News and Announcements
It is February & that means Pet Dental Month
Every year in February, along with veterinarians nationwide, we invite you to Pet Dental Health Month. This month long promotion is directed at making pet owner more aware of the needs of their pets for dental care and how proper dental care can improve the life of our pets and our enjoyment of those pets.
Bad breath, dental tartar, red and swollen gums, pain and bleeding when the gums are touched. None of these are normal in your pet, no matter how old thay may be. All of them are treatable and preventable with proper dental care. Studies have shown that as much as 80% of dogs and 70% of cats exhibit some form of dental disease by age three. Take a look inside your pet's mouth on a regular basis and if you see any of these things developing, schedule a dental exam with us at your soonest convenience.
Good dental care for your pet may include several things including regular brushing of the teeth. We carry a line of dental products including diets, drinking water treatments, chews, and brushes and toothpastes designed for pets. All of them help, but none of them replace the need for regular dental exams by your veterinarian. Look for the VOHC (Veterinary Oral Health Council) seal of approval on the products for an additional assurance of effectiveness.
If you decide to try brushing your pet's teeth, please move slowly to increase your chances of success. Start with a finger dipped in bouillion or a bit of pet toothpaste and move it around in the mouth. Gradually introduce a piece of gauze or cloth to increase the abrasiveness. Finally, as your pet comes to accept this procedure you may try to introduce either a fingerbrush or a small toothbrush. Keep in mind that human toothpastes contain flouride and are not meant to be swallowed. Pet toothpaste tastes better, and does not contain that high level of flouride.
Give us a call today to schedule a dental exam if you have any questions about the dental health of your pet. As an added bonus for dental health month, we are throwing in a free dental treat with any dental cleaning scheduled in February.
Interceptor Availability
If you have followed the news in recent weeks you may have heard something about a Novartis factory being closed down due to possible cross contamination of product. Small fragments of different pills were being found in bottles of medications. This shutdown has affected the availability of several animal health drugs as well, with one of the primary ones being Interceptor heartworm prevention.
We have several other products available to us for prevention of heartworms, including Heartgard, Advantage Multi, and Trifexis. All of them are good products, and some of them do even more to protect your pet than Interceptor, such as adding flea control.
Please feel free to contact us and ask any questions that you may have regarding product choices and differences. We are more than happy to help you sort through the options and pick the best product for your pet and your situation as we work through this temporary unavailability of Interceptor.