With the second week in February traditionally recognising National Tooth Ache Day, it’s important to remember that, just like us, our furry friends can get tooth ache too! If you notice your pet has smelly breath or is drooling, chewing on one side of their mouth, pawing at their mouth, eating more slowly or choosing to eat wet food over dry biscuit, it could be that they are suffering from some kind of dental or oral issue. There are many causes of dental and periodontal pain. These can include inflamed gums, tooth decay, broken or fractured teeth, damaged enamel, painful growths and, in cats, resorptive lesions, where teeth decay from the root upwards. Ouch! If you notice any of these symptoms, please do book your pet in for a dental examination with a vet as it’s likely your pet is in significant discomfort.
Even if there are no obvious indications of a problem, regular pet dental health check ups are really important. Did you know periodontal disease (inflammation and infection of the tissues supporting the teeth) is one of the most common health issues in pets? And that pets can be really good at hiding pain?
We ideally recommend 3-6 monthly checks for pets and at very least, once a year. Give us a call on 01922 411755 to arrange your pet’s dental check up. Get in touch too to book in for advice on oral hygiene routines to keep dental and periodontal disease at bay.
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.
Our Registered Veterinary Nurse Paige was a VIP at the British Veterinary Nursing Association (BVNA) Congress dinner on Saturday night. Paige was given complimentary tickets as one of the shortlisted finalists in the Hills Pet Nutrition Support Nurse of the Year Awards. Results were announced at the dinner, and we were very excited to see the video of Paige being called up on stage to receive the Senior Support Nurse of the Year Runner Up trophy. We’re so proud of you!
Paige is incredibly passionate about improving senior pet quality of life. In the last 12 months, she has completed a canine mobility certificate, has launched new canine mobility clinics in practice and has completed the Veterinary Osteoarthritis Alliance (VOA) Blue Paw Award, which means Paige is officially recognised by the VOA as having sufficient knowledge to improve osteoarthritis care in veterinary practice. Marrying this knowledge with optimum weight and nutrition management strategy helps with pain relief, increased mobility and in giving senior pets a new lease and love of life.
If your senior pet is struggling with their mobility, you know where to come!
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.
Summer time is fantastic for long days and lovely dry dog walks but do be mindful that if walking through meadows or other areas with long grass that it’s prime grass seed season. Grass awns are barbed and can easily become lodged in your pet’s fur and painfully hook into their skin. Common problem areas are ears and between the toes, but we’ve removed awns from noses, cheeks and even necks!
This is 8 month old Shih Tzu Milo who managed to get a grass seed very painfully lodged under his third eyelid. You can see the offending awn in poor Milo’s eye. We were able to very gently tease the seed out and have given Milo eye drops to sooth the trauma site. Milo was a very brave boy! See the spikey grass seed below!
It’s worth giving dogs a quick groom on return from summer dogs walks to remove any loose seeds that may subsequently cause issues. This will stop them potentially reseeding in your garden too. As summer is the height of parasite season, it’s also a great opportunity to give your pet a quick once over for any nasty creepy crawlies that may have targeted your pet as a tasty host!
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 beautiful Archie who came to see us with cystitis. On carrying out tests, we discovered crystals in poor Archie’s urine. If left untreated, these crystals can turn into bladder stones which, as well as being painful, can inhibit and even stop the ability to urinate and can lead to surgery, so it’s really important to take action.
Archie went onto a special Hills prescription diet that’s specially designed to help dissolve these crystals to prevent them turning into something bigger and nastier.
It’s essential to be strict and resist the temptation to give your four legged friend little ‘extras’ here and there for the special diet to work. With this in mind, Archie’s mum has created some cookies from Archie’s kibble for between meal treats. Here are the results!
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.
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.
