Veterinary Dentistry

Does your pet have a smelly mouth?   If your dog or cat has bad breath, brown stains or calculus on the teeth and inflamed gums, this could very well be an indication of a serious infection in the mouth called periodontal disease. Periodontal disease affects 80 percent of our pets at one time or another.  Often this means they are at risk of systemic infection in the kidneys, heart and liver, not to mention severe discomfort and pain. Often broken or fractured teeth can lead to abscesses or an infection involving the roots of the teeth. An infected mouth is a painful mouth!

The best way to find out if your pet needs dental care is to see a veterinarian who has training and experience in treating dental disease in pets.  The first question to ask is, do they have dental x-ray?  If they don’t they will miss 90 percent of what may be going on in your pet’s mouth.  If you are going to have a pet’s teeth cleaned, evaluated and treated for dental disease they will require general anesthesia. This is a very safe procedure if your veterinarian is taking all the safety precautions; this includes a thorough physical exam, preanesthetic blood screening, IV catheter and fluids, blood pressure and anesthesia monitoring, patient warming and good pain control.   If your pet is having a dental procedure, dental radiographs are essential. No extraction should be performed without x-rays.

The first step to a healthy mouth starts with prevention.  This is the best way for your pet to avoid the loss of teeth and experiencing the pain of dental disease. Start getting your pet used to brushing at an early age.  Nothing substitutes for good home care.  Daily brushing with a pet toothpaste is recommended. If you can thoroughly brush your pets mouth three or more times a week, you will see  significant benefist including whiter teeth, fresher breath and a healthier mouth.  Other tools  available include: special diets, rinses, chews and gels.  Only use products that are made for pets.  Fluoride pastes are unhealthy for pets and should not be ingested.

The next step is having your pet periodically evaluated by your veterinarian for dental disease.  This usually happens at the time of your annual or semi-annual exams.  If a recommendation for a dental cleaning is made, don’t put it off.  We can reverse gingivitis, but we can’t reverse periodontal disease once it sets in.

Rivertown Animal Hospital has long been known for excellence in veterinary dental care.  We were among the first veterinary hospitals to have dental x-ray and our doctors have received extensive training in veterinary dentistry.  Should your pet require a root canal or a specialized dental procedure, we have a close association with several  board certified veterinary dentists.

If you have questions regarding your pet’s dental health give us a call today or visit our Dental page by clicking here.

-Dr. Ginger

On Saturday we had a call from a gentleman looking for Dr. Arnesen because his three year old Dachshund, Zoey, was unable to walk.
Zoey ‘s owner had met Dr. Mary about 10 years ago when his other Dachshund, Abbee, had a similar problem.  At that time he had been told by another veterinarian that the only hope for Abbee was to have spinal surgery at the University of Minnesota Veterinary Hospital.  Dr. Arnesen treated the Dachshund with a series of acupuncture treatments.  Her therapy resulted in a remarkable improvement.  The dog eventually regained the full function of his rear legs and lived to be 14 ½ years old.

Zoey, the little dog I examined on Saturday was unable to use her rear legs. She was suffering from a common condition of Dachshunds called Hanson’s Type 1 Intervertebral Disc Disease (IVDD). With this condition, the soft material that cushions the vertebra will suddenly herniate into the spinal canal and compress the spinal cord.  The resulting impingement of the spinal cord causes pain, inflammation and decreased sensation and mobility in the rear legs.  The dog may also lose the ability to urinate and defecate.

Unlike most dogs with less severe forms of IVDD, Dachshunds quickly lose full function of the rear legs and without rapid treatment will be permanently paralyzed.  The standard recommendation for dogs with this condition is to have rapid surgical spinal decompression.  Even with this aggressive treatment the dogs may remain paralyzed.

Zoey was unable to move her rear legs but could feel deep pain when the toes were pinched. This gives us some hope that the nerve function can return. Realizing that surgical treatment is the recommended approach to severe IVDD, Zoey’s owners chose to treat her using acupuncture and chiropractic therapy.  Standard medical therapy with prednisone, muscle relaxers and pain medication was started on Saturday.  On Sunday,  Zoey received her first acupuncture and chiropractic treatment with Dr. Arnesen. I do not know yet what the outcome for Zoey will be. This can be a slow process.  I hope she will be able to walk again.  I will let you know.

– Dr. Ginger

We’ve launched our new website! With clearer navigation and even more helpful info, we hope it will keep you connected and informed. Learn about us, the services we provide, and special events we have planned for you and your pet.

I am excited about our new website and blog. The goal of this effort is to let others know about the exceptional care provided by Rivertown Animal Hospital. Our new logo and tagline – “Compassionate, exceptional care for your pets.” – were created to help reflect our professionalism and the quality of care we provide for our patients.

Our goal is to help you keep your pets as healthy and happy as possible. When they are sick or injured we want to alleviate pain and help you make the best choices for recovery and healing. Through our website you will have access to information regarding your pet’s care that will also provide a better understanding of our role as veterinary providers. The human/animal bond is amazing. I hope to share stories from our daily experiences that may warm your heart and others that could help save your pet’s life.

As a veterinarian, I am constantly trying to balance the overload of information that is available. Sometimes I think we overwhelm our clients in our effort to keep them informed about how to keep their pets healthy. We strive for excellence in veterinary care, which means keeping up with changing vaccine protocols, emerging diseases and advances in medical technologies. There is a great deal to share! The Internet can be an excellent resource for pet information. Our website will direct you to the best of those resources. Future blogs will cover a wide variety of topics, including veterinary care for cats; alternative therapies such as acupuncture, chiropractic and Chinese herbal medicine; heartworm and tick diseases; pet dentistry, pet insurance and euthanasia, just to name a few.

If you have a topic you would like me to cover in this blog, please let me know! You can also join us on Facebook or email us at questions@rivertownanimalhospital.com

  – Dr. Ginger

Bobby had his teeth cleaned at Rivertown on a Friday morning. He had been thoroughly examined, had blood work completed, and was a healthy little five-year-old, six-pound poodle. Bobby’s stay in the hospital went smoothly and he left with clean and shiny teeth. The following Monday, John called and said Bobby wasn’t feeling well. He came to the hospital and had another blood test done. This time his red blood cells were not normal and he was extremely anemic. It was a puzzle. Bobby’s dental had gone off without a hitch and we had no explanation for the anemia. Bobby was initially treated for a possible allergic or autoimmune reaction. After three or four days his anemia was worsening. More blood was sent off to the lab and I asked the clinical pathologist to help me figure out why Bobby was anemic. John’s beloved little dog was sick and I had to find out why. The report came back. Bobby’s blood cells had oxidative damage – possibly caused by onion toxicity (Heinz Body Anemia).

I called John – a big, soft-hearted guy – and asked him, “John, have you been feeding Bobby onions?” John’s reply surprised and delighted me because now I knew why Bobby was ill. “Of course I have! He loves onions!” John, raised on hamburger hot dish loaded with onions, loved to share his favorite dish with his little dog Bobby. Over the weekend he had several bowls of the favorite comfort food. On the Thursday before his dental procedure, John took Bobby for a special treat to White Castle. The usually plain burger this time came with onions. They both shared the tasty snack.

After finding out that the onions were making Bobby sick, I told John I was sure Bobby would be better within a week if he stopped feeding him onions. John felt badly that his giving Bobby what he thought was a good treat had caused his little dog great harm, but was relieved to learn that a simple change in diet would solve the problem.

A happy ending, thanks to perseverance and some exceptional lab work! And a good reminder that not all the foods we eat are safe for our pets.

  – Dr. Ginger

Rivertown Animal Hospital has set the date for the next session of our popular Mini Vet School: the afternoon of Saturday, November 5. This is our fourth year of teaching Mini Vet School.

The Mini Vet School program is open to children between 7 and 12 years of age who are interested in animals and want to see what happens in a real veterinary clinic. The three-hour program is designed to be fun and informative. For more information about the program, visit our Mini Vet School page. To register your child for this fall’s Mini Vet School, please call our office at 651.430.2229.

P.S. Mini Vet School makes a great gift for children who love animals!

Purina Care published an excellent article on ticks in their July newsletter. You can read the full article here. You can also visit the site www.dogsandticks.com for more information on tick disease prevalence.