 WHAT’S NEW
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Wells Fargo Health Advantage
We are pleased to offer Wells Fargo Health Advantage as a payment option for veterinary procedures. Wells Fargo Health AdvantageSM is a revolving, consumer credit card designed exclusively for select providers within the healthcare industry.
Wells Fargo Health Advantage offers payment plan solutions from a trusted, well-known bank with more than 45 years of experience creating industry-specific consumer financing programs.
With this program, we can help our clients accept recommended treatment by offering a comprehensive range of no-interest and low interest payment options. The plan is a fantastic option for those unexpected emergencies or surgical procedures that can’t be delayed. There are several options available, including:
- No-interest with equal payment plans
- No-interest option with minimum payment plans
- Low interest plans with longer payment terms
If you would like more information, please contact us today!
What’s New with Our Staff
Several of our staff members were busy attending continuing education seminars in the fall. Dr. Best attended a Feline Medicine seminar in Phoenix. Look for some interesting information from her in the next newsletter. Dr. Allbright continued her alternative medicine training at an Osteopathic seminar. Holly and Cynthia went to San Diego for the CVC West meeting in October.
Tahina adopted a new puppy and named her Nettle. She is a mix between an Australian Cattle Dog (red heeler) and possibly an Akita mix. We are not sure yet and will be interested to see how big she gets and what she looks like when she grows up.
Liz and Shannon will be attending the Western Veterinary Conference in Las Vegas in February. Dr. Best will be attending a PennHip lab, so that she can perform this method of Hip Dysplasia analysis along with Dr. Allbright.
WINTER WELLNESS TIPS |
February is Pet Dental Health Month
Almost 80 percent of adults brush their teeth at least twice a day, according to the American Dental Association, but most completely ignore the dental health of their pets. February is National Pet Dental Health Month, sponsored in part by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA).
More than 80% of dogs and 70% of cats show signs of oral disease by the time they’re three years old. This can lead to serious health problems, including heart, liver and kidney disease, not to mention bad breath, tooth loss, and oral pain.
In February, we are striking out against pet dental disease by participating in Pet Dental Health Month campaigns. We will be offering free dental exams, as well as discounts on dental services and products. We also have a drawing for a basket of dental health treats and products that we give away at the end of the month.
In the meantime, here are some tips and information on how to keep your pet’s teeth healthy:
- Look for signs of tooth decay and oral disease by inspecting your pet’s teeth regularly. Bad breath, discoloration and tartar are all indications of problems that could lead to serious health risks with the potential for not only damaging teeth and gums but internal organs.
- Regular visits to your veterinarian should include a complete checkup of your pet’s teeth. Your veterinarian should clean plaque and tartar off your pet’s teeth if necessary. When tartar—created by the mixture of food debris, saliva and bacteria in the mouth—is allowed to build up it can accumulate between teeth and gums causing tooth loss, and result in an infection that could enter the bloodstream and spread to the heart or other internal organs.
- Brush your pet’s teeth daily or at least weekly. While most dogs or cats will not immediately accept a dental hygiene regimen, it can be successfully introduced with patience, particularly if you start when the pet is young.
- To acclimate your pet to dental health, start slowly using plenty of praise and treats. Begin at a time when your pet is relaxed and massage the outside of their mouth with your finger. Then give them a taste of pet toothpaste—poultry-flavored is the most popular—and then slowly introduce a toothbrush to their teeth. Begin brushing in short intervals, working up to about 30 seconds a side.
- Dogs don’t accumulate as much tartar on the inside of their teeth as they do the outside, so focus your dental hygiene attention there.
- Feed your dog or cat a dental-type diet along with their regular food. Hill’s t/d is an excellent, proven food that helps prevent plaque and tartar accumulation.
- Chew toys for dogs and rope toys that cats can chew are not only immensely entertaining for your pet, but also keep teeth clean and breath smelling fresh. Also try dental-specific treats and chew toys such as Greenies Brand products or Nutrident bones for dogs. We carry all of these products in our retail area.
- Visit www.petdental.com for more information and call today to schedule your pet’s dental exam and procedure.
Common Concerns about Dental Cleanings and Anesthesia
Many clients are aware that their pet requires dental cleaning and treatment, but shy away due to the fact that we must anesthetize their pets in order to provide appropriate dental care and perform safe and necessary procedures. While we understand that there are risks with anesthesia, we take all necessary steps to make it as safe as possible for your pets. We begin by offering pre-anesthetic blood screening to assure that your pet’s internal organs are working properly. We also offer and require in older pets, intravenous fluid therapy to maintain blood pressure, protect the kidneys and allow for smoother anesthetic recovery. Please discuss these features with any member of our staff. We will be happy to address your concerns and put your mind at ease.
But, my other doctor used to scrape the tartar off with his thumbnail. Why isn’t this ok? There are MANY reasons why this isn’t appropriate. While all you see is the heavy yellow tartar sticking to the teeth, the worst parts of dental disease are actually below the gum-line. Just because the tartar is gone, doesn’t mean the disease is any better. Under the gums, there may be infected pockets full of bacteria, weakened bone and teeth that need to be extracted. Most of this cannot be determined without a sedated/anesthetized exam, gingival probing and x-rays in some cases.
Here is the statement made by the American Veterinary Dental College (AVDC) in regards to cleaning the teeth without anesthesia. You can read more about the AVDC at www.AVDC.org.
Companion Animal Dental Scaling Without Anesthesia
In the United States and Canada, only licensed veterinarians can practice veterinary medicine. Veterinary medicine includes veterinary surgery, medicine and dentistry. Anyone providing dental services other than a licensed veterinarian, or a supervised and trained veterinary technician, is practicing veterinary medicine without a license and shall be subject to criminal charges.
This position statement addresses dental scaling procedures performed on pets without anesthesia, often by individuals untrained in veterinary dental techniques. Although the term “Anesthesia-Free Dentistry” has been used in this context, AVDC prefers to use the more accurate term Non-Professional Dental Scaling (NPDS) to describe this combination.
Owners of pets naturally are concerned when anesthesia is required for their pet. However, performing NPDS on an unanesthetized pet is inappropriate for the following reasons:
1. Dental tartar is firmly adhered to the surface of the teeth. Scaling to remove tartar is accomplished using ultrasonic and sonic power scalers, plus hand instruments that must have a sharp working edge to be used effectively. Even slight head movement by the patient could result in injury to the oral tissues of the patient, and the operator may be bitten when the patient reacts.
Professional dental scaling includes scaling the surfaces of the teeth both above and below the gingival margin (gum line), followed by dental polishing. The most critical part of a dental scaling procedure is scaling the tooth surfaces that are within the gingival pocket (the subgingival space between the gum and the root), where periodontal disease is active. Because the patient cooperates, dental scaling of human teeth performed by a professional trained in the procedures can be completed successfully without anesthesia. However, access to the subgingival area of every tooth is impossible in an unanesthetized canine or feline patient. Removal of dental tartar on the visible surfaces of the teeth has little effect on a pet’s health, and provides a false sense of accomplishment. The effect is purely cosmetic.
Inhalation anesthesia using a cuffed endotracheal tube provides three important advantages—the cooperation of the patient with a procedure it does not understand, elimination of pain resulting from examination and treatment of affected dental tissues during the procedure, and protection of the airway and lungs from accidental aspiration.
A complete oral examination, which is an important part of a professional dental scaling procedure, is not possible in an unanesthetized patient. The surfaces of the teeth facing the tongue cannot be examined, and areas of disease and discomfort are likely to be missed.
Safe use of an anesthetic or sedative in a dog or cat requires evaluation of the general health and size of the patient to determine the appropriate drug and dose, and continual monitoring of the patient. Veterinarians are trained in all of these procedures. Prescribing or administering anesthetic or sedative drugs by a non-veterinarian can be very dangerous, and is illegal.
Although anesthesia will never be 100% risk-free, modern anesthetic and patient evaluation techniques used in veterinary hospitals minimize the risks, and millions of dental scaling procedures are safely performed each year in veterinary hospitals.
To minimize the need for professional dental scaling procedures and to maintain optimal oral health, the AVDC recommends daily dental home care from an early age. This should include brushing or use of other effective techniques to retard accumulation of dental plaque, such as dental diets and chew materials. This, combined with periodic examination of the patient by a veterinarian and with dental scaling under anesthesia when indicated, will optimize life-long oral health for dogs and cats.
For general information on performance of dental procedures on veterinary patients, please read the AVDC Position Statement on Veterinary Dental Healthcare Providers, which is available on the AVDC web site (www.AVDC.org). For information on effective oral hygiene products for dogs and cats, visit the Veterinary Oral Health Council web site (www.VOHC.org).
FEATURED CASE |
Weak, Failing Kitten
Sophie and her sister were adopted together from a rescue organization. Both kittens had a mild upper respiratory infection when we first saw them, but they recovered and began their healthy life in their wonderful new home. Unfortunately for Sophie, this new found health was short-lived. Her parents brought her back in because she was very weak, wouldn’t eat and seemed like she was in pain.
After much testing, it was determined that Sophie has a rare disease of her Parathyroid gland, Primary Hypoparathyroidism. The parathyroid gland is actually a pair of glands that are contained within each thyroid gland in the neck. The parathyroid gland is responsible for maintaining normal levels of blood calcium in the body. Calcium is responsible for lots of body functions, including heart and muscle function, nerve function and formation of bones and teeth. Essentially Sophie’s body wasn’t capturing and utilizing the calcium from her diet. She was also unable to fully access the stored calcium in her body. Sophie’s condition didn’t become a problem until she started to have growth spurts and her body required more calcium than it had available. As a result, she became weak, started having muscle twitching and muscle pain. She was also much smaller than her sister, because she didn’t have as much calcium to grow her bones.
Sophie was in the hospital for several days and was quite sick. She was started on treatments including intravenous fluids, calcium supplements and a drug called Calcitriol, which is a Vitamin D product necessary for Sophie to absorb the calcium from her food and from her supplements.
Sophie is now at home and doing well. We continue to monitor her blood calcium levels and she continues on her medication. Once she is full-grown, she may no longer require the supplements, but her disease will need to be monitored for her entire life. Thankfully, Sophie has a wonderful family, who love her very much. She will likely be able to live a normal life and have a normal life-span. That makes all of us very happy!
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