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9 Facts You Need To Know About Canine Dental Health
9 Facts You Need To Know About Canine Dental Health 4Knines Staff • 2/10/22 Does your dog’s breath keep you from having quality snuggle time? If your dog hasn’t had a teeth cleaning in a while (or ever), keep reading. Dog owners often overlook the early warning signs of dental disease because they think ‘stinky dog breath’ is just something dogs inherently have. Dental problems can cause, or be caused by, other health problems so be sure to have your vet do a thorough checkup at least once a year. Here are 9 facts you need to know about protecting your dog’s teefies so you can be the best advocate possible for your dog’s health. 1. Dental disease begins early in life. The American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) says that by the age of three, most dogs have some degree of dental disease. The early signs of dental disease in pets include bad breath, yellow tartar buildup on the teeth, and red and swollen gums. 2. Regularly brushing your dog’s teeth is an excellent way to prevent plaque buildup. You can ask your veterinarian about what toothpastes and brushes are best. Never use human toothpaste, which can contain ingredients like xylitol that are toxic to animals. 3. Daily chewing activities can also be effective in maintaining oral health. Chewing is the natural way for dogs to clean their teeth as the act of gnawing scrapes plaque off of teeth. 4. Advanced dental disease can cause serious problems. According to the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), early detection and treatment are critical, because advanced periodontal disease can cause severe problems and pain for your pet, including kidney, liver, and heart muscle changes. 5. Your pet’s teeth need to be checked sooner if you observe any of the following problems: Source: AVMA Bad breath Broken or loose teeth Extra teeth or retained baby teeth Teeth that are discolored or covered in tartar Abnormal chewing, drooling, or dropping food from the mouth Reduced appetite or refusal to eat Pain in or around the mouth Bleeding from the mouth Swelling in the areas surrounding the mouth 6. Most dental disease occurs below the gumline, where you can’t see it. Your vet may require X-rays before the cleaning. 7. It starts with plaque that hardens into tartar. Doggy dental cleaning includes scaling (to remove dental plaque and tartar) and polishing, which is much like what us humans experience at our teeth cleanings. 8. Anesthesia is safe. AAHA states that before anesthesia, your dog will be carefully screened with bloodwork and other tests to ensure they are free from underlying disease. Without anesthesia, it’s impossible to obtain X-rays to see what lies beneath your pet’s gumline. It is also impossible to safely and effectively clean the teeth using those sharp instruments while the pet is awake. 9. The key is prevention. Regularly brush your dog’s teeth, use dental chews and treats, and get periodic dental cleanings by your veterinarian. It’s worth it in the long run! Our Founders’ dog, Kira, recently got her teeth cleaned. Check out the before and after!
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How Can We Tell If Our Dog Has a Muscle Injury?
How can we tell if our dog has a muscle injury? In this blog, we will be looking at 6 key pointers that may just change the way you look at your dog and help you to detect muscle issues or injuries quickly. Injury that causes lameness is obvious and when our dog cries out in pain, we are usually heading to the vet. However, injury can be much more subtle but still have a huge effect on the way our dogs function. If our dog has a small injury, it can easily go unnoticed but will cause subtle … Continue reading →
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Holistic-Integrative Pet Care: The Wave of the Future
Holistic veterinary care is in great demand these days. The term “holistic” implies that the entire being; body, mind and spirit, is being addressed. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts. This concept stands in direct opposition to the Western reductionist view of life. Modern medicine tends to break systems down into smaller and smaller pieces, reducing them to their basic building blocks to gain an understanding. Often, the modern doctor loses sight of the forest for the trees. Holistic medicine takes many forms, but there are common principles among these various techniques. First of all, health … Continue reading →
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K9 Collagen: An Effective, Easy-to-Absorb Supplement for Your Dog’s Joint Issues
Our dogs’ joints, like humans, take a pounding from running after tennis balls, hiking and jogging around with their pals. Joint problems are common in many dogs and can affect them in a variety ways from minor irritation to great pain and discomfort. Joint problems can hinder walking, exercising, or any activity in your pup’s everyday life and is no fun for anyone. And, unfortunately, joint issues can start an early age making it best to prevent your dog’s osteoporosis or joint issues ahead of time. And K9 Collagen does just that and more! Dog Joint, Hip or Bone Pain … Continue reading →
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Pet Obesity: How to Spot It in Your Dog and Manage It
There are many things you don’t think about when picking up a dog from your local breeder or animal shelter. You look online at the newest articles on what to look for but beware, you’re always going to miss something. There is no one quick article you can read over and know every problem your dog might run into, they are just like kids and every situation is unique. This being said I’m going to delve into what has become ubiquitous here in the US. In a new study taken in March of 2015 by the Association for Pet Obesity … Continue reading →
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Top 6 Nutritional Needs of Puppies
Puppies can be a lot of fun, but their nutritional needs aren’t as easy as you’d expect. Here are my top 6 recommendations as a veterinarian for the unique nutritional needs of puppies: 1. Complete and Balanced Meals Dogs can’t grow on meat alone. They need an appropriate combination of protein, fat, carbohydrates, fiber, vitamins, minerals, and more. Most commercially available puppy foods have been formulated to be nutritionally complete and balanced for puppy growth and will include a statement that such foods have met requirements of the American Association of Feed Control Officials (AAFCO). “Nutritionally complete” means that all the …
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