Pet Dental Health Month

Dental care for pets is just as important as it is for the owners. Dental disease can affect the major organs. We brush our teeth, but do you brush your pet’s teeth? Bad or doggy breath may be a sign of periodontal disease. Cavities are not a common problem for dogs or cats, but plaque and tartar can cause gingivitis and, eventually, tooth loss.

Your pet should have a complete exam at least once a year. This includes an oral exam, which will look for tartar or periodontal disease. Your veterinarian can recommend a home dental program to help slow the progression. A dental cleaning may be necessary to remove all of the plaque and tartar, and then a home dental program can be put in place to maintain those clean teeth.

Things that you can at home include brushing teeth, applying a substance to the teeth weekly to prevent plaque formation, or a water additive to control bacteria. There are dental foods available as well which can be fed exclusively or used as treats. These help to clean teeth as well.

Walk your Pet Month and National Train your Dog Month

While January is an odd choice for Walk your Pet Month, it is a good habit to get into all year round. While walking with your dog has great benefits for both of you, there are things to keep in mind.

• Don't let your dog pull ahead; they should be walking at your side. Reinforce this with praise and treats. 
• The correct leash an be very important. The retractable leashes offer little control, try to have a leash that is comfortable to hold and not too long. 
• Always bring bags and clean up after your dog. 
• In warmer weather remember that sidewalks and pavements can get very hot and burn sensitive pads. 
• In colder weather be aware of ice melts that may injure pads. Use booties or wash off paws as soon as you get home. 
• Snow can accumulate in fur between pads and make it difficult to walk. 
• Older dogs may need shorter walks, while younger animals can tolerate longer more energetic walks. Your veterinarian can help you decide what is the best length and frequency for walks. 
• Change your route so neither one of you gets bored. 

The Association of Professional Dog Trainers began the National Train your Dog Month in 2010. They wanted to bring awareness to the importance of socialization and training. 

Holiday Pet Safety Tips

The Holiday season, from Thanksgiving until New Year's, can be a very busy time. Taking extra time to plan for the pets in our lives can make everyone's Holiday safe and enjoyable.

Having visitors can be fun but it can also be stressful and our pets feel the same way. Keep to routines as much as possible. Walks and feeding for dogs should stay the same. Having a quiet zone set aside for both dogs and cats is a good idea. With doors opening and closing make sure that indoor cats are safe. House guests should know who is allowed outside and who is not.

All of that extra food can be tempting, keep in mind the pets in the family. Do not leave food on kitchen counters or tables unsupervised. Keep the garbage container in a cabinet or securely closed. Let house guests know whether or not it is okay to feed table scraps. If you do allow feeding from the table make sure it's only a small amount. Ingesting food they are not accustomed to, or fatty foods, can cause vomiting, diarrhea, or even pancreatitis. Holiday beverages can also be a hazard; don't leave drinks unattended or where they can be sampled.

Holiday plants can be toxic to both dogs and cats. Holly, mistletoe, poinsettias and lilies should be out of reach or not used at all.

Putting up a tree is part of the Holidays in many households, but planning can make a big difference. Secure the tree to the ceiling or a railing to avoid it falling or being pulled over. Tape down or cover all cords to avoid electric shock. Unplug the tree when you are not home to supervise. If you use a live tree do not let the pet drink the water. If using tinsel, hang it high and securely, tinsel can pose a serious problem with intestinal blockage. Hang non-breakable ornaments on lower branches and keep breakable ornaments up high away from curious pets.

Many people want to give pets as Holiday gifts; a better idea is making an adoption kit. Include toys, a bed and if a dog is intended, a collar and leash. Make a certificate to include in the kit, detailing how the pet will be chosen (Shelter vs. Breeder). Then bring your new pet home when you have more time to spend with them.

Have a safe and Happy Holiday!

Pet Cancer Awareness Month & Pet Diabetes Month

Pet Cancer accounts for nearly half of disease- related pet deaths every year, and is the leading cause of death in older cats and dogs. However, cancer is also one of the most treatable diseases, unlike heart or kidney failure. There have been amazing advances in the treatment of pet cancers that can improve your pet's life for many years. The causes of cancer are largely unknown; however certain breeds do tend to get some types of cancers more often than other breeds. Treatment options will depend upon the type of cancer, as well as the grade and stage. Just like in humans, treatments can include chemotherapy, surgery and radiation.

Pets can also suffer from diabetes mellitus (or diabetes) just like their humans. Diabetes is a condition that affects the concentration of glucose (sugar) in your pet's blood. Diabetes results when your pet's body makes too little insulin, or doesn't process insulin properly. Insulin deficiency results in an increased level of glucose in the blood.

Signs of diabetes include:

• Increased thirst and urination 
• Increased appetite and weigh loss 

Treatment options can include regulating the diet as well as giving insulin injections. Well managed diabetic dogs and cats can live a normal and happy life.


Contact the Quarry Ridge Animal Hospital Team today with any questions you may have 203-438-8878.

Halloween Safety Tips

Attention, animal lovers, it's almost the spookiest night of the year! The ASPCA recommends taking some common sense precautions this Halloween to keep you and your pet saying "trick or treat!" all the way to November 1.

1. No tricks, no treats: That bowl of candy is for trick-or-treaters, not for Scruffy and Fluffy. Chocolate in all forms—especially dark or baking chocolate—can be very dangerous for dogs and cats. Candies containing the artificial sweetener xylitol can also cause problems. If you do suspect your pet has ingested something toxic, please call your veterinarian or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435.

2. Popular Halloween plants such as pumpkins and decorative corn are considered to be relatively nontoxic, but they can produce stomach upset in pets who nibble on them.

3. Wires and cords from electric lights and other decorations should be kept out of reach of your pets. If chewed, your pet might suffer cuts or burns, or receive a possibly life-threatening electrical shock.

4. A carved pumpkin certainly is festive, but do exercise caution if you choose to add a candle. Pets can easily knock a lit pumpkin over and cause a fire. Curious kittens especially run the risk of getting burned or singed by candle flames.

5. Dress-up can be a big mess-up for some pets. Please don't put your dog or cat in a costume UNLESS you know he or she loves it (yup, a few pets are real hams!). For pets who prefer their “birthday suits,” however, wearing a costume may cause undue stress.

6. If you do dress up your pet, make sure the costume isn't annoying or unsafe. It should not constrict the animal's movement or hearing, or impede his ability to breathe, bark or meow. Also, be sure to try on costumes before the big night. If your pet seems distressed, allergic or shows abnormal behavior, consider letting him go au naturale or donning a festive bandana.

7. Take a closer look at your pet’s costume and make sure it does not have small, dangling or easily chewed-off pieces that he could choke on. Also, ill-fitting outfits can get twisted on external objects or your pet, leading to injury.

8. All but the most social dogs and cats should be kept in a separate room away from the front door during peak trick-or-treating hours. Too many strangers can be scary and stressful for pets.

9. When opening the door for trick-or-treaters, take care that your cat or dog doesn't dart outside.

10. IDs, please! Always make sure your dog or cat has proper identification. If for any reason your pet escapes and becomes lost, a collar and tags and/or a microchip can be a lifesaver, increaing the chances that he or she will be returned to you. 

SOURCE: https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/halloween-safety-tips

September is Happy Cat Month!

Cats are not small dogs! Cats have their own health and medical concerns. They also have vaccines specifically for them. We use a Pure rabies vaccine for our cat patients. It only lasts one year, but unlike the three-year version, it is less likely to cause a tumor at the site of the injection.

To help with visits to the veterinarian, acclimate your cat to the carrier. For scheduled appointments, take the carrier out several days ahead of time, open the door, and leave it alone. Maybe put treats inside, too. When it is time to leave for your appointment, you will find it easier to scoop up your feline friend and put them in the carrier. You might find they are already sleeping in there!

Even if your cat is strictly indoors, flea and tick prevention is a good idea, especially if there is a dog in the house that can bring in these parasites.

Permanent identification, in the form of a microchip, is also a good idea. Cats are good at sneaking out the door, or even pushing out screens in the window.

Provide enrichment for your feline friend, such as toys and things to climb on, or use a laser light to stimulate your cat and interact with them. Don’t forget things to scratch on and vertical and horizontal surfaces to give variety.

Train your cat to do tricks. It is possible, and if there is a treat your cat loves, it’s not too hard! Experiment and have fun!

Time to Clean Your Pet's Ears?

Veterinarians see a lot of patients with ear infections. In fact, it's the second most common reason for a client visit, according to pet health insurer, VPI Pet Insurance. With ear problems prompting so many trips to the vet, should ear cleaning be a necessary part of grooming your pet?

Generally, cleaning a dog's ears on a routine basis is not necessary, according to Leonard Jonas, DVM, MS, DACVIM, a veterinarian with Wheat Ridge Animal Hospital in Wheat Ridge, Colo. That's because animals have a naturally occurring self-cleansing process.

"I've had pets my whole life," Jonas said. "I don't remember ever routinely cleaning out their ears."

However, that doesn't mean pet owners should never take notice of their dog's ears. Certain breeds, lifestyles and physical characteristics will make a dog more prone to what Jonas calls "abnormal situations," in which the pet's normal homeostasis is disrupted. This is when something, either systemically or locally in the ear, interferes with the normal surface barrier defense system and the normal cleaning process that keeps bacteria and yeast under control.

There are signs to watch for if your pet is having an issue with its ears. These, according to Jonas, include:

• Shaking its head
• Flapping its ears
• Rubbing at its ears, either with a paw or by rubbing against furniture or carpet
• Self-massaging the ear to ease itch, pain or irritation
• Debris and/or redness inside the ear
• Sores inside the ear
• Odor in the ear due to abnormal oils and bacteria

"If you [the pet owner] look in the ear, you can see sometimes a lot of debris," said Jonas, explaining what an ear with an infection or problem may look like. "Then [you] see redness on the ear flaps (inside) or sores developing. And then there's also odor that occurs when you have an abnormal ear."

Breeds to watch
There are certain breeds of dogs—such as Shar Peis, bulldogs and poodles—that have narrow ear canals and have a higher chance of incurring ear issues. Poodles, especially, have more hair in the canals, Jonas explained. "The hair itself is not a problem, but if they've got something abnormal with their whole defense system, all that extra hair in there makes it difficult."

Cocker spaniels are notorious for ear problems, Jonas added.

When to clean your pet's ears
According to Jonas, it's best to consult your veterinarian before going forward with an ear-cleaning regimen. Unlike cleaning the teeth, cleaning the ears does not need be done regularly. If a pet owner suspects that something may be wrong with the ear, it's advised to visit the veterinarian and establish whether the dog's ear needs to be cleaned by the owner either routinely or for an instructed period of time.

Cleaning the dog's ears without first seeing a veterinarian is not a good idea, Jonas said, "because you don't know what's going on inside. You don't know if there has been a ruptured ear drum; you don't know if there's a stick or a stone or something stuck down inside the ear that needs to be fished out by a veterinarian."

A veterinarian can diagnose the problem and make the proper recommendations, which may be cleaning and/or medication.

Typically, there are two situations for which a dog's ears would need to be cleaned regularly. The first is when a veterinarian instructs for it to be done, and the second is when the dog is frequently in water. "Water in their ears disrupts the normal defense barrier system in that ear, and can make them prone to getting infections and irritation and inflammation," Jonas said.

If there needs to be ear cleaning
A veterinarian should show the owner how to properly clean the dog's ears because "there are a lot of different techniques, and it depends on what the problem is," Jonas advised.

There are a couple of precautions to always remember, according to Jonas. First, never use a Q-tip, because it tends to push the wax and debris further into the ear. Second, be sure a groomer does not pluck the hair out of the dog's ears, unless that hair is contributing to an ear problem; Jonas believes that doing so may cause irritation.

One thing pet owners should also consider is that if the dog has an ear infection, it could be very painful for them. Forcing the dog to get its ears cleaned or putting medication in them can be a dangerous situation for the owner and the dog.

"If your pet doesn't want you to do it, don't, because it hurts," Jonas said. "You're just going to create a problem, and you need to look to alternatives."

Originally published by Healthy Pet.