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THE FACTS ON DENTAL CARE 

3/25/2015

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If you are bowled over by the foul breath emitted by your pet, it’s not surprising. Here’s a startling statistic: about 70 percent of cats and 80 percent of dogs by age three show some degree of gum disease, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association. You read right: the young age of three. 

Many of us brush our teeth at least twice a day and gargle. We book semi-annual visits to the dentist for professional exams and cleanings. We would not even consider going a week without brushing our teeth — yuck! 

Sadly, that’s not the case for our pets. Dogs and cats lack thumbs to brush their own teeth or dial appointments with a veterinarian. Without our intervention, they are at serious risk for developing gum disease, plaque and calculus buildup. Unchecked, they can incur oral tumors, require tooth extractions. Infections can spread to the lungs, heart, liver and kidneys and cause life-threatening conditions, including diabetes, strokes and kidney disease. Delays for treatment for any of the above can take a big bite out of your wallet. 

Symptoms of oral pain include: 
• Bad breath 
• Vocalizing 
• Appearing hungry then backing away from the food bowl 
• Dropping food 
• Eating slowly 
• Drooling 
• Pawing at the face 
• Grumpiness
• Weight loss 
• Failing to groom 
• Bloody saliva 

Every February is Pet Dental Month. If your pet does require professional dental care, this is the ideal time to book an appointment, because many veterinarians tend to offer discounts up to 20 to 25 percent for dental cleanings. You save a little money and your pet will have kissable breath! 

For the health sake of your pet, I hope you vow to begin a regular at-home dental hygiene regiment today. 
I offer these tips:
 
• Look and sniff. Examine your pet’s mouth daily. Report any swellings, bleeding or sores to your veterinarian promptly. It may help you avoid a costly tooth extraction. 

• Monitor mealtimes. Pets who eat slower than usual, suddenly spill kibble on the floor or back away from the bowl may be experiencing oral pain. Again, our pets can’t tell us where or why they hurt. The best pet parents are true pet detectives — always on the hunt to spot anything out of the ordinary in their pets. 

• Shop smartly. Look for pet food, dental toys, treats, oral gels, toothpastes and toothbrushes that carry the VOHC seal of acceptance. VOHC stands for the Veterinary Oral Health Council, comprised of veterinary dentists who regularly evaluate dental items and determine which products meet their standards. To find which dental items merit being on this list, please go to http://www.vohc.org/accepted_
products.htm
. 


• Introduce the toothbrush. Let him lick a moist treat off the toothbrush. Once he’s accustomed to the “treat,” slide the toothbrush inside the pocket between the outside gums and the inside of the cheek. Concentrate brushing on those outer surfaces. Don’t forget to praise your pet and reward him afterward with his favorite treat. 

• Treat your pet to daily brushings. Only use toothpaste, toothbrushes and finger brushes made for pets. Never use a dog toothpaste on your cat to risk a toxic reaction. 

• Go with Plan B: If your dog or cat won’t let you mess with his mouth, you can still minimize the accumulation of tartar with dental mouth rinses, gels and water additives. Check with your veterinarian for the one best suited for your pet. 

Remember, doggy breath — even in your cat — should never be dismissed or ignored. Make the daily brushing a fun event for you and your pet. By investing a few minutes each day addressing your pet’s dental needs, you can help prolong his health and his life.

Know the Dangers of Anesthesia-free Dental Cleanings
You may have seen promotions for “anesthesia-free” dental cleanings, which promise to clean a pet’s teeth while he is awake. Skip this option, advises Jean Joo, DVM, veterinary internist at Tufts VETS (Veterinary Emergency Treatment & Specialties) center in Walpole, Mass., who has completed a residency in dental and oral surgery. 

“Awake dental cleanings are not good options and can even be dangerous,” Dr. Joo says. 

Adds veterinary dental specialist John R. Lewis, VMD, of University of Pennsylvania’s Matthew J. Ryan Veterinary Hospital, “No self-respecting dog or cat will let you do a good job of cleaning under the gum line while awake. In addition, you can’t see the other half of the tooth without dental radiographs.” 

Anesthesia-free dental cleanings usually involve using a hand scaler in the mouth of an awake animal, Dr. Joo says. Hand scalers are excellent when used appropriately, but their sharp points and edges can damage gums if not careful, especially if the cat or dog jerks while his teeth are scaled. Only the superficial tartar (calculus) is removed. The tartar lurking deep below the gum line is left behind. 

“It’s the calculus under the gum line, the part we can’t see easily, that is the major culprit in dental disease,” Dr. Joo says. “Even though the teeth can look nice and clean with the superficial cleaning done with the hand scaler, it does not mean the teeth and gums are actually healthy.” 

Dental x-rays are crucial to evaluate areas below the gum line, report veterinary dentists. Professional veterinary dental cleanings always include a comprehensive oral evaluation in which every tooth as well as the gums, palate, cheek and lips, bony prominences, tonsils, pharynx and other areas are routinely assessed using special instruments. X-ray findings are recorded for future monitoring. 

Dr. Joo once had an older toy poodle patient whose teeth were scaled monthly by a groomer. Her teeth looked pretty and clean. “But when we actually examined the teeth and gums under anesthesia, we found very severe dental disease,” she says. “I ended up extracting 16 teeth.” 


By Sarah Zumhofe
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THE SERVICE DOG CONTROVERSY; IS THAT A SERVICE DOG OR A POOCH PRETENDER?

3/18/2015

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Over the past few years, it seems like dogs have started showing up everywhere: at Home Depots, shopping malls, and even your favorite restaurant. Dogs with service vests and without, on a variety of collars, harnesses and apparatus are becoming ubiquitous. Why are more dogs appearing in public commercial and retail areas? Who has the right to dine with Dino? 

Who’s Who in Animals of Service 
While most of our four-legged friends provide us with heaping helpings of love and support, some dogs do it for a living. Specifically, here are the three types of working animals — each with specific privileges: 

• Service Dog: This type of assistance dog is specifically trained to help people who have disabilities with a specified task. The owners of these dogs are protected under the Americans with Disabilities Act and are allowed reasonable access to every place the owner may need to go. They do not have to be identified or credentialed by vest or certificate. Only the disabled person is protected by the ADA. Some states have additional regulations to extend these rights to the trainers of service dogs. 

• Emotional Support Animal: This companion animal provides therapeutic benefit to an individual with a mental or psychiatric disability. A prescription from a licensed medical or psychiatric professional is required to have an ESA-designated animal. This type of working dog is not entitled to the same level of access granted to a service dog, but is permitted to accompany his or her owner on commercial airplanes. Legally, housing cannot be denied for owning an ESA dog even in developments with no-pet policies. 

• Therapy Dog: This type of dog is trained to provide affection and comfort to people in a variety of settings, such as hospitals or nursing homes. While these dogs often enter areas off limits to other dogs in the line of their work with special permission, they do not have any special rights or privileges. However, they must complete specific training (including completion of Canine Good Citizenship skills) in order to be identified as therapy dogs. 

Identifying Service Dogs 
One area of confusion for many business owners is identifying a legitimate service dog from fake ones. Unfortunately, unscrupulous people are buying fake service dog credentials online and taking their untrained dogs into places only permitted for legitimate service dogs. 

Mychelle Blake, chief executive officer of the Association for Professional Dog Trainers, says, “Even though our organization’s focus is primarily companion dog training, requests for service dog training have increased over the last few years, particularly due to the push for people to train dogs for returning veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder.” 

In the past, service dogs were most often assigned to people with easy-to-recognize physical disabilities, but now there is a rise in demand for service animals for people with psychological issues that are not always readily apparent to the average passerby. 

“Years ago, the only time you really saw a service dog was for the blind or a mobility assistance dog, but you would never hear about psychiatric assistance dog,” says Blake, who also worked as a social worker before entering dog training. 

A Rise in Knock-Off Service Dogs 
This rise in the desire to bring under-trained or even non-authentic service dogs into the public sphere has even created a cottage industry of companies willing to help. 

Becky McClintock, of Service Dogs International, points out, “Since there has been a rise in PTSD-trained dogs, you are seeing more groups that are not really legitimate coming forward and finding ways to capitalize on it financially.” 

These shady characters, who offer everything from real-looking service vests for your dog, to service certificates, to even psychiatrist notes you can order off the Internet, have lead to a maelstrom of issues for business owners, members of the public and even legitimate service dog owners, who have to combat rising suspicion and discrimination regarding the legitimacy of their claims. 

While the temptation to bring your best four-legged pal down to the Target might sometimes seem overwhelming, it’s important to resist. By handling our dogs in a highly legal and ethical way, we help those with genuine disabilities gain acceptance for their service animals.


By Sarah Zumhofe
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    SARAH ZUMHOFE

    Sarah Zum Hofe was born in 1987 in St. Louis, MO- and has since then had a love affair with animals!
                                        
    In 2011, Sarah met her husband, Timothy Zum Hofe through eHarmony, and after 2 years of courtship, they were married in 2013. 

    In 2013 they adopted their first dog, a Morkie, i.e., part Maltese and part Yorkie. They named her Lacy Loo and she is now 6 years old. 

    They bought their first house in 2013, and they now live in Perryville, MO. 

    Timothy has been teaching at Saxony Lutheran High School for 12 years. He teaches religion and social studies and is currently in school to get his master's degree. 

    Sarah Zum Hofe is the founder of Pet First Pet Care, which was established in 2008. 

    Pet First Pet Care opened in St. Louis, and now has another location in Perryville, MO, where the owner currently resides. Pet First Pet Care will continue to expand with new locations across the United States. 

    Sarah has been working professionally with animals for 14 years, since the age of 18. She has been a pet care associate at big chain pet stores and a veterinary technician, and in 2008, finally found her calling and true passion as owner of Pet First Pet Care.

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