BSVH NEWSLETTER
January 18, 2010
UPDATED WEEKLY- NEW INFORMATION

February - Dental Month  15% off all dental procedures

More than 85% of dogs and cats older than four years have periodontal concerns.  There are four peridontal types of tissue:  the gingiva (gum), cementum, peridontal ligament, and alveloar supporting bone.

Periodontal disease starts when plaque forms: plaque is a transparent adhesive fluid composed of mucin, sloughed epithelial cells and aerobic, and gram positive cocci.  Plaque starts forming two days after dental cleaning.  If the plaque is not removed,  mineral salts in the food can precipitate to form hard dental calculus.  The calculus is irritating to the gingival tissue, changing the ph of the mouth and allowing bacteria to survie subgngivally.  By-products of these bacteria "eat away" at the tooth's support structures, eventually causing the tooth to be lost in some cases.

These are two common grading systems commonly used to classify the degree of peridontal disease.  The mobility index evaluates the looseness of the tooth.  With class I mobility, the tooth moves slightly.  Class II is when a tooth moves less than the distance of its crown width.  With Class III mobility the tooth moves a distance greater than its crown width.  With Class III teeth have lost more than 50% of their support and in most cases should be extracted.

Peridontal disease can also be staged:

Stage 1 gingivitis

Stage 2 early peridontitis-less than 25% support loss

Stage 3 established peridontitis-between 25%-50% support loss

Stage 4 advanced peridontitis-greater than 50% support loss

When peridontal disease is not treated, subgingival bacteria can continue to reproduce, creating deeper peridontal pockets through bone destruction.  Eventually, this progession can cause tooth loss and other internal medicine problems.

Home Care Products

Toothpaste and Brushing

Just as with your own teeth, nothing beats bruhing.  The fibers of the toothbrush are able to reach between teeth and under gums to pick out tiny deposits of food.  A toothbrush acts as a tiny scrub brush for the closest possible cleaning.

Notice the shape of the canine and feline brushes and how they conform to a pet's mouth.  You can use a humans toothbrush but you will probably find it difficult to manipulate in the pets mouth.  Never use a human toothpaste as these contain sudsing agents (people like to see foam when they brush their teeth) that are not meant to be swallowed in quantity.  Animal toothpastes come in pet-preferred flavors (chicken, seafood, and malt) in addition the more human-appreciated mint andall are expected to be swallowed.

Finger brushes are available and are smaller for puppies and kittens.

Studies have shown that brushing three times a week was adequate to maintain healthy teeth and gums but daily brushing was needed to control existing gingivitis.

Do's and Don'ts of Brushing Your Pet's Teeth

Don't use human toothpaste on your pet.

Do use a toothbrush without any paste at first so that your pet may get used to the object in the mouth before having to contend with flavor.

Don't attempt to clean the inner surface of your pet's teeth.  Natural saliva cleans the surface on its own.

Do try to perform dental home care at least once daily.

Don't perform dental home care during the first week after a full dentistry in the hospital as your pet's gums may be tender.

Don't consider dental home care as an alternative to full dental cleaning if your pet has more advanced dental disease.

COMFORTIS
Comfortis is a chewable, flavored tablet that you give to your dog to kill fleas and prevent flea infestations for one month.  Comfortis chewable tablets are for monthly use in dogs and puppies 14 weeks of age or older.  Studies have shown that Comfortis started to kill fleas within 30 minutes and killed 100% of the fleas within 4 hours.  Comfortis tablets kill fleas before they can lay egss. 
www.comfortis4dogs.com

Royal Canin
We are now carrying Royal Canin food.  Stop by today for a free sample of the Dental, Vegetarian, hypoallergenic, high protein, intestinal, urinary and digestive low fat.

We are also now stocking the new heartworm preventative/flea product, Advantage Multi. The following information is taken directly from http://www.advantage-multi.com

Advantage Multi^TM for Dogs (imidacloprid + moxidectin)

Advantage Multi for Dogs combines 100 percent prevention for heartworm disease, as shown in clinical trials, with the flea control of Advantage^®, and the treatment and control of intestinal worms (hookworms, roundworms and whipworms) - all in one, convenient, monthly topical solution.

Key Benefits¹:

• 100 percent effective at preventing heartworm disease caused by Dirofilaria immitis, as shown in clinical trials.
• 100 percent effective treatment and control of hookworm infections caused by Ancylostoma caninum and Uncinaria stenocephala (adults, immature adults and fourth stage larvae).
• Up to 98.2 percent effective treatment and control of roundworm infections caused by Toxocara canis (adults and fourth stage larvae).
• Up to 100 percent effective for the treatment and control roundworm infection caused by Toxascaris leonina (adults).
• Up to 98.6 percent effective treatment and control of whipworm infections caused by Trichuris vulpis (adults).
• Safe and effective, when used topically as directed, for dogs and puppies that are at least seven weeks of age and that weigh at least three pounds.

Important Safety Information

Like all topical animal health treatments, Advantage Multi for Dogs, is not to be given to dogs orally, is not for human use, and should be kept out of the reach of children. Ingestion of this product by dogs may cause serious adverse reactions including depression, salivation, dilated pupils, incoordination, panting and generalized muscle tremors. In avermectin-sensitive dogs, the signs may be more severe and may include coma and death. Reduce the risk of accidental oral ingestion by separating treated pets for 30 minutes. (see indications and warnings.) Children should not come in contact with the application sites for two hours after application. Ask your veterinarian if this product is right for your dog.


Is your pet on monthly heartworm preventative? When is the last time your pet was checked for heartworms?
These are very important questions. There have been several reports of healthy dogs on heartworm preventative testing positive for heartworms in areas surrounding the Mississippi River. Animal health care professionals have yet to speculate as to the cause of this outbreak. In order to keep your dog healthy, BSVH recommends having your dog tested YEARLY for heartworms, regardless of whether or not he/she is on heartworm preventative. Please call or email us for more information.

Obesity is a common problem in dogs and can adversely affect your dog's health. Pfizer Animal Health has introduced a weight loss medication formulated specifically for our canine companions. This drug works as an appetite suppressant; however, it does not have the less desirable side effects that many human weight loss medications have (i.e. nervousness, gastrointestinal effects).

This medication will be taken in conjunction with a well balanced diet and monthly weigh-ins at our clinic. If you think that your pet is overweight, please call us for more information today, or visit http://www.slentrol.com for information directly from Pfizer.