Winter 2017

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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.

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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

newton.abbot@molecarevets.com

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.