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February is National Pet Dental Health Month
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Did you know that 80% of dogs and 70% of cats have some kind of oral disease by the age of 3? Never fear pet owners — February is National Pet Dental Health Month, so now is the perfect time to call us and schedule a dental check up for your furry family members.
As with many health issues, prevention is always the best medicine. One way you can take a proactive role in preventing oral disease in your pet is by using an important tool that many pet owners neglect to purchase for their four-legged friends: a toothbrush. A soft-bristled toothbrush should be used to clean your pet’s teeth daily to remove any food particles and prevent the build up of tartar and plaque deposits. Make sure to only use toothpaste that is specially formulated for use on pets.
Dental disease is more than just a cosmetic issue — when your canine companion or feline friend has red gums, yellow teeth and stinky breath, it could be a sign of serious oral disease that could, if left untreated, lead to devastating affects on your pet’s quality of life including infection, severe pain and even organ damage. Neglecting your pet’s teeth and gums can cause chronic pain issues that may even be at the center of certain behavioral problems. With regular oral health maintenance and check-ups, most of these problems can be avoided.
Dr. Daniels may recommend a professional teeth cleaning for your dog or cat once a year or as needed. Performing a thorough oral exam requires the use of general anesthesia, so Dr. Daniels will first give your pet a pre-anesthetic exam and perform pre-anesthetic blood work. Once the anesthesia is administered your pet’s vitals, including respiration, temperature and heart rate, will be monitored while our technicians take dental radiographs and uses instruments to scale and polish your pet’s teeth, removing tartar and plaque build up that could otherwise lead to dental issues. In cases of serious oral disease, Dr. Daniels may recommend a tooth extraction.
Between regular examinations with Dr. Daniels, you should look for the warning signs of gum disease such as bad breath, red and swollen gums, yellow-brown crusts of tartar along the gum lines, and bleeding or pain when the gums or mouth are touched. Pets with developing gingivitis and periodontal diseases often paw at their face or mouth frequently, have excessive drool, and may exhibit an unwillingness to eat harder foods.
Overall health begins with a good diet, but did you know that many dental health issues are caused by malnutrition? Dr. Daniels can also work with you to address your pet’s nutrition and develop a healthy eating plan.
Keeping on top of your pet’s dental health has lasting positive effects — studies show that maintaining oral health can add up to five years to your pet’s life.
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A Diet That Brushes Your Pet’s Teeth
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| Does your pet hate to have his teeth brushed or you just don’t have the time to brush your pet’s teeth twice a day? Well did you know there was a diet you could feed your pet that brushes their teeth while they eat? Yes a nutritious solution to help you to reach those hard to reach places in your pets mouth and it’s called Hill’s T/D!
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Dental care for your pet is more important than you think. The association between oral health issues and systemic general health issues include affects to the kidney, heart and metabolic systems.
Hill's T/D has a special fiber matrix that scrubs the exposed tooth surface like an edible toothbrush, reducing bacteria-laden plaque. If left unchecked, this buildup can lead to gingivitis, a dental condition that can weaken the gums and tissues that support the teeth. Hill’s T/D is clinically proven to reduce plaque, stain and tartar buildup, and reduces bad breath. Hill’s T/D is a complete and balanced diet with added antioxidants to control cell oxidation and promote a healthy immune system for your dog and cat.
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| Call us today for more information and to reserve your bag of Hill’s T/D so that you can start brushing your pets teeth with ease.
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| to your account when you refer a friend and they come in for their first visit to Largo Veterinary Hospital
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5 Ways You Might Be Stressing Your Cat Out
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You may not realize it, but some of your behaviors might be stressing out your cat.
People are often blissfully unaware of the impact their actions have on their animals, for better or for worse. Most cat owners aren’t intentionally trying to make their cats feel anxious or stressed. But regardless of intent, your actions affect your cat and can alter her behavior and her relationship with you.
You rely on punishment to change her behavior: There are ways to put a stop to unwanted behavior, but punishment isn’t the solution. Punishment temporarily inhibits the problem behavior without resolving the underlying issue; your cat doesn’t understand that what she’s doing is wrong, and she doesn’t know what to do instead. Because your cat does not understand that certain behaviors are undesirable, punishment may feel inconsistent and random to her, which can cause her to become anxious and wary.
You bring out the crate only when it’s time to visit the vet: A majority of cats are crated only in specific — and usually stressful — situations, like visits to the vet or groomer. This can teach them to dislike the crate, and many will hide or put up a fight to avoid going inside. Teaching your cat to go willingly into her carrier when asked and making it a fun place for her to hang out every day can make taking her places like the vet — or anywhere that requires her to ride in her carrier — a lot less stressful for everyone involved.
You think scaring her is harmless — and hilarious: You’ve seen the videos of cats terrified by cucumbers, right? Hilarious, yes? Not for the cat. Sure, people don’t scare their cats with the intention of causing harm — but they also don’t realize the issues that can result from this “funny” behavior. A cat who is repeatedly startled can become neurotic and wary, and may become afraid to venture into places she previously found safe. Scaring a cat in areas where she eats or drinks is especially dangerous, as the cat may avoid these areas. This may mean she’s not getting enough food or water, which can put her at risk for various health issues. And that isn’t funny at all.
You let the dog chase her. Again, this may seem entertaining to you but is downright scary for your cat. When a cat is chased, she doesn’t see it as a game; in her mind, the chase is likely an all-out, adrenaline-fueled sprint to make it to safety before she’s captured and potentially injured or killed. Some pet owners often believe the cat is purposefully taunting the dog by getting close and then bolting off, thus inviting the chase. The reality is that your cat may get close to your dog, because she wants to be near people or in an area of your house that she enjoys, even if that is where the dog also is, and so she will take a chance and venture out of hiding. Assuming that cats and dogs just act this way and there’s nothing that can be done to change the situation will often result in an anxious, stressed-out cat.
You assume that your cat is happy to sleep all day. Cats are hunters, but many lack the opportunity to exercise their hunting drive in an acceptable manner. Cat owners often assume that their cats have lost this drive to hunt and just want to snooze in the sun all day. But if she’s left without any constructive way to focus her hunting instincts, your cat may climb drapes, scratch furniture and stalk other household cats. On the other extreme, she may sleep all day and not get the exercise that's important for her health, weight control and well-being. One easy way to help solve these problems is to make your cat “hunt” for her food: Serve portions of her meal in food puzzles or place kibble in areas of the home that she frequents, like her perches, for her to discover on her own. You can also make play more like an actual hunt by ending a play session with a wind down of play followed by a treat or your cat’s meal.
And as always, with any behavioral problem or change in your pet’s behavior, it’s important to check for and treat any underlying medical conditions that could potentially be causing or worsening the problem. If you have concerns about your cat’s behavior, talk with your vet right away.
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Meet “Oli” Callahan/Cecunjanin Our February Pet of the Month
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| |  Hi, my name is “Oli”, and I am Largo Veterinary Hospital’s February 2016 pet of the month. I am a 9 month old Domestic-Short-Haired kitten. My owners think I am special because I love everyone. They tell me I am such a sweetheart. Shh…don’t tell Dr. Daniels that my favorite treat is tuna. Something funny that happened was the time a lizard got into our house and I got to eat it without anyone knowing. Well, almost anyone. My owners love me so much they give me love all they time and even arrange themselves around me on the couch. I think that the laser pointer is the single greatest thing! I am so spoiled that I even get to sleep on my mom and dad’s pillows. |
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8 Things Humans Do That Dogs Hate
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| There are many ways you can drive a dog nuts — and you probably aren't even aware of them. So if you want to be your dog's best friend, find out how you can fix your annoying habits. Here are some of the things we do that might make dogs question whether they want to remain best buds or cut ties completely:
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| 1. Using words more than body language We’re a vocal species. We love to chatter away, even at our pets, who can’t understand the vast majority of what we’re saying. Dogs might be able to deduce what a few key words mean — walk, treat, toy, off — and maybe even learn hundreds of words as some border collies have done. But they can’t understand human language. What they rely on to figure out what we mean is our body language. Dogs have evolved to be expert readers of the human body and can figure out what you’re thinking and feeling before you even realize you’re thinking and feeling it. But we can easily send mixed signals if we are only paying attention to what our mouths are saying and not what our bodies are saying.
A great experiment (and something that will probably have your dog sighing with relief) is to try to spend a whole day not saying a word to your dog, but communicating only with your body. You’ll realize just how much you “talk” with your body without realizing it, how to use your movements and body position to get the response you need from your dog during training, and how involved a conversation can be without emitting a single sound.
2. Hugging your dog We may love hugs, most dogs do not! Canines don’t have arms and they don’t hug. Placing a foreleg or paw on the back of another dog is considered an act of dominance. No matter your intentions with hugging, a dog is hardwired to view the act of hugging as you exerting your dominance. Many dogs will tolerate it with grace — the smiling face of the family golden retriever with a child’s arms wrapped around it comes to mind. But some dogs will feel threatened, fearful, or just flat out loathe the feeling. You'd be hard-pressed to find a dog that actually enjoys or seeks out hugs.
 This dog is barely tolerating a hug from the little girl. Everything about the tense mouth, eyes and ears say that this is not something the dog is enjoying, and this is a potential safety issue for the little girl.
If you’re wondering if your dog hates your hugs, just pay attention to her body language when you go in for a cuddle. Does she tense up? Lean her head away from you? Avoid even a hint of eye contact? Lick her lips? Keep her mouth closed? Pull her ears back against her head? All of these are signs that a dog is uncomfortable. Yes, even the dog licking her lips while someone snuggles her is not showing that she is overcome with love, it is showing submissive, even nervous behavior. So next time you want to go in for a hug, pay very close attention to whether or not the dog is okay with it.
3. Petting a dog's face or patting her head Do you like to be patted on the head? It’s annoying at best and painful at worst. Most humans think that dogs like being patted on the head. The reality is that while many dogs will put up with this if it’s someone they know and trust, most dogs don’t enjoy it. You may notice that even the loving family dog might lean away slightly when you reach for her face to pet her. She’ll let you because you’re the boss, but she doesn't like it. It’s a personal space issue for dogs just as much as it is for us. This is why responsible parents teach their children to gently pet a dog’s back or rear, but don’t pat, and definitely don’t go for the dog's face. If you really want to reward your dog for being awesome, don’t bang on their head, but give them a rub on their rear end right by the tail. They’ll thank you for it!
4. Walking up to a strange dog while looking her in the eye We all know how powerful eye contact is. While we view steady eye contact as important, as a sign of trustworthiness or focus, we have to also be aware that eye contact can feel unnerving, uncomfortable and domineering. Eye contact is part of establishing dominance for many species. When you look a strange dog right in the eye, unblinking, you might be smiling and trying to warm up to them but the dog is probably reading it as an act of dominance or even aggression. They might display a submissive response — looking away, doing a little wiggle for pets, rolling over onto their backs — or they might start backing up and barking. Either way, for most dogs, a stranger looking it right in the eye while approaching is not a comfortable situation.
If you want to say hello to a new dog in a way that is comfortable for both of you, approach with your body angled slightly (not with your shoulders squared toward the dog), your eyes slightly averted, and speak quietly with a gentle voice.
5. Going for walks without opportunity to explore and smell Although it is important for your dog to walk obediently on a leash it is just as important that you give your dog(s) time to sniff and explore. Dogs see with their noses, and they place as much importance on their sense of smell as we humans place on our sense of vision for interpreting the world around us. It’s probably safe to say that dogs appreciate the smell of a tree trunk the way we appreciate a beautiful sunset. Create a structure for your walk, let there be steady walk time and then time to sniff and explore. Too often we humans are focused on going on walks for the sole purpose of exercise or potty breaks. We trudge along the same old route, often without any variety or sense of leisure, and in too much of a hurry to get back home again.
6. Keeping a tight leash, literally Just as dogs are amazing at reading our body language, they’re amazing at reading our tension levels even through the leash. Your dog can feel tension by the way you hold the leash. By keeping a tight leash on a dog, you’re raising the level of stress, frustration, and excitement for your dog. There is a lot of energy transferred between you and your dog through that little strip of canvas or leather. By keeping a loose leash, you’re letting your dog know that everything is fine and dandy, that there’s no reason to be worried or tense. With a slack leash you’re saying to your dog that you are calm and have everything under control so your dog is free to be calm as well. A dog that walks on a tight leash is more apt to bark or be reactive in even the most mild of social situations. But a dog that can walk on a slack leash is more likely to be calm. This is a difficult thing to master, and something the majority of dog owners can commiserate about, but it is so important to having pleasant walks with a relaxed dog.
7. Being tense The more stressed and wound-up you are, the more stressed and wound-up your dog is. And dogs, just like us, don’t like that feeling. You might roll your eyes, but the next time your dog is acting frustrated and tense, check in with yourself — have you been feeling that way for the last few minutes, for the last few hours, or the last few days? Your dog might just be acting as your mirror. If you need a reason to meditate, helping your dog calm down is a great one.
8. Being boring Run around the block or something to break the monotony. That's how your dog feels when you're busy being that boring grown-up. We get home from work and we want to unwind, to get a few chores done, to make dinner and sack out on the couch and relax. But that's about the most annoying thing we could do to our dogs who have been waiting around all day for us to finally play with them.
If your dog is making trouble — getting into boxes or closets, eating shoes or chewing on table legs — she's basically showing you just how incredibly bored she is. Teach your dog a new trick, working on old tricks, playing a game of "find it" with a favorite toy, or going out and using a walk as a chance to work on urban agility, are all ways to stimulate both your dog's mind and body. An hour of training is worth a couple hours playing a repetitive game of fetch in terms of wearing a dog out. Just 15-30 minutes of trick training a day will make a big difference.
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