Winter 2017
We are open seven days a week: Mon - Fri, 8.00am - 7pm Sat, 8.30am - 5.30pm Sun, 10am - 1pm molecarepetvets.com
Molecare Pet Vets News
In this issue: Dental Disease in Dogs and Cats… Broody Chickens… Winter Dangers… Pet Superstar… And our latest offers.
We brush our teeth for two minutes, twice a day, and STILL
end up going to the dentist for tooth problems. It is no
wonder that our pets have dental issues after years of little
or no care. Dental disease is one of the most common
problems seen in pets and also one of the most costly!
Research shows more than 80% of dogs have some stage
of periodontal disease by the age of 3. As a vets practice,
it is incredibly frustrating that much of the dental disease
and associated cost we see could be largely prevented
with dental care, such as brushing teeth, before problems
arise.
What is dental (periodontal) disease?
Periodontal disease is a painful progression of damage to
the gum, tooth, tooth root and jaw bone due to plaque
and tartar on the teeth. You may not even notice the early
stages when the damage is starting to develop, and later
stages are irreversible. This is why it is crucial to start dental
care before problems arise. Prevention is ALWAYS better
than cure.
Food particles and bacteria collect along the gum line
forming plaque. Within 3-5 days, minerals combine with the
plaque and form solid tartar (calculus) which adheres
strongly to the teeth. Within the plaque/tartar is bacteria,
and your pet’s immune system will respond to this as a
foreign invader, flooding the gum around the tooth with
white blood cells. These white blood cells kill some of the
bacteria, but also release enzymes which break down the
gum and tissues surrounding the tooth and its root,
including bone. The body’s own defence system backfires,
causing inflamed gums (gingivitis), damaged dental tissue
and loss of bone surrounding the tooth root. The end result
of this is tooth loss, but the journey to this point is long and
painful. Dental disease can also potentially increase the
risk of heart, kidney and liver disease, and for small dogs
and cats, can even lead to jaw fractures as the jaw is
severely weakened from bone loss.
Signs of dental disease
Cats especially, are very good at masking the signs of
dental pain, and you cannot assume that your pet’s teeth
are not painful just because you can not see obvious signs.
The majority of pets will show no outward signs of pain
even with advanced disease. For this reason, visual
assessment of the mouth is one of the most important
factors in assessing the need for dental treatment. A full
Molecare Pet Vets (office hours): 01626 835002
EVES Emergency Service (out of hours): 01392 284217
Say Cheese! Dental Disease in Dogs and Cats assessment requires x-rays and the use of a dental probe to
look for signs of damage below the gum line.
Periodontal disease can be categorised into four stages…
Stage 1 (gingivitis). Mild redness/inflammation of the gums.
Stage 2 (advanced gingivitis). Pockets form between the
gum and tooth as the attachments are damaged. This space
can accumulate further plaque/tartar and bacteria to
accelerate further damage. There is no significant bone
involvement at this point.
Stage 3 (periodontitis). Periodontal pockets around the teeth
extend deeper than 5mm, which means there is now bone
loss around the tooth root.
Stage 4 (advanced periodontitis). The bone loss around the
tooth root is over 50%, and tooth extraction is the only
treatment.
molecarepetvets.com
Say Cheese! Dental Disease in Dogs and Cats Continued Sometimes you may see outward signs such as:
Bad breath
Bleeding gums
Lumps in the mouth, on the muzzle or below the eye
Not wanting the head touched (head shyness)
Problems picking up food/one sided chewing
Sneezing or nasal discharge
Pus around the tooth
Pawing at the mouth
Loss of appetite
Drooling
Irritability or depression
What can you do?
Answer: it depends how bad your pet’s teeth are.
Stage 0
These are healthy teeth! However, you need to start with
preventative care.
Stage 1
Get brushing!! You are in the best position to keep your pet’s
teeth healthy! If you start caring for you pet’s teeth now by
brushing daily, the damage is reversible. Use an enzymatic
toothpaste to have the greatest effect on minimising tartar.
Stage 2
At this stage, it is best to have a scale and polish under
general anaesthetic to prevent further damage and a bigger
bill later down the line. Brushing with an enzymatic toothpaste
can break down very thin layers of tartar but will not make
any headway on anything thicker, which is why it needs to be
removed with the right equipment. You will need to get those
teeth back to being pristine and then use ongoing dental
care such as brushing to prevent them developing tartar
again.
Stage 3 and 4
Your pet needs a dental procedure under general
anaesthetic. It is likely that underneath the tartar, the tooth
root and the bone surrounding it have been damaged
beyond repair and some teeth may need to be removed. No
amount of brushing/dental chews/supplements will resolve the
dental disease and it is likely that your pet is in pain.
Animals have coped without dental care so far…why do I
need to worry now?
Quite simply, things change! Modern research means we
are much better at recognising signs of pain and disease in
animals, and hence we are now much more proactive at
recommending preventative medicine such as brushing,
and earlier treatment to ease pain and suffering. If there is a
way to prevent disease, why not recommend and do it!
Wild animals can develop dental problems, and this will
likely result in death for them. Thankfully, this is not the case
for our pets.
Treatment and Prevention
Brush your pet’s teeth daily with an enzymatic toothpaste –
This is the BEST way to prevent future problems. If possible,
use a standard bristle toothbrush rather than a rubber finger
cover as the bristles will remove plaque from between the
tooth and the gum. Easier
said than done with most
cats and some dogs, but it
honestly is the best way to
keep your pet’s teeth
healthy and SAVE YOU
MONEY in the long term. Try
to factor it into your routine;
we can tell which pets have
their teeth brushed from a
mile away as they look so
much better. Try to brush
teeth every day to prevent
the plaque turning into
more stubborn tartar.
Enzymatic toothpaste
If you REALLY can not brush your pet’s teeth, just applying
an enzymatic toothpaste to the teeth daily is better than
nothing. Top tip for dogs… cut a groove in a bit of carrot
and squeeze toothpaste along it to coat the teeth when
they eat it. Make sure it’s enzymatic as normal toothpaste
won’t make a difference if applied to the teeth without
brushing.
Dental diet
Specially designed dry food helps with tartar build up. It is
no replacement for brushing, but every little helps and
these can really contribute to keeping teeth happy. This is
particularly useful for cats.
Dental chews
These can have some effect on preventing tartar, but
beware the added calories! Giving these daily can add on
almost an extra day’s worth of calories per week!
Supplements
Anti-plaque supplements and water additives can help, but
again, are no substitute for brushing.
Don’t forget! We are offering free dental checks
throughout December. PLUS, 20% off a general
anaesthetic dental scale and polish AND 10% off
any dental hygiene product.
molecarepetvets.com
Treading on Eggshells… How to Care for a Broody Chicken
break the habit, however, during the broody period, you
should take your chicken off the nest once daily to eat, drink
and go to the toilet.
Your hen may lose a substantial amount of weight whilst
broody so we recommend feeding her appropriate pellets
and consider supplements to boost her energy.
Your broody chicken should be checked regularly for
red mites as they are attracted to her body temperature
and her inactivity. Poor condition makes her vulnerable
and red mite infestation can be fatal.
If your chicken is becoming very weak or unwell, you
may need to stop her broody behaviour. This can be
attempted by placing her in a bare wire bottomed
cage such as a dog crate raised off the floor (e.g. on
bricks) to allow air to circulate under her and cool her
underside. You must provide your chicken with food and
water in her cage at all times as well as shelter from the
elements.
After broodiness, your chicken may moult and look very
unkempt. Supplements containing amino acids and energy
are beneficial during this period.
If you have chickens, you may have experienced one of
them acting broody
at some point. When
a chicken becomes
broody, they stop
laying and will try to
incubate eggs,
whether they are
fertilised or not.
Broodiness is a
natural feature seen
in chickens, however
it is less common in
modern hybrids and
battery hens compared to traditional breeds. Silkies and
Seabrights are particularly prone and can be broody
multiple times over a year.
How can I tell if my hen is broody?
Your chicken will be sitting on a nest (may not be a usual
place for her) with her feathers puffed up. She may become
agitated when you go near her and can even peck and
become aggressive. Often she will cluck loudly when
aggravated.
Your chicken may be broody for a few weeks which can
cause her to lose weight and condition, and she can
become weak.
What can I do?
Broodiness is a natural behaviour and as such, it is generally
best to let it run its course. It is not recommended to try to
Molecare Pet Vets is a chicken
friendly practice associated with The
Chicken Vet. If you are concerned
about your chook chooks, call the
practice on: 01626 835 002
Throughout December, we are offering
a FREE dental check with one of our
nurses.
The level of severity of the pet’s dental needs will be
examined and we will advise on dental hygiene.
PLUS, 20% off a general
anaesthetic dental scale
and polish AND 10%
off any dental
hygiene product
New Year MOT for Your Older Pet
There are many diseases that go unnoticed
in their early stages, especially when it
comes to our ageing pets.
That’s why we are offering cats aged over 10 years
and dogs aged over 8 years a full MOT for a
discounted price throughout January and February
2018.
For more information, phone 01626 835002 or email
molecarepetvets.com
Protecting Your Pet… Winter Dangers
Christmas
Christmas is a joyous time of year but also a dangerous
time for your pet!
Christmas lights - Tempting for naughty pets to chew or
play with, but can cause shocks or electrocution.
Furthermore, if ingested, Christmas lights and even ribbons
from wrapping can act as a linear foreign body resulting
in the intestines getting bunched up with little blood
supply. Surgery is usually required to resolve ingested
foreign bodies and it can be very serious.
Christmas cake/Christmas pudding/Mince pies – Grapes,
raisins and currents can be incredibly toxic to dogs. In
some dogs, even tiny amounts can cause kidney failure if
ingested. Take great care over Christmas to keep all
these goodies away from your dog.
Chocolate – Chocolate is toxic to dogs and can cause
seizures. Make sure your advent calendars and chocolate
treats are well out of reach. Chocolates from the
Christmas tree are a particular favourite for thieving dogs!
Ernie was brought in to see us because he appeared very
sore when his tummy was touched, and was making regular
trips to the litter tray without producing any goods.
On examination, he had a VERY full bladder and we quickly
identified that he was suffering from a condition known as a
‘blocked bladder’. This is most common in male cats,
especially if overweight or stressed, and is due to the tube
leading from the bladder to the penis (urethra) becoming
blocked, either through spasm or a physical blockage like a
bladder stone.
Blood tests showed a serious accumulation of toxins from the
backed up urine so Ernie was rapidly given pain relief and
anaesthetised so a catheter could be placed into the
bladder to release the trapped urine. This is a delicate and
challenging procedure, but all went to plan.
Ernie felt much better afterwards, but had to stay in the
practice for a few days with his catheter in and on a drip to
flush out the build up of toxins. He has made a full recovery,
with some ongoing medications to reduce the chance of this
happening again.
22 Battle Road, Newton Abbot, Devon TQ12 6RY
Pet Superstar - Ernie
Road salt
When spread to prevent icy roads, salt can cause irritation,
pain and burns on your pet’s feet. After salt has been spread,
try to stick to grassy areas off the roads and pavements, and
rinse your dog’s feet after walks. Also remember anti-freeze is
incredibly toxic to cats but sweet tasting. We discussed this in
more detail in the Autumn newsletter.
High rivers/thin ice
Be very careful around fast flowing rivers with your dogs and
keep them on the lead when close to prevent them getting
swept away. Upsetting as it may be, if your pet gets into
trouble with a fast-flowing river, DO NOT try to jump in after
them to save them, as you could end up at risk of drowning.
Further to this, thin ice on lakes can also be a risk – do not let
your dog play on iced over lakes, and if they do fall in, do not
try to climb over the ice to rescue them as you could be in
grave danger on the thin ice.
Leptospirosis
This disease is spread mainly via rodent urine which can
accumulate in wet areas through water run-off such as flood
waters. A fully vaccinated dog should be protected against
this disease, but if their vaccines are out of date, or you have
opted not to vaccinate your dog, they may be at risk of
contracting leptospirosis. Leptospirosis can cause liver and
kidney failure and is incredibly serious. It is also zoonotic,
meaning that it can be transmitted to humans. We
recommend yearly vaccines to protect against this disease. In
the absence of vaccines, you must be careful to avoid areas
where rodents may reside, as well as flood waters and wet
areas.
Matted fur
Remember that mud and even snow can cause matting of
pets’ hair. This can not only be uncomfortable but also painful
as it strains the skin, and can result in skin infections. It is
important to brush your pet’s hair right down to the skin, as
the coat can look smooth on the surface but be matted
underneath. Pay particular attention to the armpits, tummy
and around the tail/back legs.
We all miss this gorgeous little face greeting us, but we’re
glad he is home and well!
A blocked bladder is an EMERGENCY. If you think your cat
is struggling to use the toilet, contact the practice
immediately on 01626 835002.