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Volume I, Issue I July 2005 IN THIS ISSUE •
Dental Hygiene – More Important than Many People
Know •
FREE Dental Clinic for Dogs & Cats – August
23 •
Hot Spots – The Skin Infection Often Confused
with Gunshot Wounds •
Re-Establish Your E-Bulletin Personal Preferences |
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Dental Hygiene – More Important than Many
People Know The
Problem: Over
time, plaque and tarter can build up on the teeth of dogs and cats. This causes the teeth to be yellow and
unattractive. It also causes bad
breath in the pets. More importantly,
the plaque and tarter contain bacteria.
These bacteria can cause gum disease.
When the dental hygiene is bad enough, the bacteria can move
systemically into vital organs. Can
Pets Get Cavities? Cavities are uncommon in pets, but the problem is on the rise
in the U.S. Left long enough, cavities
can become painful in pets just as they are in humans. Pets typically do not get cavities because
they do not eat the sugary foods that we humans consume. Vets believe that more pets are getting
cavities lately because people are feeding sugary treats. A good way to help protect your pet from
cavities is to only feed treats designed for your type of pet (meaning dog
treats for dogs and cat treats for cats). Bad
Breath is Not Natural For Pets: Many people believe falsely that pets just have bad
breath because they are animals – especially dog owners. This is not true. Bad breath results from harmful bacteria
growing in your pet’s mouth. You may
find that simple measures such as tooth cleaning food or tooth cleaning
treats will fix the bad breath problem as well as protect your pet’s health. Can
Pet Food Make a Difference? Some research has suggested that hard food is
slightly better for dog and cat teeth than soft food. Science Diet® has developed a line of dog
food that keeps teeth clean very effectively.
It’s called Science Diet TD™. Preventive
Measures:
You have a number of options for protecting your pet’s teeth. An easy option for dogs is the
teeth-cleaning treat. Healing Springs
Animal Hospital enthusiastically recommends Greenies®. These green, tooth-brush-shaped dog bones
clean your dog’s teeth while the dog chews them. Dogs love them! They are a little pricey,
compared to normal dog bones, so Greenies® might serve as a weekly treat for
many people. Other dental hygiene
strategies include tooth brushing at home and a professional cleaning at
Healing Springs Animal Hospital. If
you want more information on what you can do to protect your pet’s teeth,
check out the following announcement on Healing Springs’ Dental Clinic for
Dogs and Cats. |
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FREE Dental Clinic for Dogs and Cats – August
23, |
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Healing
Springs Animal Hospital will hold an informational dental clinic for dog and
cat owners on |
FACT: DOGS AND CATS LIVE LONGER IF THEY RECEIVE DENTAL CARE AS
NEEDED THROUGHOUT THEIR LIFETIME. |
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Staff will make
recommendations, provide demonstrations, and give out samples. Schedule a free appointment today. Information available will include:
importance of dental hygiene, oral care food and treats, at home dental care
(brushing, rinses), before & after photos of previous dental procedures,
detailed pictures of dental cleaning in animals, and information on
pre-anesthetic bloodwork. |
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Hot Spots The Skin Infection Often Confused with Gun
Shot Wounds You
arrive at home one evening to find your dog acting distressed. Your dog bites at the base of his tail so
vigorously, you fear he will hurt himself.
You examine the area and see a red, circle. At this point, many people have called the
Healing Springs vet on call reporting that their dog has been shot. What the dog actually has is a pyotraumatic dermatitis, commonly
known as a hot spot. The Problem: Hot spots are common skin infections. They result when bacteria normally on a
dog’s skin overwhelms the dog’s normal resistance. Hot spots occur quickly. They can flare up in a period from six
hours to two days. The earliest sign
that your dog might have a hot spot is moist hair standing up in an isolated
area. Most people notice hot spots
when they become circular, red spots that lose hair. They can be swollen and ooze a smelly pus. Hot spots are painful and itchy. They typically occur at the base of the
tail, on the flanks, on the legs, or on the paws. Some dogs will scratch, lick, or bite to
the point of self-mutilation. Causes: Hot Spots are most likely to occur during
hot weather. Dogs with heavy coats
have the highest risk for developing hot spots, but any dog can develop this
infection. A common cause for hot
spots is when the undercoat sheds but becomes trapped next to the skin. Fleas serve as another common cause. Their bites can create tiny wounds that
make fertile breeding grounds for the problematic bacteria. Veterinary
Treatment: When you
discover a hot spot on your pet, make an appointment at Healing Springs
Animal Hospital soon. An emergency
call, however, is not entirely necessary.
Typical treatment will involve trimming the hair around the lesion, washing
the area with alcohol and a disinfectant,
and sending the owner home with antibiotics and a medicated topical
spray. Prevention: Dog owners have two excellent ways to
prevent hot spots. Regular grooming
works out tangles and mats to keep the skin breathing and healthy. Avoid bathing your dog while tangles and
mats are present. Comb or clip those
out first. Dogs with a history of hot
spots or who are prone to having long, tangled hair might need to be combed
twice weekly. If you do not have the
time for a regular grooming schedule or just want the professional touch,
Healing Springs offers professional grooming services. Consider having your dog groomed every four
to six weeks. Another
excellent way to prevent hot spots is good flea control. Healing Springs recommends Frontline®. Frontline is a medicine applied to the base
of the dog’s neck. Unlike a flea
collar, Frontline protects every inch of the dog by traveling through the fat
cells. Frontline is a neurotoxin that
kills fleas just for touching your dog – BEFORE they even bite you dog. Frontline® can be purchased at Healing
Springs. |
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Re-Establish Your E-Bulletin Personal
Preferences When you signed up
for the Animal Health Bulletin, you had the option to specify the categories
of content that would interest you.
Some of the preferences information was lost during the data entry
phase. If your preferences were lost,
you are currently registered to receive all bulletins. We apologize for any inconvenience. If you would like to only receive bulletins
pertaining to a certain category of animal, please follow the link below,
type the categories that interest you, and send the e-mail. Click
here to re-establish your personal preferences. Specify one or more
of these categories: Dogs · Cats · Horses · Bovine · Small Ruminant · Camelid |
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The Animal Health
Bulletin is a FREE service of Healing Springs Animal Hospital (276) 236-5103 Galax, VA 24333 Visit our website at
www.HealingSpringsAnimalHospital.com |
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Administrative: Request and article topic. Click
Here. To ask questions about a
specific pet, call Healing Springs at (276) 236-5103. You
have permission to forward this bulletin in its entirety to a friend. If
you did not receive the Animal Health Bulletin directly and would like to
begin receiving them, simply e-mail us at the link below. Healing Springs Animal Hospital provides
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counties. When you subscribe, please
provide your name and address. The
Animal Health Bulletin is developed and distributed with the assistance of Brazzell Marketing Agency. © BMA 2005 |
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