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.
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.
Bonnie’s owner brought her in to see us as she had noticed a change in the five year old’s behaviour. The cockerpoo had stopped greeting people, was snapping at other dogs on her dog walks and had started weeing and pooing in the house. She also seemed unnaturally anxious and her owner wondered whether she might be in pain.
We gave Bonnie a thorough examination. She seemed healthy body-wise but when we looked in her mouth, we could see that Bonnie had clear signs of periodontal disease (gum inflammation and receding gums). She also had a fractured canine tooth. Dental X-rays confirmed that Bonnie had attachment bone loss around several of her teeth. The dark areas in the accompanying x-ray photos indicate bone loss and problem areas underneath the gum line in stark contrast to the healthy teeth alongside where the gums and bone fully cushion the tooth and root.
Our vet Selenia, who holds a postgraduate certificate in small animal dentistry, operated on Bonnie and ended up removing the six compromised teeth. She also fixed Bonnie’s fractured canine using restorative methods, shaping and then sealing the tooth to prevent further issue down the line.
We are delighted that 2 weeks post op, Bonnie has stopped toileting indoors, is eating and drinking normally and is much more herself. It turns out that Bonnie’s poorly teeth were literally the root of her problem. We are glad you are feeling better beautiful girl!
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.
This is fabulous Dairylea who came in to see us in what must be one of the most striking doggy coats we’ve seen this winter! We love it! As temperatures are starting to feel much more wintery, many dogs will benefit from an extra layer while they are out and about, especially if they are short-coated breeds like whippets, or if your dog is more senior in age as cold weather can exacerbate any joint pain.
There are lots of other things we can do in the winter months to keep our furry companions happy and healthy. Click here to read our latest newsletter’s winter watch tips!
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.
Cats have a reputation for being inscrutable and It’s well known that it’s hard to spot when a cat is in pain, so the Feline Grimace Scale is an important breakthrough to help veterinarians recognize the signs in their feline patients. New research shows that cat guardians can use the scale too.
This is great news for cats because it means people can more easily assess when their cat needs to go to the vet due to acute pain.
Dr. Beatriz Monteiro of the City University of Hong Kong, the first author of the paper, told me,
“This is the first study showing that cat caregivers are able to assess acute pain (e.g. pain after surgery, abdominal pain) in cats. It is a great advance for feline welfare as cat caregivers become empowered to detect and quantify pain in their cats using the Feline Grimace Scale, and to look for veterinary care if needed.”
The Feline Grimace Scale involves looking at five aspects of the cat’s face, called action units: the cat’s ear position, orbital tightening (around the eye), muzzle tension, the position of the whiskers, and the position of the head. Looking at an awake cat who is not busy doing things like grooming, each action unit is assessed as 0 (absent), 1 (moderately present, or uncertain), or 2 (obviously present). A score of 4 or above is taken to mean that the cat is in pain.
Veterinarians can use the scale alongside their exam, the cat’s history, and clinical situation to decide if pain relief is needed.
The current study was conducted in both English and Spanish and advertised for participants on various cat, pet, and vet websites and social media accounts. The survey got a total of 1262 complete responses from cat guardians, who were asked to read the training manual and then score 10 photos of cats for each of the 5 action units. People’s responses were compared to those of 8 veterinarians.
The results showed no difference between cat guardians and veterinarians on 4 of the 5 action units. The exception was muzzle tension, which seemed to be harder for cat guardians to assess.
People’s success in using the scale was evident across the board, showing that everyone found it easy to use, regardless of gender, age, or other demographic characteristics.
This broad level of agreement is good news for cats as it means that cat guardians can look at the information on the Feline Grimace Scale website and use it to evaluate whether their cat is currently in pain. The scale is also available via an app for Android and Apple.
In case you are wondering about the photos of the cats used in the study, they had been used in previous studies too and were taken of cats before and after surgery, or before and after pain relief, for cats who had a painful condition or happened to need surgery.
It’s important to note that the scale was developed for acute pain only, such as pain after surgery, after suffering from trauma, from a wound, or because of pancreatitis. This scale cannot be used to assess chronic pain such as from osteoarthritis.
If you’d like to use the scale, you can read the training manual and practice your skills on the Feline Grimace Scale website. And if you’d like to read more about this research, the paper is open access and the link is below.
If you liked this post, check out my book Purr: The Science of Making Your Cat Happy. “Enjoyable, approachable, easy to read, Purr is a must for anyone who shares their life with a cat.”—Kate LaSala, Rescued by Training.
Monteiro, B. P., Lee, N. H., & Steagall, P. V. (2023). Can cat caregivers reliably assess acute pain in cats using the Feline Grimace Scale? A large bilingual global survey. Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery, 25(1), 1098612X221145499. https://doi.org/10.1177/1098612X221145499
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. As an Etsy affiliate and Marks and Spencer affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
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.
The Highest-Rated Multi-Purpose Physiotheraphy Device Online
Ease of Use Terahertz Technology
Designed for People Like You
Meet TeraMD
The #1 Multi-Purpose Physiotherapy Device.
‘My TeraMD has been a game changer for me. After having lower back fusion surgery, I suffered from neuropathy as well as constant coldness in my feet and toes. At 87 old, I was happy to find something that actually works! Thank you, TeraMD developing a simple-to-use device that has truly helped me improve the quality of my life.‘
‘Future medicine will be the medicine of frequencies.’
– Albert Einstein
What is TeraMD Terahertz Technology?
Results Driven Physiotherapy Backed By Science
Scientists refer to the range on the frequency scale that terahertz resides, as the terahertz “gap,” because unlike the abundance of research and technology already using radio, microwave and infrared waves, the frequencies in between and within the terahertz gap, have just now begun to be explored.
Until now, the smallest device that could emit or detect terahertz were the size of an airport body scanner.
Non-Ionizing Energy
Unlike X-rays, terahertz can still penetrate the body; however, due to the low energy transmission, it is non-ionizing and harmless.
Cell Therapy
Researchers have found that terahertz frequencies may have applications in manipulating cell functions for the treatment of certain conditions.
Precision Targeting
Upon targeting specific areas of the body, Terahertz frequencies have been shown to positively effect the proteins inside the cells WITHOUT harming or altering the cells.
Hydrogen Bonds
The characteristic energy of the hydrogen bond, which is the most dominant bond in biological molecules lies in the terahertz frequency range.
#1 Multi-Purpose Physiotherapy Device Available
TeraMD activates dormant stem cells deep to the bone marrow, stimulating NEW CELL and HEALTHY tissue growth
Relief Results Received Addressing
Inflammation
Various skin inflammations, dermatitis, rhinitis, laryngitis, periarthritis of the shoulder, enteritis, nephritis, gynecological, inflation, mastitis (proliferation), prostatitis, hemorrhoids
TeraMD Physiotherapy Device 3-in-1 Health Integrations!
Terahertz
Terahertz waves and healthy human cells resonate at the samefrequency. Terahertz waves generate millions of vibrations per second, activating healthy and dormant cells, while eradicating unhealthy and damaged cells.
Quantum
Quantum scalar wave energy produces a frequency that stimulates and energizes cells. This encourages the body to come into balance; strengthening and penetrating deep into vital organs.
Optical Quartz
Optical quartz is responsible for amplifying, while NOT interfering with the purity of the wave being transmitted. The wave generated, mimics 1/40 of the sun’s UV energy.
Water infused using the TeraMD device produces a HIGHER, MORE STABLE energy that can neutralize free radicals, increase oxygen content and restore vitality to water. The TeraMD device aligns the water molecules to INCREASE MAXIMUM ABSORPTION into our body’s cells.
To put it simple, charging your water with TeraMD MAKES WATER BETTER! Just a single glass of TeraMD water has been shown to help with the following:
Find Out What Our Customers Have to Say About TeraMD
Neuropathy, Tingling, Cold Feet & Toes
‘My TeraMD has been a game changer for me. After having lower back fusion surgery, I suffered from neuropathy as well as constant coldness in my feet and toes. At 87 old, I was happy to find something that actually works! Thank you, TeraMD developing a simple-to-use device that has truly helped me improve the quality of my life.‘
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Years of repetitive office work and just an overall abuse to my body … it finally hit me … the dreaded rheumatoid arthritis women in my family have suffered from. Mornings were the worse and forget about open jars! A friend of mine told me about TeraMD and I figured I had nothing to loose so on a fridged morning I took the device and began warming my hands with the device. BINGO! No more curled up fingers and the aches in my forearms were gone. Thank you TeraMD!!!
Kidney Dialisis
My standard routine has included dialysis 3 and 4 times a week. The first day I did 2 treatments including drinking the TeraMD water and was able to urinate on my own a bit. I continued at this pace with my TeraMD device for 2 weeks and am happy to report that I am now able to urinate 3 times a day. My kidney functions are slowly rejuvenating back.
Hip Pain, Walking, Standing
40 years ago I was in a motorcycle accident, since that time I’ve struggled with hip pain and walked with a limp. Since using my TeraMD Elite I’ve been able to get up and down from a seated position easier and my overall discomfort levels have dramatically decreased!
No Need For Botox
I thought I finally was going to have to look into Botox … but upon using my TeraMD Solo I said NO WAY! Happy to report that the deep lines in my forehead, crows feet and lip lines are all but gone!!! I am so happy to see the impact that this simple painless and cost effective way of TRULY stimulating my own body to create more collagen.
Covid-19 Recovery
Aida got severe COVID-19 and was admitted to the hospital where she spent 25 days breathing with the assistance of an oxygen tank. According to doctors, her recovery was to take 3 months due to the severity of her condition. Incorporating terahertz into her regiment she began to breathe comfortably after her first 40 minute session. After a week of treatment, she now reports that she no longer is needing oxygen tank assistance. After 2 weeks using the device she has fully recovered from COVID-19 and has been released.
