Dental Care for Dogs & Cats
The following information is featured in
Dr. Jim Humphries, veterinary administrator, www.PetDocsOnCall.com
Pet Pointer
Dental Care for Dogs & Cats
Pets, like people need regular tooth brushing to protect their pearly whites. But it’s a responsibility that pet guardians too often neglect. By some estimates, more than 80% of pets over the age of two have some form of dental disease.
Dental disease starts when saliva, food particles and bacteria form a film on the surface of the teeth called plaque. Without regular brushing, plaque will accumulate and eventually harden into tartar, a substance that may harbor bacteria, which can eat away at underlying bone. Eventually, this bone loss can lead to problems like bleeding gums, loose teeth, pain, even the loss of tooth function.
An ounce of prevention goes a long way to protect your pet’s pretty smile. Special chew toys, diets, and water additives can help (look for the Veterinary Oral Health Council seal on these products). But regular tooth-brushing is the best thing you can do for a pet’s dental health. Brushing breaks up plaque, preventing the formation of tartar. Just be sure you use pet-formulated toothpaste, not the stuff made for people!
Get advice from you veterinarian on brushing techniques and ways to acclimate your pet to brushing. The earlier you start, the better. A soft-bristle toothbrush, special pet toothpaste and a little patience and training time are all you need to get started. A barrier sealant gel, applies by your vet, is another option for preventing plaque formation. For tips on maintaining your pet’s smile, visit www.PetDocsOnCall.com to chat with fellow pet owners and pose questions to veterinarians.
Meet the Austin, TX Partners of ASPCA Professional
Meet the Partners
Animal Trustees of Austin
Nonprofit animal welfare organization
Programs & services: Spay/neuter and wellness clinic, adoptions, emergency assistance care fund, feral cat advocacy
Austin Humane Society
Nonprofit shelter
Programs & services: Adoptions, intake, feral cat spay/neuter, pet loss support, dog training, foster program
emanciPET
Mobile and stationary spay/neuter clinics
Programs & services: Free and low-cost spay/neuter and wellness services
Town Lake Animal Center
City-funded open-intake facility
Programs & services: Adoptions, intake, animal protection, lost & found, community outreach, vaccination & microchip clinics, foster program
Collaboration is a Key Component of the ASPCA Partnership
Increasing Positive Outcomes:
• Town Lake Animal Center (TLAC) continues to conduct awareness and outreach activities to assist pet owners in finding lost pets.
• TLAC dedicated $50,000 to fund free microchips for dogs and cats in high-intake, low-income neighborhoods.
• Free microchips continue to be provided through Emancipet and Animal Trustees of Austin (ATA).
• Austin Humane Society (AHS) and TLAC continue to make cats and dogs available for adoption seven days a week. As a result, combined adoptions grew by 717 animals.
• AHS and TLAC both implemented fee-waived adoptions for cats five years of age and older all year long.
• AHS continued programs to provide behavior modification and shelter enrichment, including the Click to Calm training protocol, the ASPCA food-guarding training, a hand-feeding program for dogs and clicker training for cats.
• AHS continues to consult with professional behaviorists in the Austin area to provide evaluations and develop specific programs for dogs.
• AHS and TLAC expanded their foster homes for underage and sick/injured animals through a large network of foster families.
• The Austin Humane Society had over 260 active foster homes in 2009 and placed over 1200 animals into its foster program.
• TLAC transferred 896 to Austin Humane Society. The combined total transfers to AHS and other non-partner organizations increased by 28% or 1,049 animals.
Reducing Intake:
• ATA provided 5,389 low-cost and 805 free (City of Austin FREE CAT DAYS) spay/neuter surgeries.
• Emancipet provided approximately 10,100 low-cost and 6,500 free surgeries. The free surgeries are targeted to reach animals in neighborhoods with high numbers of unwanted pets and high rates of intake at the City’s Town Lake Animal Center. The largest program providing free surgery is Emancipet’s partnership with the City of Austin and Travis County, which subsidized 3,600 free surgeries through the Emancipet Mobile Clinic. This program provided 120 “free days,” where pet owners line up at dawn for a chance to access free surgery, rabies vaccinations, and microchips.
Another free spay/neuter program offered by Emancipet in partnership with the City of Austin is “Spay Street.” Bringing education, resources, and free spay/neuter to the doorsteps of needy pet owners, Spay Street representatives reduce animal homelessness and suffering one household at a time. This program served approximately 900 animals living in poverty stricken neighborhoods in Austin.
• AHS’ feral cat coordinator worked with more than 200 feral cat trappers in Austin and surrounding communities. Its high-volume Feral Cat Spay/Neuter Clinic provided over 5,100 free spay/neuters in 2009. Kitten intake at Town Lake Animal Center decreased by 732 animals
in 2009.
• Emancipet’s low-cost spay/neuter service is available for feral cats six days per week, which ensures that any time a feral cat is trapped, it can be altered at one of the partner agencies within 24 hours.
• There are nearly 960 volunteers serving all four ASPCA partner agencies. These volunteers assist with all functions of animal care and customer service for a total of more than 66,000 hours of donated time in 2009.
• In 2009, ATA provided wellness services to 25,846 animals, low-cost heartworm treatment for 477 animals, dentals for 375 animals, 705 special surgeries, and provided $56,000 (plus $50K from the TLAC for Parvo treatment) in emergency care assistance for animals suffering from life threatening illnesses or injuries. Animal Trustees’ 4PAWS (For People and Animals Without Shelter) provided all of the above services free to the 60-plus animals of the homeless and indigent citizens of Central Texas.
• Emancipet offered affordable preventive vet care for responsible pet owners at convenient “walk up” clinics. Services are restricted to puppies and kittens or adult animals who are already spayed or neutered, and are limited to vaccinations, flea and tick control products, deworming, and heartworm preventative products. The Walk Up Wellness clinics served approximately 10,000 pets.
• AHS’ BRATT (Behavior Re-homing Assessment Training Team) program provided behavioral rehabilitation for approximately 300 dogs to increase adoptability and retention in the home.
• A partnership between TLAC and ATA provides orthopedic and other trauma care to shelter animals so they can be adopted or returned to their owner. TLAC also utilized donated funds through this partnership to assist families with animals in need of trauma care, so the family
will not be forced to surrender the pet.
• In 2009, the ASPCA’s Humane Education curriculum was implemented in the Austin Independent School District’s (AISD) after-school and science programs. The after-school program at the 21st Century Learning Center consists of one hour per week of humane education topics for a total of 15 weeks. In addition, science teachers in AISD were trained to implement the ASPCA’s Humane Education curriculum in their classrooms.
• TLAC provided pet ownership classes, free rabies vaccinations and pet registration clinics for approximately 2,500 families, animal cruelty classes, PALS Senior Pet Days, and dog safety and bite prevention instruction at kids’ camps.
Tips to avoid overexertion and heatstroke in pets
The Pet Chamber of Commerce published this vital article within their June newsletter.
The summer is almost here but in South Florida summer decided to come a bit earlier. We need to take care when walking our wonderful pets and ourselves.
Carry a lot of water to cool you both off. Here are some tips to make sure this summer is fun & safe for us all.
Happy Early Summer Everyone!! Work up slowly to exercise fitness. Make exercise part of the regular routine. (Just have fun! And make it regular part of your day for you and your pets health), exercise in the early morning and late evening when it is (hopefully) cooler. Avoid the midday heat. It can be a killer.
Offer small amounts of fresh cool (not iced) water, frequently. (Bring some water for yourself – you need to cool off as well), Use a hose or let your pet swim in a lake or pool to become thoroughly wet before a walk. Evaporation will help keep your pet cool. Be sure to wet all layers of coat, especially double-coated breeds, such as Retrievers, for maximum cooling.
Watch your pet for signs of tiring and too much panting. The panting tongue out too far will indicate break time. Search for shade. Some dogs love having their own kiddy pool in the yard. Be mindful of paw burns on hot pavement and metal surfaces. (Ask the local vets what they could suggest for your pet to make sure they don’t burn their paws).
Please don’t leave your dog or any animal in the car for 5 minutes or 5 seconds in summertime heat.
Food For Fans
Dynamite Marketing of Meridian, Idaho, donated 2,800 pounds of its super premium dog food to the Idaho Humane Society as part of the company’s pledge to donate one pound of dog food for every new Facebook fan who signed up between Jan. 1 and March 19.
The donation is enough to feed about 200 dogs for nearly six months, according to the company. In addition, Dynamite planned to donate 200 pounds of dog food to one lucky fan’s pet charity of choice.
Role Reversal
Snausages, a brand of dog treats made by Del Monte Foods Inc., sponsored a “man sled” race on March 2 in Anchorage, Alaska. The charitable event featured four teams of humans pulling sleds with dogs in the musher’s seat. The first-place team received a $5,000 check for its pet charity of choice, the Second Chance League, with second, third and fourth place winners each receiving a $1,000 donation.
In this picture the dog is in the driver’s seat.
A fun video to watch
CGC dogs within Love-A-Bull
Congratulations to the dogs and members of Love-A-Bull in Austin, Texas who have achieved the prestigious accolade of Canine Good Citizens:
Lydia Zaidman and Mocha
Karen Cole and Sandy (RIP)
Adrienne Nevola and Simon
Jennifer Thomas and Star
Ashley Arkin and Skeem
Christina Wojcik and Riley
Amanda Canseco and Arlo
Joe Seabrooke and Jellybean
Kathleen Hamilton and Carley
Jess Wilson and Stinger
Robyn Roberts and Alex
Alison Stark and Bella
Ann Kolbeck and Sugar
Cindy Marabito and Rowdy Cowgirl
Mandie Martine and Gidget
Raye Ward and Abbey
Julie Eskoff and Moby.
Tokyo’s ‘cat cafes’
Paw Nation posted this story on May 3, 2010
Cat Cafes
Somehow while searching for restaurants to check out I stumbled upon a list of Tokyo’s ‘cat cafes’. Here 1000 yen will buy an hour’s worth of petting with the cafe’s kitties. Since 2008 more than a dozen of these cat cafes have opened in Tokyo. Some of these cafes have as many as twenty five cats on staff. One of these cafes stays open until 5:30 AM.
I felt that our trip would not be complete without paying a visit to one of the cat cafes….so yesterday my mom, her friend Beth, my friend Ronnie, and I went to go meet the kitties of the Chamamo Cat Room in Harajuku.
As per cat cafe protocol, we removed our shoes, washed and sanitized our hands, and paid for our session. Cat toys are provided to play with. You may not wake up sleeping kitties, by the way. The atmosphere of the cat room was extremely hushed and peaceful.
The idea of a ‘cat cafe’ sounded pretty freaky and maybe even a little perverted to me at first. Now that I’ve experienced a cat cafe for myself, I can honestly say that I totally get it. It was so relaxing to watch these magnificent cats nap and frolic. ..and if you were a regular customer I’m sure you’d become very attached to the staff. In one of the most chaotic cities in the world, I can see how these peaceful kitty sanctuaries are becoming such a phenomenon.
To view the numerous cats pictures as well as the humans click here.
Helping Pets, One Street at a Time
Local family foundation grants funding for “spay streeT” community outreach program
Funding from the Mills Dennis Family Foundation will bring education, resources, and free spay/neuter to the doorsteps of needy pet owners
In 2009, 728 dogs and cats living in Austin neighborhoods with high rates of animal cruelty, neglect, and homelessness, were spayed/neutered, vaccinated, and provided with basic wellness services through an innovative outreach program called Spay Street. This partnership between Emancipet and the City of Austin was created and piloted last year to help reduce the number of pets that end up at the City’s Town Lake Animal Center. Encouraged by the success of the program, and motivated by the thousands of animals that still need help, Emancipet decided to seek community support and funding to continue Spay Street for a second year.
During a visit to Emancipet late last year, Bonnie, the President of the Mills Dennis Family Foundation, met a little puppy who had come in through the Spay Street program. He had no name, no collar, and had never been to a vet before. Seeing the reality of life for pets in Austin’s poorest neighborhoods, Bonnie decided to get involved.
“I chose to support the program because I believe in prevention, and trust that Emancipet is a well-run, results-oriented yet compassionate organization. I believe that all of us bear responsibility for taking care of each other and our community. Pets and animals are part of our community and deserve to be treated with dignity and care. Assisting those who cannot afford high-cost pet care is the right thing to do,” said Bonnie.
With the generous $40,000 grant from The Mills Dennis Family Foundation and continued support from the City of Austin, Emancipet will be able to serve an additional 900 animals this year and will be able to reduce animal homeless and suffering one street at a time.
Pet waste impacts our environment and our health
Did you know that today is the 40th anniversary of Earth Day? I wanted to talk about this because it is so important that we dog lovers understand how pet waste impacts our environment and our health.
The cold hard fact is this: dog poop isn’t just on our lawns, it’s in our drinking water. When pet owners do not pick up their pets’ waste, storms wash it into storm drains, which empty out into the nearest waterway. And that waste is filled with harmful bacteria and parasites that can make people sick.
At one time, people believed that doggy doo was not a problem. But in reality, dog waste is NOT fertilizer and it is NOT good for our lawns. (It is so acidic that it acts as a poison that will actually “burn” your grass.)
Earth Day was created in 1970 to “inspire awareness and appreciation for the Earth’s environment.” Earth Day is celebrated in spring – a time when dog waste is uncovered by spring thaw – making this the ideal time for us to take a closer look at the environmental effects of dog poop.
If you live in a northern state, dog poop accumulates in your yard all winter long. During the spring thaw, the snow melts away and your yard is filled with dog waste. Bacteria and parasites in that dog waste survive the harshest temperatures because they become dormant during those cold winter months. So when that dog waste thaws, those dangerous parasites and bacteria are unleashed in your back yard where they can cause harm to the environment, your pets and you. Also, as dog waste thaws it draws beetles and other pests. So the sooner you clean it up, the better.
Here’s the bottom line. If you’ve got dog waste in your yard, patio or walkways, you’ve got problems. Cleaning up dog poop is one of those inescapable realities of owning a dog. Nobody LIKES to do it, but it has to be done.
So happy Earth Day to one and all. I urge all my readers to do the responsible thing and clean up after your dogs
This article was written by Dr. Jon Rappaport. To learn more about him and to register for his newsletters visit PetPlace.com
