Just as we have regular check ups at the dentist, it’s really important that pets’ teeth and gums are checked routinely to ensure our four legged companions are enjoying good periodontal health. We check pet oral health at annual vaccination appointments and at various other pet visits to the vets. However, as an owner, it’s worth knowing issues to look for that may require more of an impromptu trip to the vets!
Common signs that your pet may be suffering dental or mouth pain include rejecting dog biscuits or treats, chewing on only one side of the mouth, taking more time over food, increased drooling, pawing at the mouth and even a reluctance to play or increased grumpiness. You may notice your pet’s breath smells less than fresh, or if you can safely lift up their lip to inspect the gums, that they look red and angry or may even be bleeding. Teeth may exhibit discolouration. When plaque – a clear sticky film on the tooth that hangs on to bacteria – collects, this leads to gum disease and tooth decay. When left, plaque deposits calcify, becoming hard tartar as shown in the accompanying photo. This needs professional removal.
As we know, gum disease and tooth decay can be incredibly painful, so please do visit a vet if you’re concerned about your pet’s oral health in any way for the wellbeing of your pet. For dogs, we offer a scale and polishing service run by our qualified RVNs and use an ultrasonic scaler to clean teeth. We’ll also probe beneath the gum line whilst your dog is under anaesthesia to check for any hidden pockets that may harbour bacteria and cause subsequent problems. For any teeth that cause concern, we’ll x-ray as part of the service and advise on any further treatment as necessary.
It may, however, be that your pet needs veterinary dental care. We’re proud that our vet Selenia has a Postgraduate Qualification in Small Animal Dentistry and is brilliantly placed to carry out more complex dental procedures in practice.
As a preventative measure, regular tooth brushing using a pet friendly toothpaste will help reduce pet dental disease. Please ask us for advice on how best to encourage your pet to tolerate this. Check out the Veterinary Oral Health Council’s website for other strategies to help reduce periodontal disease in pets.
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A huge thank you to everyone who donated to our ‘Give a Pet a Christmas Dinner’ campaign this December. As you can see, we were literally bowled over by the amount of goodies you brought in to practice to support cats and dogs in local shelters waiting for their forever homes. We collected just shy of 600 tins and sachets of wet food, more than our Clinical Director Hamish’s weight in dry food, 66 packets of treats, 50 towels and blankets, 66 leads and harnesses and enough toys for 138 pets to have a gift each. That’s not to mention coats, pet accessories, bedding, bowls, bandanas, poo bags, puppy pads and more!
All dog donations go to the Coven branch of Birmingham Dogs Home, whilst cat goods are distributed amongst local cat rescue charities. We know recipients will be touched and incredibly grateful for your amazing kindness and generosity. Thank you for sharing the love with pets in need.
Wellcare World specializes in providing the latest advancements in wellness technology, supplementation, and lifestyle changes that improve health and increase the quality of people's lives.To learn more, visit WellcareWorld.com and begin living a better life today.
We wanted to give you a heads up that the practice will be closed between 10am and 3pm on Wednesday 11th December for whole team training. This means that we won’t be open for appointments, to answer queries or for meds or food collection.
If your pet has a life-threatening emergency while we are in training, please continue to call us on 01922 411755 and follow the recorded instructions. If you are unsure whether your pet needs to see a vet, or have a general query about your pet’s health, do make use of our VidiVet triaging service, free to all our clients, for prompt 24/7 advice from a vet. Check e-mail and PetsApp communications from us on how to access if you haven’t already downloaded the app. We will respond to any PetsApp messages on our return.
Wednesday’s training is all around team work and communication. We look forward to bringing new learning back into practice so that we can continue to improve our service to you and your pets.
Wellcare World specializes in providing the latest advancements in wellness technology, supplementation, and lifestyle changes that improve health and increase the quality of people's lives.To learn more, visit WellcareWorld.com and begin living a better life today.
As many of you know, every year we run a ‘Give a Pet a Christmas Dinner’ campaign to collect food and accessories for local cats and dogs in shelter. As it’s December, our 2024 Christmas collection is now live!
We’re collecting wet and dry pet food, treats, bedding, leads, collars, toys, feeding and water bowls – essentially anything that would be of benefit to pets less fortunate than our own this Christmas. We have a collection point on the ramp leading up to 387 Vets reception, and we also have a festive collection box in the foyer to the West Midlands Cat Clinic. The campaign runs right up until 31st December, and in January, we’ll distribute donations between local pet charities.
A huge thank you in advance for your kindness and generosity. Last year we collected over 100kg of dry food and over 500 sachets and tins of wet food, not to mention heaps of accessories to make life better for pets waiting for their new forever homes. Incredible! Let’s see if we beat that this year!
Wellcare World specializes in providing the latest advancements in wellness technology, supplementation, and lifestyle changes that improve health and increase the quality of people's lives.To learn more, visit WellcareWorld.com and begin living a better life today.
Happy British Veterinary Receptionist Appreciation Day to our amazing reception team! Here are Laura, Angie and Nikki, today’s front of house reception team superstars! A shout out to Clare too who is off today, and Beth who is on maternity leave. We love you all!
The recognition day was first championed by the British Veterinary Receptionist Association (BVRA) in 2019 to recognise the importance, diversity and challenge of the veterinary receptionist role. As well as being the first port of call for owners contacting the practice, booking pets in, dealing with owner queries and following up appointment reminders, receptionists liaise with our clinical teams to offer administrative support and update records when pets join us from other practices. They unpack orders, rotate stock, help with preparation of items (food and meds orders) for collection, help with managing clinicians’ diaries and so much more. It’s an incredibly rewarding job seeing pets at set intervals on their life journey and getting to know pet owners. As well as being here to celebrate pet highs, team are also here to offer support at sadder times.
Thank you to our fabulous team for all you do to help support pets and pet owners and the rest of our 387 team. We would be truly lost without you.
Wellcare World specializes in providing the latest advancements in wellness technology, supplementation, and lifestyle changes that improve health and increase the quality of people's lives.To learn more, visit WellcareWorld.com and begin living a better life today.
