Otterkill Animal Hospital
Newsletter Volume 10, February 2007

February is Pet Dental Health Month

Did you know that dental disease is one of the top health problems we see in our patients? Our companions are very prone to develop tartar (dental calculus) on their teeth. If left untreated this can lead to gingivitis (gum inflammation), periodontal disease (gum and tooth root loss) and even severe infections with life threatening consequences. Researchers are still unsure of why this is such a problem for our animals. Studies have shown that diet, special treats and chews have no significant influence on the development of tartar.

Take a look inside your companion's mouth. Do you see brown deposits on the teeth? Red, inflamed gums? A foul breath? Reluctance to eat hard foods or chew treats? These all are signs of dental disease. Left untreated, this disease can lead to oral and then systemic infections. We're now beginning to understand that some heart valve disease and kidney failure may be related to bacteria seeding those organs from the mouth. Treating dental disease may actually prolong your animal's life!

It's virtually impossible to remove that tartar at home. It literally is like cement. If you see any of the above signs, bring in your companion for an exam. We can then schedule a dental cleaning to stop the progression of this disease before it becomes too serious. We do perform these cleanings under general anesthesia as it's much more comfortable for the animal and our staff if done this way. Once cleaned, we'll show you how to brush the teeth at home. This has been shown to be the only effective method of decreasing tartar accumulation. More advanced procedures such as root canals are also available if indicated. We refer these patients to veterinary dental specialists.

Advanced help is just over the horizon. A vaccine for dogs against the bacteria associated with tartar development is about to be released. Early studies indicate that we may be able to help decrease the serious consequences of dental disease with regular vaccination. We'll keep you posted about this exciting development as the vaccine becomes available.

Xylitol: An Artificial Sweetener Dangerous to your Pet

By Dr. Liz Hardoon
Xylitol is an artificial sweetener used in several "sugar free" products including sugar free gum (Trident, dental-care and nicotine gum), certain toothpastes, and some sugar-free baked goods.

In dogs, xylitol causes an elevation in insulin levels and a subsequent drop in blood glucose, causing a possibly life-threatening hypoglycemia. At this time it is unknown if xylitol has any adverse effects in cats. In dogs, effects of xylitol poisoning occur within 30 to 60 minutes of ingestion and may include lethargy, collapse, wobbliness when walking, vomiting and seizures; eventually progressing to liver failure and death if no treatment is initiated. With prompt treatment the effects of xylitol toxicity can be reversed and a full recovery made, but if not caught immediately the effects can be life threatening.

Always check the labels of the above sugar-free products for xylitol and make sure to keep them out of reach of your pets. Not all sugar free products contain xylitol, in fact, most common sugar free products such as candy and artificial sweeteners (Sweet & Low, Splenda) contain saccharin, aspartame or sucralose which are fairly safe in pets, although not recommended, as eating large amounts may result in diarrhea.

So, the next time your pet ends up eating something not meant for him or her, be sure to check the label for xylitol; doing so may save your pets life!

Welcome Emily!
We hope you've had a chance to meet our newest "otter", Emily. She staffs our front office along with Lauren. She is a 2006 graduate of SUNY New Paltz and brings a year of veterinary receptionist experience with her. Emily shares her life with several animals and is also a licensed wildlife rehabilitator (now the third one on our staff!). She has proven to be an incredible addition to our health care team. Like all of us, Emily is dedicated to providing the best in veterinary care for our patients and the best in client service to you. We know you'll be glad she's here.

New Dog Housing Law in Effect
New York State has thankfully passed tougher laws governing how dogs may be housed outside. The fines for failure to comply can be pretty tough so make sure your housing includes the following:

• Waterproof roof
• Structurally sound
• Insulation "appropriate to local conditions" (Many commercially available doghouses such as the "igloo" type are not insulated and don't comply with the law)
• Big enough for dog to stand, turn and lie down in
• Free of bodily waste, dirt and trash
• Clean surrounding area
• Access to clean, fresh, unfrozen water

Make certain that your dog house complies with all of these mandates. If the temperature falls below 15 degrees, we recommend bringing a dog indoors. Even a well insulated dog house may not be enough in severe weather.

Photo Contest
Many of you have been asking if we'll be holding our photo contest again this year. Absolutely! Look for contest and submission rules in our upcoming March newsletter. You can see last year's winners by clicking here.