pet dentistry – Dr. Sandra Truli Springer, Holistic Vet House Call Services

New Therapy to Save Teeth Without Surgery

“Dentists treat periodontal pockets all the time. In a human, the pocket might be a few millimeters deep… a dog could have a pocket that is 1/4-1/2 an inch, maybe 5 times the size of a human’s problem!”

Periodontal Filler Clindoral packaging — Clindoral Treats Periodontal Stage 2-3/4 Teeth

Clindoral Saves Teeth

The Problem With Pet Dentistry

Here’s the problem: your dog or cat or ferret has terrible breath. You can see yellow-brown calculus clinging to the teeth. You might even see bright red sore gum lines above the yellow tartar. You feel guilty that you waited so long to take care of the problem. You do not want your pet to loose any teeth. You are not a fan of anesthesia. Not for yourself, not for your children, not for your pet.

Did I get that all right? Pretty close? Yeah, I’m good like that.

So, up until now, your vet has put your pet under anesthesia, cleaned the teeth, and maybe pulled teeth that were hopelessly damaged. That’s fairly standard. News flash: There is no way around the anesthesia requirement for proper, effective tooth care in pets. Continue reading “New Therapy to Save Teeth Without Surgery”

9-Year-Old Chihuahua Needs 9 Teeth Removed

*!*# If your dog suddenly stops eating hard food or hard crunchy treats, get the teeth checked by a veterinarian who enjoys and understands working with teeth!!!!

It Starts as a Tiny Lump

“Doctor, I’m worried about this lump on Tiny. It’s been there for a coupla years, but it’s been bothering me, and I wanted to get it checked out,” said Tiny’s mom.

A black, long-haired 9-year-old Chihuahua stood looking up and smiling at Doc Truli. Her tail wagged faster than a puppy Boston Terrier’s tail!

“Has the lump gotten bigger, smaller, or stayed the same?” asked Doc Truli.

Tru Tip:

“Doctors want to know if a lump has gotten bigger, smaller, or stayed the same since you first noticed it. Getting bigger might be a bad sign. Getting smaller could mean the lump is inflammation, not cancer. Staying the same makes the doctor wonder what made you feel the urge to make the appointment. A good doctor will ask more questions to find out what put you over the uncomfortable edge and made you schlep your dog or cat to the vet that particular day,” says Doc Truli.

“It’s exactly the same. I just figured, since we’re here because I got that reminder card, I’d mention it,” said Tiny’s mom.

“Well, the lump is about 4 mm, round, and fully under the skin. There’s a chance it’s benign. We should schedule surgery and have it removed and tested,” said the Doc. Continue reading “9-Year-Old Chihuahua Needs 9 Teeth Removed”

Help! My Dog's Mouth Smells Bad!

The minute a baby tooth and a permanent tooth share the same space, when the permanent tooth just starts budding through the gingiva, the baby tooth is retained, by definition.

Why Does my Puppy’s Breath Smell so Bad?

Romeo was a 10-month-old Brindle Chihuahua with halitosis (hal -i -toe- sis). That’s doctor-speak for bad breath.

“Doctor, why does my 10-month-old Chihuahua have such bad breath?” said Romeo’s dad.

One look under his lip revealed the answer.

A double upper canine tooth crowds the permanent tooth and fur and food stick in the crevice between the two teeth — The arrow points to a retained deciduous canine tooth with golden, shaggy muck stuck to it.

“Romeo’s maxillary deciduous canine tooth is retained,” thought Doc Truli.

“Romeo’s left upper baby canine tooth didn’t fall out on time,” said Doc Truli.

Romeo had two other retained canine teeth and a retained upper incisor front tooth as well.

“Romeo needs surgery right away to remove the abnormal tooth before it causes further damage and infection in the mouth,” said Doc Truli. Continue reading “Help! My Dog's Mouth Smells Bad!”

How to Help Your Chihuahua Live 18 Years

Chihuahuas should live 18-22 years, or longer! Read and see how you can keep your best friend by your side for decades!

Stately old chihuahua with tan face and grey around his neck ruff — Is there a treat involved in this office visit?

We Want Our Chihuahuas to Live Forever!

Chihuahuas are not only lap dogs and purse ninjas, they are confidantes and best friends. We want them to stick around a long time.

Chihuahuas Live Longer Than Big Dogs

Usually, a small dog like a Chihuahua will have an expected lifespan of 12-14 years. The oldest Chihuahua Doc Truli has treated was 20 years old when he passed away from heart disease.

2 Best Things to do to Extend Your Chihuahua’s Life

You can do two specific things to help your Chihuahua live a long, healthy life:

Continue reading “How to Help Your Chihuahua Live 18 Years”

Where Did This Yorkie's Tooth Go?

Dogs have six lower incisor teeth. These are the little lower teeth in the front in between the big canine or eye teeth on the four corners of the front of the mouth.

If your dog is missing one for no reason, get it checked out!

x-ray of Lower front middle incisor tooth missing and root fragment stuck in the jaw — Can you spot the root fragment?

Another Good Example of Why You Need Full Mouth X-Rays Every Patient, Every Time

GiGi was a five-year-old female spayed black and tan Yorkshire Terrier. Her parents could see the tartar build-up on her teeth, so they scheduled an anesthetic dental exam the same day as her annual check up. Good thing they did!

It does not matter how many times I advise people to brush their dogs’ teeth. Most people can’t be bothered. People love the idea of their dog much more than the reality of another living being. A little accomodation and learning on your part will keep your dog’s teeth healthier and can add Years – YEARS – dog your dog’s too short lifespan. Years.

GiGi’s x-rays showed a retained incisor root overlapping an incisor that was loose and sitting in an infected tooth socket. Probably, the crown, or top enamel part, of the broken tooth snapped off, the gums healed over, and then the festering root caused the early demise of the neighboring tooth. (In the picture, the lower right middle incisor is missing, there is a gap in the teeth, and a little overlapping root fragment sticks out.)

Imagine your tooth snapping off and you never tell anyone or complain. Doesn’t seem possible, does it? Dogs suffer silently exactly like this all the time. Continue reading “Where Did This Yorkie's Tooth Go?”

The Down and Dirty of Pet Dental Disease

Grade 4 out of 4 Periodontal disease, and the tooth will have to be extracted; it cannot be salvaged.

Doubtful Italian Greyhound

Many Pets Harbor Hidden Painful Periodontitis

Or, How an Italian Greyhound Ends up Needing 17 Teeth Extracted...

Periodontal Disease refers to problems with the bone, gums, tough little fantastic periodontal ligaments inside the sulcus (tooth socket), basically everything around the tooth itself.

Doc Truli fills us in,”A careful exam of each tooth and 6 points of the gingiva around each tooth, and dental radiographs (x-rays) reveal hidden periodontal disease. There is no other way to find out what is wrong with your pet’s teeth. This examination requires general anesthesia, every time, every pet.”

Continue reading “The Down and Dirty of Pet Dental Disease”

Dental Healthcare for Puppies and Kittens

Learn what problems may start before a puppy is 12 weeks old!

Crossbite in a mixed breed dog.

Dental Healthcare starts as a Puppy and Kitten

No kidding! Your precious pup or kitten needs to be assessed right from the start for oral health status. Some life-long problems can be prevented as young as 8 weeks old! Continue reading “Dental Healthcare for Puppies and Kittens”

Hidden Horrors: Dog and Cat Dental Dilemnas

First in a series of pet dental health posts, with links to good articles.

Half of this tooth is sitting in an abscess. Can you tell which half?

February is National Pet Dental Health Month in the U.S.

Doc Truli declares Earth Pet Dental Health Month. Everyone is welcome to help their pet feel better, look younger, and live longer! The Doc will devote a series of posts all month long just to pet dental health.

Proper dental care adds 2-4 healthy years to a pet’s expected lifespan. And old-age diseases like arthritis delay for 2-4 years, too.

Would you like your Chihuahua to live to be 18, instead of 14? Of course you would!

Continue reading “Hidden Horrors: Dog and Cat Dental Dilemnas”

Non Anesthesia Dentistry (NAD)

Removal of dental tartar on the visible surfaces of the teeth has little effect on a pet’s health, and provides a false sense of accomplishment. The effect is purely cosmetic.

Pug with Tongue Out Because Canine Tooth Extracted — Puggie's Tongue Hangs Out Ever Since He Lost His Right Mandibular Canine Tooth

I’ve noticed many people are looking for dentistry information for their pets. There is one board certified dental society, the American Veterinary Dental College in the United States, and a second Academy of Veterinary Dentistry, which has less stringent membership requirements. Both are sources of official information about dentistry.

There is a practice which concerns Doc Truli greatly, so-called Non-Anesthesia Dentistry. This is an evil wrong perpetrated on pets, sometimes under the roof of an animal hospital. The American Veterinary Dental College has issued a position statement speaking out against this practice. I have included the text at the end of this post, in its entirety, or you can go to the Academy site and read it there.

Here’s how Doc Truli first learned of this “practice:”

Continue reading “Non Anesthesia Dentistry (NAD)”

Cat in Desperate Need of Tooth Removal

In Simon’s case, his left lower canine tooth avulsed so it stuck out of his lower lip at almost a ninety degree angle. Talk about painful!

Old Red Tabby Cat Needs Dental Surgery — Simon, Before Surgery with his Left Lower Canine Tooth Hanging Out

Sometimes cats need emergency tooth extraction. In Simon’s case, his left lower canine tooth avulsed so it stuck out of his lower lip at almost a ninety degree angle. Talk about painful!

To top it off, Simon was 18 years old. Anesthesia carried inherent risk for him, but there was no way he could go on with that tooth like that! Continue reading “Cat in Desperate Need of Tooth Removal”