Shedding versus Non-shedding breeds

I just realized I forgot to post the pics of all my other pets.  So here they are...  These 3 are the real trouble makers at our house!

"Gracie"



"Cedar"



                                                                        

'June' or 'Bug'



Ok, now down to business...  I had a request to write about this and it's a pretty interesting subject.  Just to start with, there really are not any non-shedding breeds unless your talking about hairless breeds(Sphinx and Mexican hairless).  And truthfully I have seen some of these breeds have a little hair on their heads or legs...

 

When we usually think of non-shedding breeds we think of Poodles, Shih-tzu's, Malteses, etc.  My dog Ebony is a poodle-cocker spaniel mix or a cockapoo.  I don't really notice any shedding from her, it's wonderful!   These breeds actually have 'hair' or a constantly growing coat.  It is very much like our own hair.  Pretty much all these breeds require grooming, soooo you trade shedding for grooming.

The shedding breeds have what I call 'fur'.  It grows to a pre-determined length and then is shed.  These are dogs like labradors, chihuahuas, shepards, etc.  The dogs breed, time of year, and/or environment are all normal things that can contribute to shedding.  Frequent brushing and bathing can really help with the amount of hair left on you and your furniture.  Some of the 'hairier' breeds like; labs, chows, shepards, could really benefit from a visit to the groomer for a 'blow-out and 'under-coat brush' during the high shedding seasons. 

Please remember there are also medical reasons an animal might shed excessively.  Your veterinarian can help determine if it is something that needs treatment.

I hope everyone found this interesting and informative.  I added links to look at these breeds.  These are purebred pictures, but there are many wonderful mixes out there as well.

Dogs:  http://www.akc.org/breeds/breeds_a.cfm

Cats:  http://www.cfa.org/breeds.html

Dental Disease-What the STINK is all about. Part 3

I want to start this post by thanking those people who have commented on my posts.  I didn't realize till today, how to even read those comments!!  So I wasn't ignoring anyone, just slow in my learning of this 'blogging' thing.  Sooo, onto the topic at hand, dental disease.  This section is going to be about how dental disease affects not only the mouth but the pets overall health.

Dental Disease and Health:

All dental disease starts with disease of the periodontium.  The periodontium is simply all the 'stuff' holding a tooth in the mouth.  It is the bone, connective tissue, and gum surrounding and supporting a tooth.  In one of my veterinary text it says, "according to the Guinness World Book of Records, periodontal disease is the most common infectious disease of man".  That is amazing to me when you think that the common cold is an infectious disease!!  More people have periodontal disease than get the common cold....

Periodontal disease starts by bacteria mixing with our saliva and forming 'plaque'.  This is the stuff we brush off twice daily, that makes your teeth feel kinda 'hairy' and causes that wonderful morning breath!  Well, if you can imagine what happens when this plaque isn't brushed off, it becomes hard and forms calculus.  Once this hard calculus forms that's when the bacteria start to have a real "party".  The bacteria starts causing inflammation of the gum(gingivitis) and over time destruction of the actual tooth.  This bacteria and tissue destruction is what causes the terrible odor.  This bacteria can also take the blood highway/blood stream to all the other body organs.  This can cause damage to the heart, kidney, liver, etc. over time.  This is the concerning part about poor mouth health is that it can affect the entire body!

I talked about prevention in my first blog of this series.  I have so many pets that we have started with teeth cleaning too late.  The pet is already in need of extractions on the first cleaning.  This means we are already behind, there is already destruction of the teeth and gums. I explain it as a domino effect, you have one rotten tooth and it starts causing destruction of the teeth on each side of it.  This pet is most likely going to require more extractions in the future, as well as regular cleanings.  Many owners are concerned the pet won't be able to eat if there are alot of teeth pulled.  The teeth that need to be pulled are usually rotten or the root/pulp is exposed.  These teeth for sure are causing the pet pain.  I can't even imagine what a rotten tooth feels like, moving around in there rubbing on sensitive nerves.  I am pretty sure the pet is not chewing with those teeth anyways.  Most dogs I've seen with rotten teeth just swallow their food whole.

I guess I should stop prattling on about prevention and dental health...  It is just one of those things that is totally preventable and provides such an improvement in your pets quality and length of life.  I think it is one of the things that makes my oldest baby-Ebony, so lively and healthy.  She has gorgeous teeth, that are cleaned regularly and we do dental maintenance at home.  Just a reminder she is 11 and has all of her teeth! Pretty good for a little fluffy princess!  

There are two really good sites listed on my favorites: Pets need Dental Care, too and CET Dental Health. 

Dental Disease-What the STINK is all about -PART 2

Product:

I usually recommend several things when it comes to products.  Brushing is by far the very best thing you can do.  I encourage everyone to try, and to start slow.  I bet your mom didn't get you to completely brush all your teeth in one day...  Even with the best intentions there are going to be those pets that are absolutely not going to allow teeth brushing.  I have some suggestions for those pets as well.

When it comes to brushing I recommend only using a pet toothpaste, in a flavor the pet likes(chicken, beef, etc).  Human toothpastes contain alot of fluoride and can be toxic to pets.  I would start with just letting your pet eat some toothpaste.  My dogs love the CET poultry, they actually ate a whole tube once!  Luckily, they didn't actually eat the 'tube' just all the toothpaste!  I like the CET brand by Virbac because it's 'Enzymatic', which means, and I quote: "Dual-Enzyme System activated by saliva to produce Hypothiocyanite ions which eliminates plaque-forming bacteria."  Sooooo, even if you have trouble brushing, the toothpaste in the mouth helps eliminate bacteria.

There are several chews I like.  CET makes numerous chews, some are enzymatic and some have an antiseptic called chlorhexidine.  They have a great cat chew-treat as well.  All my cats really like it and they actually have to chew it, instead of just swallowing.  Greenies are great, they act like a 'Squeegee', like you would use on your windshield.  The only draw back with Greenies is they are pretty high in calories.  When you pick out a chew make sure you pick a size appropriate chew.  For example: Don't get a small chew for a Labrador and a grande for the toy poodle.  If the chew gets small enough to swallow take it away to prevent choking.

Treats have come a long way in the last few years.  Science Diet now has an Oral Care Treat, that helps 'scratch' away the tartar when crunched.  It comes in several different sizes which is great.  There are several other treats, that are aimed at making the breath fresh, kinda like a breath mint.  Any crunchy treat is going to be better than a jerky or soft treat.  Those soft treats are just going to 'gum-up' on the teeth. 

The last few things can be done daily to help with dental disease.  There are special foods that can help prevent dental disease.  There are veterinary diets like Science Diet T/D and Purina DH.  I have also seen 'similar' over the counter formula's.  Breathalyser is a daily water additive.  It helps decrease plaque formation and improve stinky breath(halitosis).

I always tell people; find something you and your pet can do on a fairly regular basis and stick to it.  Then get them in once a year to have your vet evaluate the teeth and perform a dental if needed.  This should help your pet have it's teeth for many years to come.

Stay tuned for Part 3, it is going to be about how dental disease affects you pets overall health.

Here is CET's website, has a pretty entertaining video on how to brush your pets teeth:
http://www.virbacvet.com/cet/