WESTLAKE VILLAGE ANIMAL HOSPITAL
Animal & Bird Wellness Center Daniel B. Slaton, DVM Tiffany Margolin, DVM
Avian Specialists Veterinary Medicine for Exotic Pets Orthopedic & Reconstructive Surgery for Small Animals
We Provide The Most Comprehensive Pet Care in Westlake Village, California!
"WHAT BAD BREATH IS REALLY TELLING YOU ABOUT YOUR PET'S HEALTH"
By Tiffany Margolin, DVM, Dipl. ABVP
“Doc, Zoey’s breath is really starting to turn me off, expecially when she wants to kiss me,” The familiar complaint was being directed towards me, a veterinarian, not a marriage counselor. I petted the little Jack Russell terrier, the target of John’s complaint, apologetically. “Let’s take a look and see how much dental disease she has here,” I replied, “Oh, but my wife takes her regularly to the groomer, and they clean her teeth every time she goes….”
Unfortunately, this scenario is not uncommon, and it can be far more dangerous for your pet than many people realize. Although scraping an animal’s teeth at the groomer has been growing in popularity over the last several years, it is illegal, and more importantly, detrimental to your animal. There is no way a dog or cat will allow deep gingival cleaning without anesthesia. So the tartar that causes the most disease, that found under the gum line, and its accompanying bacteria, are actually building up as the pet continues to only receive its “awake” cleanings. Groomers and their assistants promote these cleanings as “safer,” yet they actually pose a very serious threat to your pet. Gingivitis (gum inflammation) and teeth infections spread quickly to vital areas of the body. Have you ever noticed how fast a mouth cut or sore will heal? This is due in part to the excellent blood supply in the mouth. That same blood supply can rapidly distribute bacteria and their toxic by-products from the gums to the heart, kidneys, liver and other vital organs in the body. If the bacterial challenge is large enough or some part of your pet’s body is weak, or if your pet is older and compromised, then a heart or kidney infection may result. Bacteria left behind during an awake cleaning can enter the bloodstream and end up on the valves of the heart or in the kidneys. In addition, many of these people have had no formal licensing or training in the animal dental field. In fact, the only people that are thoroughly trained to clean and evaluate animals for dental disease are veterinarians and licensed veterinary technicians. This is important, because over 70 percent of dogs and cats over the age of three years already have dental disease. The most qualified people to help detect this for you and your pet are the veterinarian and their trained staff.
What do I mean when I say “dental disease?”
Fractured or worn teeth, which can result in pulpitis and tooth root abcesses.
Dental erosive lesions in cats’ teeth require extraction due to pain and destruction of the teeth.
Retained baby teeth crowd the adult teeth and cause bacterial infection between teeth.
Buildup of tartar leads to calculi, which are hard concretions on the teeth that cause gingivitis and gum infections, ultimately resulting in root erosion, bone loss and tooth root abscesses.
Tooth root abscesses require extraction of the affected tooth.
All of these can be prevented or minimized with good preventative monitoring and early attention by your veterinarian.
A little-addressed fact that has been contributing to an upsurge in animal dental problems is the quality and frequency of processed diets. Dry grocery-store pet foods and canned foods frequently have additives and carbohydrates that stimulate the pet’s appetite but accelerate dental disease. Fortunately, packaged frozen raw and holistic diets are becoming available. The best information to keep in mind is that your dog is omnivorous, requiring some meat and also vegetable matter in his/her diet daily. You may give a dog steamed vegetables such as broccoli, green beans, asparagus and potatoes, along with rice.
You may feed organic meats (preferable to mass produced US meats) that can replace canned food. These things will reduce dental disease and improve health. Keep in mind that a raw diet is NOT for every pet. Animals, just like people, have individual food allergies, and whether the ingredient is cooked or raw does not mitigate its effect. If you are feeding a raw diet and your pet starts to have gastrointestinal or skin problems, they may have an underlying food allergy. An example of this is in cats with stomatitis, an extremely painful immune-mediated disease that results in oral ulcers and tooth loss. Drugs and surgery often fail to provide relief. Sometimes the only thing that helps is changing their diet. To find out more about pet allergies and their diagnosis and treatment, look for the article in future issues.
When I see dental disease in the clinic, it is often advanced, including tooth abscesses, severe calculi (hardened plaque on teeth) and painful gingivitis. As an integrative veterinarian, I will also carefully evaluate heart and kidney health in these cases. The dental disease is a sign that other things may well be out of balance. Laboratory work will help to unveil abnormalities of the liver and kidneys. In some cases where I have discovered heart murmurs, we utilize chest x-rays and less frequently, echocardiography to determine if this pet needs treatment for heart disease as well. Our goal is still to resolve the dental disease so that future heart problems are minimized.
The key is to remember that preventative care applies here as well, because your pet’s body is a holistic organism, and every part affects the other. If you bring your furry friend in twice a year for a physical examination and dental checkups, any problems may be detected early. Even if your pet does have to undergo anesthesia, detailed dental probing, dental xrays and complete oral evaluation can head off future, larger problems. Always ask your vet to tell you what they can about your pet’s oral health during the physical exam. If there is long-standing dental disease, you may have to have a more thorough systemic evaluation, bloodwork and xrays to be sure other parts of the body are not involved. In addition, if infection is present, pre-dental antibiotics and probiotics or possibly colloidal silver, will be used to reduce bacteria before, during and after the dental procedure. Let’s make the goal: PREVENTATIVE CARE!
Dr. Tiffany Margolin supervises the Animal & Bird Wellness Center,
in the Westlake Village Animal Hospital that combines
the best of eastern and western medical philosophy.
For questions you may call the clinic at: (805) 497-4900.
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