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!
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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.
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.
