Time For A Checkup

We’ve all heard the term ‘dog’s breath’. For some reason we’ve come to expect our furry friends to have bad breath – but the truth is if they do, there’s something wrong.

Halitosis is usually caused by bacterial by-products present in plaque, a soft material that builds up on teeth and gums, irritating gum tissue.

Tartar, a hard, calcified material, develops on top of teeth and provides a rough surface for more plaque to stick to. Untreated, the pet’s gums will become infected – this is gingivitis. Eventually, a painful condition called periodontitis sets in. By this time, all the structures around the teeth, including the bone, will be infected and teeth become loose.

Dogs and cats should have a dental check-up during their annual vaccination. Older pets will need a professional scale and polish under anaesthesia.

Root of the problem
Oral disease is the most common infection in our pets, with 80 per cent of dogs and almost as many cats having a degree of periodontal disease by the age of three. While bad breath may be the only sign noticed by pet owners initially, gums will turn red and bleed as the disease progresses. Pets’ eating habits will also change – usually they’ll develop a preference for softer foods as chewing becomes painful.

The effects of periodontal disease don’t stop at the mouth. Bacteria surrounding roots enters the bloodstream and harms other organs. Studies show dogs with severe periodontal disease have increased microscopic damage to kidneys, heart muscle and liver.

Prevent plaque
The key to managing gum disease is prevention. If teeth are cleaned frequently, plaque will not build up and gums will stay healthy. Oral health is maintained by daily hygiene, as with humans.

The gold standard of care is daily brushing. Diets and chews approved by the Veterinary Oral Health Council will also help.

How to clean your pet’s teeth
This experience can be challenging for all! But if you can do it effectively, it will make a big difference. Here’s what I find works best:

• Start by getting a soft cloth, then apply something your pet likes the taste of (Vegemite or anchovy paste, for example) and gently open its mouth, rubbing the cloth on the teeth. Don’t worry about trying to clean them the first time – just getting the pet used to you opening its mouth is the aim of the step. Reward your pet with a treat.
• Over a two-week period, use the cloth to work your way around the outside of the teeth at the front and back. Give a little treat and a big cuddle as a reward for cooperation.
• Once your pet has accepted the cloth, you can change to a soft child’s toothbrush. You can also use a pet toothpaste product – never use human toothpaste as pets hate the taste, and it’s too high in foaming agents and fluoride for them. Pet toothpaste comes in a wide range of flavours including malt, chicken, beef and prawn.

Cooking for your pet

The contamination of commercial pet food has pet owners across North America worried as scores of dogs and cats have fallen ill or died as a result of eating melamine-poisoned pet food.

The massive pet food recall by Ontario-based manufacturer Menu Foods started in mid-March 2007. Since that time over 100 pet food brands manufactured by six companies have been recalled, and the list seems to keep growing.

In response, frightened pet owners are increasingly turning to the internet for do-it-yourself pet recipes - but is this a good idea?

Providing your pet with a nutritious, well-balanced meal may not be as simple as it sounds. In fact, pet owners take certain risks when making a home-cooked meal for their animals, according to the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA).

"If you want to home cook for your pet, you really need to do some research into that," Danny Joffe, a Calgary veterinarian speaking for the CVMA told the CBC. "It takes a lot of work to make a well-balanced meal because every species has different nutrient requirements."

Preparing a nutritionally sound diet for your dog or cat can be as complex and time-consuming as organizing a healthy diet for humans.

Raw food diets considered risky

One alternative to commercial pet food are raw food diets that include uncooked meats and vegetables, similar to what an animal may eat in the wild.

But a raw food diet involves some risk for salmonella poisoning. In fact, a study found that 30 per cent of dogs on raw food diets had salmonella in their stool. For this reason, the Canadian Veterinarian Medical Association doesn't recommend feeding pets raw food.

Salmonella poisoning can cause mild-flu like symptoms or more serious life-threatening illnesses. Pet owners could also be at risk of cross-contamination.

Nutritious home-cooked pet food

Because pets need a vitamin-rich diet, the CMVA recommends owners talk to their veterinarian for information on healthy recipes and diet plans. While the internet is filled with home-made pet recipes, not all may right for your pet. Generally speaking, the association says to select recipes calling for cooked meat, such as hamburger or chicken, as well as potato or rice and a mineral supplement.

Recipes should also be tailored to your pet's age, food sensitivities and general health. Some foods are toxic to dogs including onion, garlic, chocolate, raisins and grapes. Household plants such as Easter lilies can also cause acute kidney failure in dogs.

To prevent food poisoning, never feed animals foods that have gone bad.

If you decide to go the home-cooked route, here are two web sites recommended by the American College of Veterinary Nutritionistst

• Petdiets :
• Consulting company for vets, pet owners and food and supplement companies. You'll find information on basic nutrition facts and myths. The site also sells nutritionist-certified recipes for cats and dogs and offers individual, nutritional consultations.

• Balanceit
• Run by Davis Veterinary Medical Consulting, the website sells nutritional supplements for dogs and cats. Owners can also receive advice on choosing balanced recipes using human food from the grocery store. Recipes are reviewed by board-certified veterinary nutritionists.

• Free pet food recipes can be found on websites

Vegetarian pet foods

Experts say that healthy vegetarian diets can be formulated for cats and dogs. But because cats are carnivores, developing a vegetarian diet is a more complicated than the case with dogs, who are classified as omnivores. The main source of protein in vegetarian diets consists of millet, beans, lentils, grains and legumes. Dogs appear to require a slightly larger proportion of protein in their diets than humans.

As with home-cooked meals, consult your veterinarian on how to provide a nutritious vegetarian diet.

Dogs on holiday

There used to be no place like home for a dog when the family went away. But these days, there's a place that might be even better than home.

Like so many dog owners, Reba Love, a retired accounting professor from Panama City, Florida, is shunning the old-fashioned kennel when she leaves town. Instead, she is opting to give her pooch a vacation of its own. Love takes her three-year-old Weimaraner, Chloe, to Beaches Pet Resort when she has to travel. The upscale pet boarding facility in Northern Florida offers luxury accommodations including extra playtime with staff. Rooms have tile floors and soft blankets. Love often opts for the larger room with a doggie door so Chloe can go out into the courtyard whenever she pleases.

"You can pay more for a room with a TV," Love says. "But I have no idea what they watch." While she doesn't want Chloe to be a couch potato, Love has been thinking about treating her beloved pet to a bubble bath the next time she goes out-of-town.

Unless you take your dog with you on trips, vacations often mean that man's best friend ends up being boarded. These days, a growing number of facilities nationwide are eschewing the "kennel" label and are donning such nicknames as "Doggie Utopia." Canyon View Ranch, in Topanga, California, bills itself as a "Canine Shangri la," where dogs can run on manicured lawns, climb ramps and crawl through tunnels in Disneyland-inspired parks.

Camp Bow Wow, which expects to have 50 franchises open in the U.S. and Canada by the end of 2006, offers all-day romping, while overnight guests get tasty "campfire treats" before being tucked into cots in their own cabins. Camp Web Cams help families monitor pups over the Internet from wherever they are -- the beach, the ski resort, or the Champs Elysees.

"Our clients typically humanize their pets a bit. They see them as their kids," says Heidi Flammang, CampBowWow founder and CEO. "The thought of leaving their dog alone in a box for 24 hours a day is too much."

Here's how to decide if a pet resort is right for your pooch:

What to look for Never decide on a boarding facility from a brochure or the Internet. You have to go visit the grounds, meet the staff, and see for yourself how animals are treated. A good kennel is clean, well-ventilated, air conditioned in the summer and heated in the winter. The staff should interact with pets. "When dogs are at home, they're generally with family members being touched and petted.

Suddenly, you put them in a kennel with handlers who never touch them and it can be quite traumatic," says Elizabeth Wilmot, owner of Countryside Kennels, in Owings, Md., and the Mid-Atlantic regional director of the American Boarding Kennels Association. Countryside offers a "Sportsman's Package" for $40-a-night, including a swim in the bone-shaped swimming pool, jogging, Frisbee sessions, and bottled water. Pampered pooch guests receive playtime, moonlit walks, petting sessions, and an orthopedic bed for $35 nightly.

Consider your dog's temperament Many of these kennel redux owners shy away from cages and encourage dogs to play in groups by romping, running and chasing. Cage Free K-9 Camp, of Los Angeles, allows overnight guests to sleep in a 2,000-square-foot, climate-controlled loft on individual dog beds. In the TV lounge, they show Animal Planet. And over at CampBowWow, despite the fact each dog is given a private dining space, all dogs are temperament-tested. "We have an interview process," Flammang says. A dog needs to enjoy the company of other dogs to be boarded in a communal environment. Otherwise, individual rooms are a better bet.

How to pack Dogs, like children, sometimes do best on "sleepovers" when they have a comfort item to remind them of home. Check with a facility before bringing a blanket, a towel, or a favorite toy, Wilmot says. This is usually fine if your pet has his or her own "room" or run. It may be more difficult -- or provoke aggressive behavior -- in the group environment.

For dogs with sensitive stomachs, or special diets, you may want to bring your own food to the kennel. Many luxury kennels provide top-notch fare for overnight guests, such as the "healthy lamb-and-rice diet with Glucosamine" included in the $50-a-night rate at Canyon View Ranch. Medications will also be administered on site at most pet resorts, although some charge extra. No matter where your dog stays, you'll want to spring for a bath and flea dip before bringing your pet back home.

These new-fangled pet resorts may cost a tad more than the old-style kennel, but pup parents say it's worth the price in peace of mind. "This is my baby," Love explains of her dog Chloe. "She's a 70-pound baby, but she's still my baby."

PR: wait... I: wait... L: wait... LD: wait... I: wait... wait... Rank: wait... Traffic: wait... Price: wait... C: wait...