problems from occurring?

Brushing your pet’s teeth on a regular basis will remove plaque (a bacterial film) from the teeth. The buildup of plaque will lead to the formation of tartar and eventually cause the development of gum and bone infections.  We would recommend that you brush your dog or cat’s teeth daily or, at minimum, a few times per week. If this is a process that they are not familiar with, take your time, be patient and be generous with treats and rewards. There are toothpastes and brushes designed for pets, which are designed to make the process more appealing to the animal and insure that they do not swallow anything that may be harmful.  

There are many good sources of information on ‘how to brush your pets teeth’ including this link here. Please remember that it is not a good idea to start brushing the teeth after the pet has dental issues. If the process is painful at all, it will not be a nice experience for the pet and they will not allow you to do it. It is best to start brushing the teeth when the mouth is healthy (in a puppy or kitten or immediately after a professional cleaning).

You can sometimes help to reduce plaque and tartar in your pet’s mouth by using rinses and/or gels that target bacteria on the teeth. There are many different products like this available (some good and some poor) and we are happy to try to find the right fit for you and your pet. There are also a number of dry diets marketed to help in the control of dental problems and we strongly advocate these diets when they are suitable for a pet. A good guide for any dental products is to look for the seal of approval from a group called the Veterinary Oral Health Council (www.vohc.org) which is dedicated to testing foods and treats to be marketed for dental care. If it does not carry this seal, it is likely not doing much to help the teeth!

The last component of oral care (especially in dogs) is to consider toys and other treats that promote healthy chewing. It is important to remember that you need to select things that are not going to damage the animal’s teeth. We would recommend that you avoid very hard toys such as natural and nylon bones, deer antlers, large rawhide bones and dried hooves as these will commonly fracture teeth. Chew toys such as rubber ‘Kongs’ and rawhide strips are safer if used appropriately.

A combination of home dental care, a good diet and regular professional exams will help to protect your dog or cat’s oral health, and therefore, their overall well-being. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us.



Dental disease in our pets

Most people are very aware of their own oral health and visit their dentist regularly. Despite this, many pet owners do not realize their animals are potentially subject to a number of dental problems. We have chosen to focus on information about dental health during the month of February, which is traditionally dental health awareness month. Please check out our new information board in reception and watch this website and our Facebook page for regular dental health information. Of course, our team considers dental health during each and every visit that your pet makes to the clinic.

The most common disease in pet animals is periodontal disease. According to the American Veterinary Dental Society (AVDS), eighty percent of dogs and seventy percent of cats have periodontal disease by the age of three. This is an alarming statistic, especially with the note that it is known that proper dental care could increase their life by two to five years.  Dogs and cats are also subject to broken teeth, orthodontic problems and even lesions akin to human cavities. All of these problems will obviously affect your animal’s mouth, but can also lead to chronic pain or infections that then have the potential to introduce bacteria into other parts of the body. In other words, bad teeth can lead to a sick animal. Evidence continues to mount that chronic infection or inflammation in any part of the body can have serious negative impact on systemic health, contributing to problems such as heart disease and kidney disease.

The first step in caring for your pet’s teeth is to look in your pet’s mouth on a regular basis. If the gums appear red or inflamed, if there is a smell, if you see broken teeth or pus in the mouth, we would recommend that you call us right away to schedule an exam. Our veterinarians will assess the problem and formulate a plan, which may include a proper dental assessment and treatment by our team. This is an outpatient procedure done under general anesthesia which includes a thorough oral exam and dental charting, ultrasonic scaling, polishing and fluoride treatment.

You can help prevent dental disease with routine brushing, dental chews, or by using a variety of other available dental products. We will highlight some of our favourite products during the month. However, it is inevitable that every pet will at some point begin to accumulate tartar and bacteria in the mouth. Please call the clinic if you have any questions about your pet’s oral health.



Laparoscopic surgeries--a mature spay case study

Approximately one year ago, our team of doctors made the decision to bring a surgical laparoscope into Eglinton Vet, and Dr. Paul Hodges began to perform laparoscopic surgeries following intensive training in the U.S.  During a recent doctor’s meeting, we all agreed that this program has been a great success, and we decided that our ‘case of the month’ for January should highlight the laparoscopic spay (please see our Case Studies page to meet ‘Gigi’ the boxer and to see a photographic example of what Dr. Hodges can visualize using the surgical camera).

We have used the laparoscope multiple times per week, performing mostly spays, although it has many other applications.  For example, we are especially pleased with the way that the laparoscope has improved the ease of both canine and feline cryptorchid neuters (neuters in which one or both testicles are missing and need to be found in the abdomen).  

Our team feels that the laparoscope has immeasurably improved the comfort of our surgical patients in those cases where it can be used. The patients recover from anesthesia quickly and with minimal pain (due to the small, 11mm incision) and in most cases they do not need to endure 7-14 days wearing an Elizabeathan collar in confinement.  These patients are home the same day with their families, and both dogs and cats are back to their regular routine in less than 3 days (our canine friends back running with their friends in the park, and our feline friends doing whatever it is that they enjoy!).

Please call the clinic to find out more about our laparoscopic spays or visit the information page here.



Thoughts for a new year

Welcome to 2012! We are now one week into January, and it only seems fitting to use this space to reflect on the past year at Eglinton Vet and how this may shape some of the information that you see from us over the next year.  

2011 was full of cases that lifted our team’s spirit, and cases that broke our hearts. The disease trends that we have seen this year are likely to continue into 2012. On reflection, the following were notable:

• For the second year in a row, all dogs who visited us for a heartworm test in 2011 were also screened for tick-borne diseases, and we had a surprising number of dogs who tested positive for Lyme Disease. We have been seeing ticks on animals from cottage country along with pets which have never left Toronto.  Many of these pets were treated and vaccinated against Lyme disease, and it is an issue that we will be discussing as spring approaches again.

• We have also seen a rise in the number of pets being diagnosed with gastrointestinal parasites, especially giardia. This parasite (known as ‘beaver fever’ in humans) is prevalent in Toronto due to the interactions between our pets and wildlife. We will continue to recommend that all pets who are spending time outdoors be tested or treated for gastrointestinal parasites at least once per year, and your pet’s lifestyle may dictate that this be done multiple times per year.

• As always, we continue to see too many pets suffering or dying from cancer and pets struggling with chronic conditions such as thyroid disease, kidney disease, diabetes mellitus, arthritis, Cushing’s disease, allergies… the list goes on and on. We will continue to do our best to help these pets in 2012. Our doctors all participate in regular continuing education and are always looking to research findings that may help your pets.

There were a numbers of ways that we embraced the use of technology in 2011 and we are excited to be using these tools to help reach and educate our clients better. For example:

• Early in the year, we brought in an updated in-clinic laboratory system, which allows us to immediately do extensive blood testing on pets that are critically ill. This augments our normal laboratory services, digital x-ray system and ability to do on-site ultrasounds.

• In the spring of 2011, Dr. Paul Hodges introduced the use of laparoscopy to the practice, using a camera for certain surgical procedures, particularly spays. We have been thrilled with how our patients recover following a laparoscopic spay (back in the park in less than 3 days!).

• We finally ‘took the plunge’ and computerized all of our medical records through the fall of 2011. This means that we are able to respond to questions and treat your sick pets more efficiently.

• The most recent step in improving our use of technology has been an update to our clinic website, the creation of a Facebook page and the introduction of a quarterly newsletter. We welcome any suggestions that you might have for the newsletter or website, and ask that if you are a Facebook user, please “like” our Facebook page here.

 The past year has seen the introduction of new medications for use in dogs and cats, along with updated medical protocols which increase our ability to help your pets.

• One of highlights of 2011 was the introduction of new pain medications, especially for cats. Our clients often struggle to recognize the signs that an animal is in pain, whether it be following an accident, after surgery, or due to a chronic health condition, such as arthritis. The more tools that we have to help animals in pain, the better!

• Our team has continued to stress the importance of nutrition in maintaining health, using special diets to help pets with chronic health conditions such as kidney disease, inflammatory bowel disease, allergies and arthritis.

• As always, we will be stressing the importance of good dental health, proper body weight, appropriate vaccinations and wellness testing.

We pledge in 2012 to help those pets who need us, building on a history of more than 80 years in the neighbourhood. All the best to all of our two-legged and four-legged friends in 2012!

Caution--treat recall

We were alerted to the fact that Saturday's Toronto Star included an article about a potential issue with chicken jerky products produced in China and used as treats in the United States. 

A recent surge in illness and death of dogs has prompted the U.S. FDA 's Center for Veterinary Medicine to issue a warning about chicken jerky products imported from China;  read http://www.fda.gov/AnimalVeterinary/NewsEvents/CVMUpdates/ucm280586.htm.

We are not aware of any of our patients falling ill due to these products, but please give us a call if you are concerned.

Thank you also to our client who suggested that we point others to the FDA website, where food recalls are updated on a regular basis (www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/newpetfoodrecalls/).