Spoede Animal Hospital

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What can be done about my pet's awful breath? Why must my pet undergo general anesthesia for his dental procedure? What can be done about my dog's/cat's foul-smelling ears? What can be done to alleviate my dog's/cat's arthritic difficulties? How can I get rid of fleas? What can I do? My dog is destroying everything! Can my cat get heartworms? What can be done about my pet's awful breath? Bad breath, also known as halitosis , is only one of many possible clinical signs of dental disease due to dental calculus, plaque, and associated bacterial infection. Your pet's teeth, in fact, need to be cleaned periodically for the same reasons people have their teeth scaled and polished — to control harmful bacteria that can spread through the bloodstream to the heart, kidneys, liver, and other areas. For the very best results, we use an ultrasonic scaling device similar to the one used by your dentist. After scaling off the tartar, the teeth are polished to remove tiny scratches on the enamel. Finally, a fluoride foam application completes the procedure. After your pet's dental cleaning, it is very helpful to brush the teeth at home on a routine basis (optimally, at least every other day) with a toothbrush and paste designed for use in animals. When performed regularly and done correctly, home dental care for your cat or dog can yield wonderful results. The use of special brushes prevents damage to the delicate gingival tissue. Furthermore, pet toothpaste is formulated to be retained in the mouth after brushing. No rinsing is required! In addition to brushing, antibiotics are given in cases involving significant bacterial infection. Return to top of page Why must my pet undergo general anesthesia for his dental procedure? To properly clean all the surfaces of the teeth, especially at and below the gum line, and finally, to polish the enamel (to remove tiny scratches that would otherwise result in a rapid accumulation of new tartar), total cooperation using a sedative or general anesthetic is usually necessary. In addition, a preanesthetic blood test is required before this and any other procedure requiring anesthesia. In very cooperative cats and dogs, Dr. Yavitz can perform a significant amount of dental scaling without any sedation or anesthesia during the course of a routine office exam. What can be done about my dog's (or cat's) foul-smelling ears? Odor in the ears indicates the presence of inflammation of the ear canal (otitis) , a condition that should be investigated by Dr. Yavitz. The ear canal is inspected for the presence of ear mites , a common external parasite of the puppies and kittens. In order to diagnose the cause of the ear problem in the absence of mites, a swab of abnormal discharge taken from the ear canal is examined under the microscope to help distinguish between bacterial and yeast infection. Another swab may be needed to obtain a bacterial culture. After a proper treatment regimen has been determined, pet guardians will need to learn to examine and medicate the ears of their dog or cat . When indicated, an antibiotic specific for the bacteria isolated from a culture is selected.

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