My dog got his teeth cleaned AGAIN

Yes - last week my dog, Brett had his teeth cleaned again.  I say again because the last time I did the procedure was only 3 months ago.  This dog has a natural plaque-building rate that nearly equals the rate that weeds grow in our yard.  Every time he has his teeth cleaned, it is the full monty.  He is under general anesthesia, has his teeth hand-scaled, then ultrasonic scaled.  After that, they are polished and we apply fluoride.  Most dogs after having this procedure done can go over 12 months before having to repeat.  Even longer when they are getting oral care at home.  Not my Brett.  I have tried it all and he just has bad teeth.  Why am I telling you this?

Many people are concerned about repeated anesthetic procedures (surgeries).  Brett is living proof that this fear is quite unwarranted.  He has been having surgery at least once a year ever since he was four years old.  He is now thirteen years old and acts like he is a five year old dog.

Many people put off teeth cleaning procedures for a variety of reasons, but waiting to do it will only make the disease worse.  It is best to get teeth cleanings done early to prevent having to extract teeth.  It has been two years since Brett's last extraction and the teeth are looking good because we continue to remove the plaque as it is formed.

Many people are concerned that their pet is too old for anesthesia.  Remember that I mentioned Brett is now 13.  I have modified his anesthetic protocol over the years and based on his most recent lab work, but age is not a reason to put off needed surgery.  When it is done, it can add years to a pet's life.

Anesthesia and surgical techniques continue to improve year after year.  There is inherent risk involved, but the entire process can be safely managed, especially in a stable patient.  The benefits certainly outweigh the dangers.

Dr. Amy Hellard
West Chester Veterinary Care
www.westchesterveterinarycare.com

My dog nearly bloated…

Many dog owners and some non-dog owners know what bloat is.  The movie “Marley and Me” brought the issue to the surface for a while, though now many who saw the film still don’t know how that dog died.  I never saw the movie, but I do know about bloat and I feel it nearly unforgivable to happen to a vet’s dog.  Here is what happened: my dog Emma is a lab/springer mix.  She usually gets a burst of energy in the evening after I get home from work.  On this particular day, she had just finished eating her dinner, then goaded me into throwing her Frisbee for her.  We went into the back yard and I tossed the Frisbee.  The first chase and catch was mild, the second throw produced a nice chase and she nearly caught that one, the third throw included a high catch with a tail flip – it was beautiful.  The fourth throw never happened.  She came back and dropped the Frisbee, was panting as expected, but didn’t want to go again.  She paced a bit, then ran off to go pee.  After that, she returned to the porch, but didn’t want to play.  Shortly after, she vomited her dinner and a large amount of white foam.  She then vomited again and I saw her gums – they looked pale.  I lifted her lip and her gums were white.  Her tongue was pale blue.  No pink in the mouth anywhere.  I freaked.  She then proceeded to do all the usual things, tried to vomit repeatedly, only foam came up.  She couldn’t lay down comfortably – she kept changing positions.  She turned and looked at her sides where it hurt, and she continuously stretched her torso in an attempt to get some relief.  I didn’t end up having to take her to the emergency hospital that night.  I massaged her belly and watched for the next signs – fast heart rate and distention of the abdomen.  That didn’t happen.  After about 20 minutes her pain seemed relieved and we were safe again.  
What happened?  When a dog bloats, the stomach turns over itself.  The other name for this condition is Gastric (stomach) Dilatation (distention) and Volvulus (twisting) - GDV.  It is more common in “deep chested” dogs, think Boxer and Doberman.  After the stomach has twisted, the outflow tract is obstructed and the stomach begins to fill up with gas.  The end result is that the dog goes into shock, the stomach fills up so much gas that sections of it loose blood flow and begin to die.  The dog can easily die if this emergency is not addressed immediately.  Often these dogs need to be taken to emergency surgery to have the stomach emptied and set back into proper position.  Their recovery from surgery is also rough and requires constant supervision.  I dodged a bullet that day, but thought you all should know about this and what to look for.  I saw it happen in my own baby first-hand.  My advice to you, do not wait to go to the emergency hospital if you see these signs.  The sooner the dog receives medical attention, the better the potential outcome.

Dr. Amy Hellard
West Chester Veterinary Care (WCVC)
www.westchesterveterinarycare.com

I'm supposed to look in THERE?

Most of us don't make a habit of looking at our pet's teeth on a regular basis.  This is unfortunate, since our pet's mouths can be a true source of discomfort and disease when not cared for properly.  Even my own dog's mouth can get worse than I imagine it is.  I cleaned my dog's teeth yesterday.  They were... you guessed it... worse than I imagined.  I knew my dog had bad breath and some tartar build up, but it wasn't until I cleaned his teeth that I realized how dirty they really were.  My technician and I spent a great deal of time scaling, scraping, and polishing until we finally cleared away the harmful tartar that had built up and addressed the gingivitis that would lead to horrible abscessed roots if left for much longer.  I'm pleased to report that we were able to avoid extractions this time, but in the future I'll be quicker to address the problem!  I encourage everyone to check their pet's mouth frequently and report to their veterinarian if they notice red gums or tartar building up.  Early intervention will save your pet pain and discomfort in the future.