Dental Disease in Cats – Rachel Oberholtzer, DVM

In the last issue, we discussed the importance of dental care in our pets, focusing on the dog. This issue, we will focus on our feline friends. In cats, common dental ailments are similar to that which effect the dog. In addition, cats are more predisposed to a resorptive process of the teeth which can be quite painful for them. Veterinary dentists call this tooth resorption (TR) and it has many stages. Our veterinary dental professionals do not have a complete answer as to why this happens to our feline friends but research is ongoing. Typically these teeth have changes in either the crown (part of tooth above the gum line) where there is a painful hole in the tooth, or can have changes in the tooth roots below the gum line that can be seen on x-rays affecting the ligament that holds the tooth to the bone. Changes like this necessitate that we extract the tooth for treatment.

The upper left image is a radiograph of a normal tooth. The other three images

are examples of tooth reabsorption.

In general, after dental extraction our canine and feline friends are much more comfortable and owners usually report to us that their pet feels better than they have in years! Even dogs and cats with no teeth that have had to have them all extracted due to dental disease do great at home and many times even eat the same diet that they have all their life! We, as your veterinary care team, are here to be your pet’s advocate for their health and cannot stress enough the importance that care of the teeth has on their well-being. Please see us with any questions or concerns with your pet’s oral care.

Care Animal HospitalTM is taking steps to move to a paperless office. We need your help to get us to our

new place. Don’t miss out on email reminders to your pet’s vaccinations, our newsletter and important information

we may send your direction. Our Front Office Staff will ask you each time you visit

for any updates on your contact information. Thanks for your help while we make

our changes to help you better care for your pets.

Inside this Issue:Dental Disease in Cats ............. 1

Stress Free ................................. 2

Summer Fun .............................. 3

Creature Feature ........................ 3

Building Update ........................ 4

Welcome New Dr. .................... 4

Care AnimalHospital

of Pleasant PrairieTM

Healthy Practices,Healthier Pets

Volume 17, Issue 2 June - August 2017

Care’s Pet Gazette

© AVDC ®, used with permission

Page 2 Email: customer_care@careanimalhospital.com Volume 17. Issue 2w

Stress Free – Melania Hencheck

Signs of Anxiety Taking a child to the doctor and taking the dog to the vet can be very similar. In both cases, the child and the dog don’t want to go. There is a good chance they will get a vaccination, there will be other unhappy patients there, and over all, it can be scary. The child can communicate verbally with adults about their anxiety, whereas the dog can’t verbally tell us about their fears. If you take a moment and watch your dog you will see he is showing you signs that say “I am stressed.”

It is important to see the early and subtle signs of stress before a situation escalates. To understand what your dog looks like when he is anxious, it is best to know what your dog looks like when he is relaxed. Watch his posture; note his eyes, ears, and tail. Look at your dog when he is relaxed; what do his eyes look like? Look at your dog when he is playing; what is his tail doing? Soon you will learn your dog’s body language. A relaxed dog will have rounded or slightly squinted eyes, his ears will be forward and semierect, and his weight will be evenly dispersed amongst his four paws.

So what does your dog look like when he is stressed? Anxiety can manifest itself in many ways. Look for subtle changes in behavior. Some signs are yawning, drooling, trembling, whining, or licking of lips. You may see more of the whites in his eyes and his ears will be back. The first thing you should do when you come to the vet is watch your dog for any changes in behavior. Like the child at the doctor’s office, the signs of stress will start small and have the potential to lead to a full out tantrum, or, in the dog’s case, a potential bite. All dogs have the ability to bite; it is a natural defense mechanism. Our goal is to keep that bite from happening and to keep your dog from getting that stressed from being at the veterinary office. We know that stress and anxiety can affect your dog’s well-being.

There are less subtle signs your dog will show when he is stressed. Your dog may crouch with his tail tucked under his body or he may stiffen and stare. As soon as we start to see these signs, it is wise to remove your dog from the situation that is making him anxious. This could be as simple as moving to a different area of the waiting room or waiting in the car or outside with your dog. If your dog gets very worked up being at the vet, have the talk with the doctor about medications that can help your dog. Having an anxious dog is nothing to be embarrassed about. Think of it this way: do you like going to the doctor?

Scaredy-Cat Cats come for appointments in carriers. They can be just as stressed as their dog counterparts. They may hide in the back of their carrier or meow loudly. Signs of stress in your feline friend include dilated eyes, ears are pinned back, body is either crouched or arched, tail is tucked or thumping, and mouth is open, panting, or growling.

One way to reduce the amount of stress your cat experiences at the vet is to keep the carrier elevated off the floor and out of direct sight of other animals. Our Feliway infused towel is designed to help with this. One other thing we would like clients to be mindful of is making “shh” sounds. It can sound like a cat hissing and add to a cat’s stress. Speaking in soft calm tones is the best way to communicate to your stressed friend.

Another way we have found children and pets to be similar when it comes to going to the doctor is everyone likes a treat. Many of our patients are food motivated and this can be used to everyone’s advantage. We would like to suggest bringing your dog and cat friends hungry to their next exam and bring along their favorite treats. This way, the treats can be used as distraction from the stress of the visit and as motivation for your pet. Remember a happy pet can make for a great vet visit!

Volume 17. Issue 2 Email: customer_care@careanimalhospital.com Page 3

Hi my name is Star. I am an Animal Care Specialist here at Care Animal Hospital. I recently moved to Wisconsin about a year ago with my fiancé and our animals. I was born and raised in the Chicago suburbs of Illinois. My babies are a Pitbull named Honey, two cats Gary and Benni, and a bearded dragon named Flash. My ultimate goal is to own a large piece of property, so I can have a farm and adopt some of the older dogs from the shelter. I can’t wait to meet you and care for your babies!

CreatureFeature ...

My name is Aimee and I’m an Animal Care Specialist here at Care. When I’m not working at Care I’m caring for my 2 guinea pigs; Beamer (5) and Emilio (3). I’m also a full time pre-health student at the University of Wisconsin Parkside specializing in pre-veterinary medicine. I look forward to helping care for your pet(s).

CreatureFeature ...

Summer Fun – Amanda Jones, CVT

Dog friendly restaurants in Kenosha: Standing Room Only, Big Star Drive-In, The Spot Drive-In, Coffee Pot, Wine Knot, Scoops Ice Cream, 75th Street Inn

Pet Friendly Events:Join us at Bark For Life! For the 3rd year, Care is a sponsor of this wonderful event to benefit the American Cancer Society. The event takes place at Anderson Park on Sunday, June 11th from 12-4.Tails on the Trail (benefiting Wisconsin Humane Society) – June 24 Veteran’s Park, Milwaukee5K run or 1 mile walk 9:30, Dog fashion show 11:30-12:30Celebrate America featuring Independence Day Fireworks – July 2 – July 4. Events include fireworks and liveentertainment. Historically other events have included dock diving for our athletic canines. These events take place in HarborPark, Eichelman Park, and Wolfenbuttel Park. Walk for Paws (benefiting Safe Harbor Humane Society) – August 27th 2-5pm at Anderson Park, Kenosha

Other Fun Events:For the first time, we will have a float in the Bristol Progress Days parade! This celebration runs July 7th, 8th, and 9th. All weekend you can enjoy the family fun. Each day there is a carnival and variety of food in addition to individual and other family events. Look for our “TREE-mendous” float during the parade on Sunday the 10th starting at 12:30pm. For more information about what the weekend has to offer, visit bristolprogressdays.com.Feasting for Fido (benefiting Wisconsin Humane Society) July 20th – WHS Milwaukee Campus 5:30-8:30, tickets required, humans only pleaseFeasting for Felix (benefiting Wisconsin Humane Society) August 17th - WHS Milwaukee Campus 5:30-8:30, tickets required, humans only please

Care Animal Hospitalof Pleasant PrairieTM

8989 74th Street • Kenosha, WI 53142

Phone: (262) 694-6515Fax: (262) 694-5046

Monday - Friday: 8:00 am - 7:00 pmSaturday: 8:00 am - 2:00 pmSunday: 10:00 am - 3:00 pm

Website: www.careanimalhospital.comEmail: customer_care@careanimalhospital.com

Care animal Hospital Has beCome a CliniCal site for Gateway’s Veterinary teCHniCian proGram. for 7 week interVals, you may see

some new faCes around tHe CliniC. please Help us enCouraGe tHese students and HaVe patienCe durinG tHeir traininG.

Buildingupdate – Dr. Brewer

As spring turns to summer we are getting more excited about moving to our new location. Several people have wanted to know where and when we are moving. We are planning on moving this August. Our new address will be 9052 Prairie Ridge Blvd, Pleasant Prairie. We are diligently working to make this transition as smooth as we can. We are going to have 5 more exam rooms and 40 more parking stalls, just as a start to be more accommodating to you and your pet’s needs. Please feel free to follow the construction project on our Facebook page (Care Animal Hospital of Pleasant Prairie). We will continue to keep you updated on the progress and make sure that you know when we have moved.

Please help us welcome a new doctor to our practice! Dr. Kirstyn Heino will be joining us as a new graduate from Minnesota.

She will be starting on June 1st.