Teeth!

Today's blog is about canine oral health! 

Teeth are normally neglected by owners as not many people know that your dogs mouth needs just as much attention as their grooming needs. I am writing this blog because a very regular Maltese client passed away a couple of days ago due to chronic dental disease. 

Peppi was a 12 year old Maltese. He came in without fail every 6 weeks to be shaved off short all over as he was prone to getting ticks. Despite Peppi's teeth he was in good health. Peppi was 11 years old when I first met him and I remember informing the owner that his teeth were in terrible condition and a majority of them needed to be pulled out. The nature of my personality is that I am very quietly spoken and I don't like to pressure people but I really wish I had pushed this matter further with the owner as she never took me seriously and Peppi came back 6 weeks later still with a rotting mouth. Every visit from there on Peppi became harder and harder to groom around his face and every visit I would tell the owner about the teeth. Peppi's last visit with me he did not seem well at all, deep down I knew that would be the last time I would see him. I told the owner when she picked him up that Peppi was not well and needed to see a vet. I think she could really hear the concern in my voice and agreed. 

A few days later I got a phone call from Peppi's owner saying she had him put to sleep. His kidneys and liver were failing and his white blood cell count was through the roof indicating that he was battling an infection. She admitted to me in the end that the infection stemed from his mouth and she expressed her apologies for not listening to me. Her excuse was that she did not realise how severe canine oral disease was. And sadly, a lot of owners don't understand it. 

RIP Peppi, may you be forever young and pain free up in Rainbow Bridge.

Signs of Canine Oral Disease

• Bad breath
• Excessive drooling
• Inflamed gums
• Tumors in the gumsThere
• Cysts under the tongue
• Loose teeth

Canine dental disease scoring chart

How to prevent dental disease

- Bones: Every dog loves to chew on a bone. It is not only great mental and physical stimulation it is also a great way for dogs to clean their teeth! Don't bother with chicken wings or necks as they are mainly cartlidge. A nice marrow or brisket bone will do the trick. Be careful that the bone isn't so big that your dog will break its teeth chewing on it though!

- Chew Toys: There are some great toys on the market at the moment that promote chewing and will clean the dogs teeth whilst they chew. I don't have any personal experiences with these as my dogs have never enjoyed toys.

- Dog Treats: I don't really encourage the use of treats as they seem to go hand in hand with pet obesity but there are some really good and healthy treats that promote good oral care. Dentastix and Greenies are great, but remember, all treats in moderation! 

- Tooth Brushing: You can buy special doggie toothpaste and brushes from any pet shop or online. If you can keep your dog still for long enough this is a very effective way of keeping your dogs mouth clean. It has to be done every day to be effective. 

- Professional Teeth Cleaning: Any licensed vet will be able to do a professional teeth clean, much like what a human hygenist does to our teeth. It is recommended every 2 years but it can be quite expensive. 

This poor dog has extreme dental disease and is probably in a lot of pain. 

Types of dental disease

• Periodontal disease is a painful infection between the tooth and the gum that can result in tooth loss and spread infection to the rest of the body. Signs are loose teeth, bad breath, tooth pain, sneezing and nasal discharge.
• Gingivitis is an inflammation of the gums caused mainly by accumulation of plaque, tartar and disease-producing bacteria above and below the gum line. Signs include bleeding, red, swollen gums and bad breath. It is reversible with regular teeth cleanings.
• Halitosis—or bad breath—can be the first sign of a mouth problem and is caused by bacteria growing from food particles caught between the teeth or by gum infection. Regular tooth-brushings are a great solution.
• Swollen gums develop when tartar builds up and food gets stuck between the teeth. Regularly brushing your dog's teeth at home and getting annual cleanings at the vet can prevent tartar and gingivitis.
• Proliferating gum disease occurs when the gum grows over the teeth and must be treated to avoid gum infection. An inherited condition common to boxers and bull terriers, it can be treated with antibiotics.
• Mouth tumors appear as lumps in the gums. Some are malignant and must be surgically removed.
• Salivary cysts look like large, fluid-filled blisters under the tongue, but can also develop near the corners of the jaw. They require drainage, and the damaged saliva gland must be removed.
• Canine distemper teeth can occur if a dog had distemper as a puppy. Adult teeth can appear looking eroded and can often decay. As damage is permanent, decayed teeth should be removed by a vet.

I hope I have given some of you a little in site into the importance of canine oral health! Please feel free to ask at your next appointment to perform a FREE oral health check if you are unsure about your dogs teeth.

Source: http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/dog-care/ten-steps-your-dogs-dental-health

To shave or not to shave...

Should you shave your double coated dog?

This is such a controversial topic in the grooming world with some groomers saying yes and some groomers saying no. I am still on the fence. 

Such breeds like your spitz types dogs that were bred for much cooler climates like the snow etc like huskys, malamutes, Pomeranians etc are a big topic of discussion on several grooming forums and I just want to have my word in without it being shoved down my throat and being labelled a bad groomer because I DO shave these dogs. Here are my reasons...

The undercoat does act like insulation, keeping the dog warm in winter and cooler in summer, but these dogs are "artic" dogs, they were never meant to be comfortable when the temperature reaches over 40 degrees in our hot Australian climate. It is wrong to say that these dogs do not suffer in the heat. 

Ticks as previously stated in my blog last night are a huge problem here. They are hard enough to keep under control on a short coated dog, let alone a dog with 4 inches of thick fur. 

Most people don't realise that these type dogs need regular grooming more then once or twice a year. Because of this reason the undercoat becomes so thick and matted that it is near impossible to brush it all out and not to mention it is uncomfortable for the dog. It feels like a full body wax! I will shave if this is the case. 

The main reason why groomers won't shave your double coated dog is because there is ALWAYS a risk of the coat not growing back. But what most don't understand is that these spitz breeds are prone to such problems like thyroid issues which affect the way the coat grows back. Usually if the coat doesn't grow back it is a sign of a medical issue and not due to being shaved. 

Undercoat grows faster then top coat and I always explain to my customers that it can take up to 8 months before the coat is back to normal and the re growth stage isn't the most attractive. It is also important that the dog receives regular grooming after being shaved to keep the undercoat under control and to prevent matting that will require further shaving. 

Shaving too short can affect the way the hair grows back, also if shaved too short the dog will have no protection from the sun so will be vulnerable to getting sun burn.

So far I have not had any issues that I know of where a dogs coat has not grown back. The dogs I groom are short but not shaved to the skin. 

Here is a picture of a Pomeranian who's coat never grew back properly (this is not my picture, curtesy of google images) 

This dogs coat grew back patchy, but once properly groomed it should grow back normally (image curtesy of google) 

Make sure you always go to an experienced groomer. There are a lot of inexperienced groomers getting around who will just take your money and shave your dog and not make it clear to the owners of the risks that can happen. 

This is Dellilah the malamute, she has problems with ticks and so I made the call that it would be easier to keep under control if she was shaved. 

Lucy the husky was struggling in the heat and was also a bit matted. Her owners also wanted to be able to spot ticks easier so shaving was the best option. 

Now onto the retrievers, collies and shepherds. 

Although these dogs have an undercoat just like the spitz breeds, there are far less concerns with the coat growing back. Usually the only problem is that it will grow back thicker. I groom one of these types of dogs at least every week. I have owned shepherds most of my life and I always shaved them in the summer. I never had any problems in regards to coat re growth. Usually old age has some form of affect on coat regrowth but that's the same with any mammal with fur! 

So, in conclusion, it is completely up to you weather you get your dog shaved or not. I have given you the pros and cons but the decision is ultimately yours. I don't care either way, I will do what is best for the dog- not what is best for my pocket. You can guarantee that I will give you a completely honest opinion to the best of my knowledge as to what I think is best for your dog. 

Fleas and Ticks!

In Central Queensland fleas and ticks are a very common problem. There are a lot of
farms and cattle around so it is really hard to control them. Even myself as a groomer have
battled with fleas and ticks since being here. Most fleas and ticks won't cause that many
problems except for causing your pet quite a lot of discomfort and can cause a secondary
skin infection called flea allergy dermatitis. Fleas also carry tapeworm so when your pet eats one they get the tapeworm egg which causes some internal discomfort. If your dog has an infestation he may become anaemic and lethargic in which case a blood transfusion will be needed. I have my dogs on a flea tablet called comfortis, I find that it is the only thing that works these days, however it does not prevent against paralysis ticks or other parasites. You can pick up a 6 month supply from the vet for around $108 depending on your dogs size. I also sell individual tablets for $20 each. It is important that you treat every pet in the house hold at the same time, wash everything that your pets come into contact with - linen, dog beds, etc in boiling hot water. I add a product called "malaban" when washing my pets bedding etc just to make sure everything is dead. Vacuum your carpets really well and set off some do it yourself flea bombs that you can get at the supermarket. I recommend 1 In every room. Leave the house for minimum of 3 hours, leave your pets with me and I will flea bath them and look after them until you're able to go back to your house. Your pet should go home flea free. It is also important that you don't vacuum your floors for at least a week after doing the bombs because that decreases the effectiveness of the treatments. Repeat this process every time an animal with fleas visits your house.

This is what I use to wash all my dog bedding and salon linen in. I will also wash dogs in it that have extreme flea and/or tick infestations.

*PLEASE NOTE* All dogs that have fleas and/or ticks will be given a flea bath. 

Now, onto ticks. There are 3 main types of ticks- The dog tick, the bush tick and the paralysis tick. The paralysis tick is the one you have to watch out for as it can cause an animal to be extremely sick and even die. It does this by doing exactly what it's name states- paralyses the animal. Usually starting in the back legs and ending up in their lungs where they eventually suffocate to death. 

Here is a chart to demonstrate the different life cycles of all the different ticks. 

I recently nearly lost my cat from a paralysis tick and I cannot express how heart breaking it is to see an animal suffer like that. I used to have the mind set that "it won't happen to me"

 I noticed my cat who is black, overweight and very fluffy was really starting to struggle. Being that it had been over 40 degrees for the past week and she is very fluffy and also suffers from asthma I just thought she was just struggling with the heat so I booked her in at my vet to get shaved on the following Monday. It was Friday when I first noticed she was sick. At that stage she was still eating and walking around a little, she was just wheezing a bit. On Saturday, she took a turn for the worst, her meow had turned into a raspy noise, she still ate, but she didn't move from the bathroom all day. I was thinking it was getting a little odd but I still thought it was just the heat. On Saturday night she stopped eating and I noticed her gagging. If my cat didn't eat then that is a pretty good sign that she was very sick! On Sunday morning she was struggling to breathe, I was giving her a pat and that's when I noticed a paralysis tick on the base of her tail. I pulled it off and raced her to the vet. Anyway 8 days in vet hospital and $1000 later she made it through. I am now very diligent when it comes to tick treating my pets. Dogs are a lot easier then cats though. There is only one product on the market (frontline plus) that will provide cats with some form of protection against ticks, but there are several products out there for dogs. I use "Virbac preventick collars" on my dogs. They last about 2 months and cost around $12 at any pet shop. My dogs have since never had a tick on them. They are not waterproof though so will need to be removed before any swimming or bathing. 

You may wonder why your dog or cat had a paralysis tick and not become sick because of it. My vet told me that the paralysis tick has to of had two separate blood meals before becoming poisonous. So for example. A tick had it's first blood meal from a possum, once full it jumped off and is now waiting in the ground for it's next victim. Along comes fido on his morning walk and the tick jumps on fido. The tick is now having it's second blood meal on fido. Fido goes home and plays with Fifi the cat, and the tick jumps onto Fifi, the tick is NOW poisonous and Fifi is in a lot of trouble. It can take hours or days for the effects of the tick to become apparent. I have also noticed that some animals develop an immunity to the tick poison after a while. I groom a malamute that is always covered in ticks, but she always seems to be fine. 

These are just some of the ticks I pulled off the malamute. The first time she came it was a lot worse. 

I hope I have given you all some good information here, it is a hard battle to fight with these parasites but with a lot of determination it can be won.

I'm back!

H everyone! I'm back after having my baby and taking some maternity leave! My son Aiden is now 10 months old, and I'm currently 21 weeks pregnant with number 2! My husband and I moved from the Gold Coast to Rockhampton last September 2013 and I have slowly started establishing my business again. Things are going 100x better then they were on the Coast, I guess because I don't have that much competition here. I groom on average 12 dogs a week, it doesn't sound like much, but it's enough to keep me busy whilst still staying at home with my son and I'm not over worked to the point of exhaustion whilst pregnant. I will try to keep this blog updated as much as possible, to be honest I totally forgot about it and only just remember when I got an email from blogger.com!