Red Nose Day 2016

Join us in supporting Red Nose Day!

Red Nose Day is a day and an entertainment event to raise awareness and money to help kids globally! Red Nose Day is on a mission to lift kids out of poverty and has raised over $1 billion in the last 25 years! Proceeds go towards food, medicine, clothes, and basic necessities.

Half of the money distributed by Red Nose Day 2016 will be spent in the United States and the other half will be spent in some of the poorest communities in Latin America, Asia, and Africa. All money raised supports projects that ensure kids are safe, healthy, and educated. For more information on where your donations go please visit: rednoseday.org/our-impact/

Be sure to watch the entertainment event this evening, 5/26/2017 on NBC 9/8c! You can also donate directly through the Red Nose website at: http://rednoseday.org/

 Upload your Red Nose pictures to show support at: https://www.facebook.com/RedNoseDayUSA/?fref=nf

Flea and Tick Prevention:

     Fleas and ticks can cause such a wide range of medical problems. Everything from Lyme Disease, to Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Haemobartonellosis, and even dangerous amounts of blood loss have been transmitted through flea and tick bites. Prevention of these bites can help keep our four legged friends from becoming ill. Pet owners can tend to forget or even brush off prevention because they do not realize it can happen anywhere at any time.

     Certain areas you live or travel do carry different risks. Not all states, cities, and towns have a ridiculous amount of fleas and ticks, but it is a common myth that just because you cannot see them, does not mean they are nonexistent. Colder weather may reduce these infestations, but they have an incredible ability to survive even in burrows, under decks, in sheds and around foundations. Additionally, while outdoor animals do pose a higher risk to exposure, indoor animals can still be exposed from their human parents tracking fleas and ticks inside after walks and hikes, squeezing in those crawl spaces or even visiting your outdoor shed. 

 Fleas like the Ctenocephalises felis and canis, and ticks like the Brown Dog tick or Lone Star Tick have been carrying a numerous amount of diseases for centuries. Lyme disease, which causes symptoms such as high temperatures, lethargy, swollen joints, and even kidney disease, has been transmitted to both animals and humans. Haemobartonellosis, transmitted to both cats and dogs, can suppress the immune system, cause depression, weight loss, fever, and in some cases death. Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, which also effects both animals and humans, can cause anything from blood in urine and/or stool, to anorexia, and inflammation of the eyes. Prevention of these parasites are beneficial to dogs and cats, as well as their human parents.

  
  There are several steps you can take to minimize your household risk of infestation and your furry children from becoming a host to fleas and ticks. Year around prevention through topical or oral medication can help detour from bites or even kill the parasites after trying to attach to a host. Running a flea comb after a hike or contact in a possibly infested area can also reduce the number of parasites. Closing off crawl spaces and placing screens over vents can help from them entering your home.  In severe examples, you can even hire an exterminator. It is very beneficial  to research your surroundings and discuss options with your local veterinary clinic to make sure you can perform the best form of prevention for your household.

    

Preventive Care for Reptiles:

Most of us have heard the term “preventive care” before and, most of the time, this conjures up images of routine bloodwork or blood pressure checks for ourselves or vaccination visits for our dogs and cats.  But have you ever considered what preventive care means for your scaly or leathery-skinned pets?  You may be thinking, “Vaccines for my (insert type of reptile friend here)?  Nah.”  And you’d be correct; we don’t have vaccinations for our reptilian companions.  However, there’s a LOT more to preventive care than shots.

Prevention of illness in reptiles is highly affected by our husbandry, or environmental care-taking, of them. In order for them to remain healthy, we need to provide them with a living environment that is as close to what they’d have in nature as we can artificially get.  It can be quite difficult to meet the lifestyle needs for your tropical Green Iguana or sub-Saharan Savannah Monitor in your Colorado living room!  But as daunting as it may seem, you have to try if you want your reptile to have a lengthy, comfortable life.  Individual species of reptiles, even those from the same continent or region, can have vastly differing environmental needs, so researching your species is vital.  Some quality sources of information include: anapsid.org and reptilesmagazine.com.  And don’t forget to consult with your veterinarian if you need some tips!

When designing your pet’s ideal environment for healthy living, the top categories to consider are: Caging, Temperature, Humidity, Diet, and UV lighting. 

Caging – The stress of having a limited or inappropriate cage can result not only in reduced immune system function, but also in behavioral problems such as self trauma and aggression.  Is your pet terrestrial (ground-dwelling) or arboreal (tree-dwelling)?  Do they live on dry land only or do they need a swimming area in their enclosure?  Do they need smooth plastic/glass sides (as snakes do to prevent abrasions on their snouts) or do they need mesh sides (as chameleons can have to ensure adequate air ventilation)? 

Temperature – Most reptiles need fairly high temperatures to keep their immune systems working well so they can fight off infections on their own.  It’s best to have a temperature gradient in the enclosure: cooler on one side, warmer on the other, with a hot basking spot for basking reptiles.  This way, the pet can choose his own comfort level.  The exact temperature ranges are going to depend on the species of reptile, so research what is ideal for your pet.  The best way to ensure that you are meeting the temperature needs is to have multiple thermometers in your enclosure: one on the cool side, one on the warm, and if possible one at the basking site.  Keep the thermometers at the level of the cage where your reptile spends its time.  A thermometer isn’t going to give you helpful information if it’s stuck to the glass at the top of the cage right by your heat source and you have a Leopard Gecko that is never more than a couple inches off the cage floor on its rock!  A word of warning: do not ever get a heating element that goes inside the cage for your reptile to lie on, like a “hot rock.”  We vets have seen numerous, severe burn injuries from these.  It will be much safer to use an outside-the-cage heating mat, bulb, or ceramic heat emitter.  

    

Humidity – This is probably one of the hardest needs to meet for our more tropical species here in arid Colorado.  Not having enough humidity can lead to dysecdysis, or abnormal shedding, which can result in skin infections, necrotic/dying tails, and loss of digits.  Having too much humidity for our desert species can also lead to skin and respiratory infections.  Know your species ideal humidity range and have a hygrometer to tell you what the humidity is in the enclosure.

Diet – One of the most common, serious illnesses that we see in reptiles is Metabolic Bone Disease.  This results from vitamin D, calcium, and phosphorus imbalances and leads to brittle or soft bones, pain, fractures, loss of appetite, muscle tremors, and even death.  Be sure to research the appropriate food items for your reptile and whether or not they need additional supplements to meet their requirements.  Not any one supplement is going to be the correct one for all reptiles.  Is your pet an herbivore, omnivore, or carnivore?  Variety is also important, both to reduce stress and to meet the pet’s nutritional needs.  You can’t eat only bread as your lifetime food source, and your reptile can’t eat only crickets or only romaine lettuce. 

UV Lighting – Not all species of reptile need UV lighting, but many of them do.  Fluorescent-style bulbs tend to be better than regular-shaped bulbs because they get better distribution along the length of the cage.  UV rays dissipate the further away from the source the pet is, so they should ideally spend at least some of their time within 12 inches of the source.  Sunlight coming in through a window is not sufficient!  The window glass and cage siding filter out a large portion of the UV rays.  The ZooMed Reptisun 10.0 is a great combo UVA/UVB source.

Whew, I know, it’s a lot to consider!  But as a motivated pet owner, you can provide the best preventive care possible by doing your research and checking in with your vet to ensure a long, happy companionship for you and your reptile pal. 

Why your should Spay and Neuter your pets:

 Why should you spay or neuter your pet?  According to a 1995 survey by the American Animal Hospital Association, nearly 80 percent of the cats and dogs in the United States and Canada are spayed or neutered.

 Neutered males of all species are less likely to roam, less likely to fight, and less likely to spray urine to mark their territory. When male cats and dogs roam they are exposed to many dangers including but not limited to cars, infectious diseases, and fights with other animals. These hazards can lead to an expensive trip to the veterinarian.

The word neuter refers to the removal of the reproductive organs of either a male or a female of a species, the commonly used term for the removal of female reproductive organs is spay. The scientific terminology for neutering in the male is castration and in the female is ovariohysterectomy.

The majority of Veterinarians believe it is best to neuter either a male or female pet just before or shortly after sexual maturity. For rabbits and other pocket pets, this time could range from four to six months in the small to medium sized breeds and up to nine months in the giant breeds. For cats and dogs, it is important to wait until all of the adult teeth are in. In order to avoid common behavioral issues, it is best NOT to wait past a year of age to neuter males. Once a hormone-triggered behavior has continued long enough, you can be dealing with a firmly entrenched habit that will not fade even after neutering. Frequently, neutering helps with behavior problems, even if done much later, so don't give up on it just because you've missed the optimum time.

An un-neutered pet’s prostate gland will gradually enlarge over the course of the dog’s life due to the influence of excess testosterone in the body. With age, the prostate is likely to become uncomfortable, possibly being large enough to interfere with defecation. The prostate under the influence of testosterone is also predisposed to infection, which is almost impossible to clear up without neutering. Neutering causes the prostate to shrink into insignificance, thus preventing both prostatitis as well as the uncomfortable benign hyperplasia (enlargement) that occurs with aging.

            Spaying and neutering is a very important subject for this quarter’s prevention topic. A Pediatric care exam is the first step to prevention. Our Doctors and Technicians vet at West Ridge would love to talk to you about your pets spay or neuter options. Let’s help decrease the overpopulation so that they are safe and healthy!

Veterinary Oral Health Council (VOHC)

The Veterinary Oral Health Council (VOHC) exists to recognize a product that meets pre-set standards of plaque and tartar prevention in dogs and cats.  Approved products are awarded the VOHC Seal of Acceptance; following review of a scientific system to collect data from trials conducted according to VOHC protocols. To get an in-depth understanding on how the VOHC was established and grew into the association it is today, we will travel back to the time to when the idea was first set in motion.

A meeting on veterinary dental product endorsement was held 1991, which included presentations by representatives of AAHA (American Animal Hospital Association), ADA (American Dental Association), AVMA (American Veterinary Medical Association and the US Food and Drug Administration - Center for Veterinary Medicine (FDA-CVM). The need for a system was acknowledged, with concerns expressed with regard to liability implications, and the need for credibility for up and coming pet products claiming to improve dental health for pets. The consultant panel reached a consensus to develop a product review and acceptance system. At this meeting and another held a few years later in 1995, a protocol was agreed upon for testing effectiveness of plaque and tartar build up in dogs. It wasn’t until 1998 that cats were added to the protocol. The official launch of VOHC took place during the 1997 Veterinary Dental Forum meeting in Denver.  Shortly after, the VOHC testing standards were used in Canada and then became accepted worldwide. Use of the VOHC outside of the US developed first in Europe and Japan. 

            The VOHC awards their seal in two claim categories: the first helps control plaque, and the second helps control tartar. Two trials are conducted to ensure that the findings are honorable. Dogs or cats in both trials are to be to be of similar body weight and age. General health is to be assessed by a physical examination, chemistry panel, and urinalysis. The teeth are to be scaled and polished on day zero so that the plaque and tartar scores are zero at the start of the trail. For the duration of the trial, the dogs or cats are to be fed a control diet, either in both the product and control groups or in the control group if the product is a diet that meets AAFCO nutritional standards. The minimum trial period to record the findings is seven days for plaque and twenty-one days for tartar. Trials of longer duration are encouraged. The requirement as of January 1st, 2011 is the minimum difference required between changes in "mouth mean score" comparing the product group with the negative control group is 15% reduction in the plaque or tartar score in each trial. The Seal of Acceptance is displayed on products that have been awarded the seal. Regular use of products carrying the VOHC Seal of Acceptance means that the products have been proven to reduce the accumulation of plaque and/or tartar, which can lead to gingivitis, periodontal disease and tooth loss if not treated.

          There may be commercial products available without the VOHC seal that can possibly be effective to help improve oral health but you can be sure that products that have earned the VOHC seal are truly effective and can be recommended without hesitation. With the large variety of VOHC Seal of Approval dental treats, mouth rinses, water additives, tooth pastes and diets; which are available on the VOHC website, you have the tools necessary to help improve and prevent oral diseases and overall health oral hygiene.

References:

www.vmcli.com/veterinary-articles-home-tooth-care.htm

www.oralatp.com
www.vohc.com

The benefits of using anethesia when cleaning your pet's teeth:

            It is important to know the difference between anesthesia and non-anesthetic dental cleanings when you are talking with a veterinarian. The differences are crucial to the health and safety to your pet. Anesthesia free dental procedures include your pet being held down and forced to let someone scrape at the outside of their teeth to get the tartar off. This has strictly a cosmetic effect and does not treat your pet's dental disease. This process is not only scary for the patient but can cause damage to the enamel, gums, and roots. If the pet bites down on the sharp tool used to scrape the tartar off it can damage the tooth, gums, tongue or jaw. If your pets teeth are not properly scaled with a temperature sensitive scaler and polished correctly; the damage to the enamel can result in permanent damage to the teeth. The top crowns of your pet’s teeth are only the tip of the ice berg. There is double the length of the crown in roots underneath the gum line that is not visible to the naked eye. The only way to see under the gum line and asses the health of the roots is to do dental radiographs. There can be some other underlying dangers lurking under the gum lines. 

 

         With general anesthesia your pets blood work should be checked for any underlying liver or kidney problems and a complete blood count prior to being placed under general anesthesia. If there are any abnormalities with the heart rate or the sound of the heart and lungs doctors will recommend doing an echo cardiogram to determine if your pet is healthy enough to go under anesthesia. If all the diagnostics come back within normal range then your pet is safe to go under anesthesia. Certified veterinary technicians will clean and assess each one of the teeth individually and take full mouth radiographs. They use a special tool to clean under the gum line as well as polish the teeth. After the assessment process is complete the veterinarian will review the dental radiographs to check for any abnormalities or concerns with any of the teeth. Once the veterinary team get an idea of any additional treatments that are necessary they then call the owner with any the details on the dental procedures and the estimated costs of those treatments; communication is key in Client satisfaction and in getting your pet the treatment they need.  The veterinary team also takes before and after pictures of the process to let owners see the results of dental cleaning visually.  Along with the pictures you will be sent home with a detailed set of instructions to help keep your pet safe at home after anesthesia as well as begin or continue with home dental care. 

 

Remember, when choosing the right veterinarian to do your pets dental procedure ask about their protocols for their dental assessment and treatment of your pets specific dental needs. Be certain that they are American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) accredited, and that they only do anesthesia dental procedures as recommend by the American Veterinary Dental College.

Why do Dental Radiograph's Matter?

      When my son was three he hit his teeth (really hard) at the playground. I didn’t think much of it at first, until he started complaining “milk hurts my teeth” with little tears in his eyes. That’s when I noticed one of his front teeth starting to turn a grey color. You might be asking what this has to do with your fur baby? Like any good parent I took him to the dentist where they took radiographs (x-rays) to see what was wrong. It turns out he just “bruised” his tooth and it didn’t hurt his adult teeth, but it could have been much worse. 

       In the human world we go to the dentist every 6-12 mouth, and almost always the dentist will take radiographs of our teeth to make sure there is nothing wrong with your teeth under the gums surface.  Pet dentistry hasn’t been around or common place for very long, and taking radiographs an even shorter time. Animals are notoriously great at hiding pain and can not say things like “water hurts my teeth”, “My tooth broke when I was chewing on that big bone”, or “It really hurts when I eat”. This is why our fur babies need to have full mouth radiographs in order to know what hurts and what may be wrong in the places we can not see. 

       Depending on the tooth, 70% or more is under the gum line; which means that little bits and pieces of food, toys, and anything else they put in their mouths can get stuck. This can lead to big issues that can not only affect the mouth, but their over all health. Animals can also be born with abnormalities or genetic disorders, such as teeth not erupting (never coming above the gum line). Dental radiographs replace the guess work, with a diagnostics.  Studies have shown that significant pathology is missed in up to 75% of the patients without radiographs.    

       It is better to have any and all problems fixed when the teeth are being cleaned instead of when there is a major pain issue. If you have ever broken a tooth, had a cavity, or any dental problem you know how much it can hurt. You have the ability to say “ouch! This needs to be fixed!” With dental radiographs we can say just that for your pet.

Source: mypetdentist.com

Why are Dental Cleanings Important for Our Pets?

Pets can’t tell us when they have an infected tooth or if they are in pain because of a broken tooth. It is up to us as pet parents to get professional dental cleanings with a veterinarian at least once a year.  We as humans understand why the procedure is important, and we typically do not need sedation or restraint. Neither is true for our pets. Which means that non-anestitized dental proceedures do pose a risk.

Another important difference between human and veterinary dental practice is that humans tell the dentist when there is discomfort; but to ensure that nothing is missed in dogs or cats, our patients require a thorough oral examination as part of a dental scaling procedure. Your veterinary dentist may recommend dental radiographs. Prior to any anesthesia it is important to check the pet’s lab work to check for any abnormalities with your pet’s liver and kidneys and complete blood count to ensure they are safe to go under anesthesia.  In severe cases of periodontal disease the bacteria can spread into the blood stream and can cause bigger problems then bad breath. The real problem develops as plaque and calculus spread under the gum line. Bacteria in this ‘sub-gingival’ plaque set in motion a cycle of damage to the supporting tissues around the tooth, eventually leading to loss of the tooth. Bacteria under the gum line secrete toxins, which contribute to the tissue damage if untreated. These bacteria also stimulate the animal’s immune system. The initial changes cause white blood cells and inflammatory chemical signals to move into the periodontal space (between the gum or bone and the tooth). The function of the white blood cells is to destroy the bacterial invaders, but chemicals released by the overwhelmed white blood cells cause damage to the supporting tissues of the tooth. Instead of helping the problem, the patient’s own protective system actually worsens the disease when there is severe build-up of plaque and tartar. Studies in dogs have shown that periodontal disease is associated with microscopic changes in the heart, liver, and kidneys.

      

      Dental cleanings for animals is just as important as it is for humans. Making sure you are getting the best dental care for your pet is also really important. Ask your local veterinarian if they put your pet under general anesthesia, if they scale under the gum line and if they take radiographs. These simple steps are to ensure that every tooth is being examined one by one, and there is no disease left undetected. So not only do dental cleanings help with bad breath they also help keep your pet and their internal organs healthy.