Sunday, March 25, 2012

Pet Teeth and Dental Care

Dr. Jane Bicks explains how your pet's teeth and dental health is so important.
  
Dental Disease Can Be Painful, Even Deadly
I'm sure all of you know that dental disease causes "doggie breath", but you may not be aware that chronic inflammation can cause pain, lead to infections, and serves as a precursor to much more serious issues. For instance, severe periodontal disease is significantly correlated with increased risk of heart disease, such as infected heart valves (Glickman et al., 2009). Chronically inflamed and infected gums also increase the risk for kidney disease, limiting the amount of toxins they can purify from the blood (Glickman et al., 2011). I'd ask that you keep in mind that inflamed and infected gums are just as painful for dogs as they are for humans, potentially lowering your companion animal's quality of life. The bottom line is, a healthier mouth makes for a happier dog!

Please visit the March 2012 newsletter to read more!

Ticks

 "Courtesy of Life's Abundance"
Dr. Sarah, Life's Abundance staff Veterinarian does an excellent job of explaining all about ticks, preventing them and some home remedies that do not work.