Regular dental exams keep pets’ mouths healthy
Andrews McMeel Syndication
I once had a pet owner bring in an adult cat because she was meowing differently. That's not much to go on, but I did a complete physical exam and found nothing. Subsequent blood work also came back normal. Then I recommended sedation so that we could get radiographs. Again, we found nothing abnormal, so I suggested that we keep the cat and do medical rounds with the rest of the staff.
When the three veterinarians and a couple of vet techs gathered and went over the history, we decided to start at the tip of the cat's nose and proceed with another detailed exam. This time, I took a pair of hemostats and gently tapped the cat's teeth, starting in the front.
When I got to the cat's left upper fang and barely touched it, the cat just about shot up into orbit. We could find nothing else wrong on the repeat exam. We then did digital dental radiographs and saw that the root of the tooth was abscessed. After we surgically removed the infected tooth, the cat acted as if she had been relieved of incredible pain.
Oral problems in dogs and cats aren't always visible at first glance. What started out as a different meow turned out to be a serious problem that was relieved only after a lot of detective work.
Pets don't have any way of telling us that something is wrong, and it's natural for them to hide signs of weakness or pain to avoid becoming targets of predators. It's up to us as owners and veterinarians to be aware of changes in behavior that could signal pain or illness and to look beneath the surface for potential causes of problems. Here are some obvious and not-so-obvious signs that your cat or dog has a painful mouth, and some of the conditions that might be causing the problem:
-- Inflamed gums or tartar buildup on the teeth. Your pet may have gingivitis -- inflammation of the gums -- or periodontal disease. Left untreated, gingivitis progresses to periodontal disease, which causes teeth to become infected and loose.
-- Bad breath or a bad smell in the mouth area. Repeat after me: It's not normal for pets to have bad breath or any other bad odors. In the mouth area, it can signal dental disease or an infection of the lip folds in heavy-lipped breeds such as basset hounds, cocker spaniels or Saint Bernards. Bad breath can also be associated with kidney disease.
-- Drooling. This is another sign of periodontal disease, as well as of mouth infections and foreign bodies, such as splinters or burrs stuck in the mouth. Bad breath and drooling can also be signs of oral cancer.
-- Changes in eating habits. If your dog or cat is reluctant to eat or picks up pieces of food and then drops them, there's a good chance that his mouth hurts. He may have a broken tooth or a sore mouth from a type of inflammation called stomatitis.
-- Swelling. A tooth with an abscessed root is filled with pus that can cause swelling beneath the eye or a nasty condition called an oral-nasal fistula, which occurs when an abscessed tooth breaks into the nasal cavity, allowing food and water to move from the mouth into the nose and come back out through the nose. Yuck!
Don't let your dog or cat get down in the mouth! Examine the mouth monthly for signs of problems, such as redness, loose teeth and painful areas. You may need to put your money where his mouth is to avoid future problems.
Q&A
Spay technique offers
option for dog owners
Q: I heard about a new way of spaying dogs that's supposed to be easier on them than the traditional surgery. Can you tell me more about it?
A: Spay surgery -- known technically as an ovariohysterectomy -- is the removal of the ovaries and uterus through an abdominal incision. It's usually done when puppies are 6 to 9 months old, although it can be done as early as 8 weeks of age, or at any time in adulthood.
The procedure you ask about is called an ovariectomy, and it involves removing only the ovaries. It's done laparoscopically, meaning the surgeon makes two tiny incisions: one for placement of a small camera so the organs can be seen, and one for inserting instruments to remove the ovaries.
Called a "lap spay" for short, the technique is associated with less pain and a more rapid recovery than traditional spay surgery. If you've had laparoscopic surgery yourself, you probably know how quickly you feel better afterward. The lap spay doesn't require as much manipulation of the organs, so it is easier to perform. It's well-suited to young dogs because they are usually healthy and not overweight.
The drawback is that lap spays aren't yet widely available and can be more expensive than traditional spays. Veterinarians who perform the procedure must first undergo advanced training and obtain specialized equipment.
Before scheduling your dog for one, ask how many lap spays the veterinarian has performed and what the success rates were. If you have pet health insurance for your dog, the plan may not cover the surgery itself, but it may cover the price difference, since lap spays usually have fewer complications. It can't hurt to ask. -- Kim Campbell Thornton and Dr. Marty Becker
Do you have a pet question? Send it to askpetconnection@gmail.com or visit Facebook.com/DrMartyBecker.
THE BUZZ
How to ID
eye problems
-- Got a squinting pet? Take them to the veterinarian for an eye exam any time you notice the following signs: redness; cloudiness; discharge; opaque or whitish film over the eye; tearing, squinting or pawing at the eye; sensitivity to light; a swollen, crusty or itchy eyelid; or a bulging or sunken eye. If you notice that your pet's vision is not as keen as it used to be, don't simply chalk it up to old age. Oftentimes, medication or other treatment can help, especially if the problem is diagnosed early.
-- Odor is crucial to a cat's sense of well-being. Cats use scent to mark territory. Their sebaceous glands -- located primarily on the lips, chin, between the eyes and ears, at the base of the tail and around the anus -- secrete sebum, an oily substance that is odorless to humans but contains scent markers that are meaningful to cats. Urine and feces also contain scent markers. When a cat rubs his face against a person’s body or an object such as a chair or sofa, he’s laying down an invisible but scented token of possession, a signal to other cats that this person, place or thing belongs to him. Urine marking is a more odorous, and less pleasing to humans, means of accomplishing the same thing.
-- Dalmatian puppies look white when they are born. Their spots, which can be black or liver-colored (ranging from a light reddish-brown to a dark chocolate brown), don't start to appear until 10 to 14 days after birth, but they are hiding beneath the white coat, waiting to make their appearance. Each Dalmatian has a unique pattern and number of spots, determined by specific genetic interactions. The spots don’t fully develop until the dog reaches adulthood. -- Dr. Marty Becker, Kim Campbell Thornton and Mikkel Becker
ABOUT PET CONNECTION
Pet Connection is produced by a team of pet care experts. Veterinarian Dr. Marty Becker is founder of the Fear Free organization, co-founder of VetScoop.com and author of many best-selling pet care books. Kim Campbell Thornton is an award-winning journalist and author who has been writing about animals since 1985. Mikkel Becker is a behavior consultant and lead animal trainer for Fear Free Pets. Dr. Becker can be found at Facebook.com/DrMartyBecker or on Twitter at DrMartyBecker. Kim Campbell Thornton is at Facebook.com/Kim.CampbellThornton and on Bluesky at kimthornton.bsky.social. Mikkel Becker is at Facebook.com/MikkelBecker and on Twitter at MikkelBecker.