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Open Wide - the tooth about dental disease! Part 1
Fleas and Ticks – dogs’ unwanted friends!
Labradors awarded the Dickin Medal
Prize winners!
Open Wide – the tooth about dental disease! Part 1
Dr Andrew Gardiner, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh
Dental disease is very common in companion dogs. It is estimated that up to 70% of adult dogs have mouth/tooth problems requiring professional treatment, but many animals suffer in silence because their dental disease goes unnoticed, and untreated. We all know how unpleasant dental pain can be! Even the most reluctant human patients will head for the dentist after a few days of constant, nagging pain.
There is no reason to suggest dogs do not suffer dental pain in the same ways as we do – yet they can’t tell us about their problems. When things get really bad, the symptoms become suddenly obvious: things like face swelling, discharges from the mouth, inability to eat and unprovoked yelping may be seen. But long before that stage, many dogs have had a very unpleasant time, often lasting for months or even years on end. We know this because when these dogs are treated, owners often remark that they are much happier and are given a new lease of life. The pain has gone. Some owners say their pet becomes like a young dog again: playing more, interacting more and generally enjoying life.
Tell tale signs
So what might you look out for, indicating that there is a developing problem, hidden away in the dark recesses of your dog’s mouth? Common symptoms of dental disease include:
- Being quieter than normal
- Eating less, or eating on one side of the mouth, or changed food preferences, e.g. avoiding hard things
- Sucking or nibbling on blankets (this seems to ease pain in some dogs)
- Jaw ‘chattering’ – rapid movements of the jaws when the lower jaw is touched or when it is rested on something
- Bad breath (halitosis)
- Temperament changes – dogs may become irritable or head shy
- Drooling
- Blood in the water bowl
- Weight loss
- Swellings on the face or below the eye
If you notice any of these things, gently lift up the lip and examine the teeth if you are sure your dog won’t bite. A normal dog mouth has no bad smell, the gums are evenly pale pink, and the teeth do not have staining or blocks of brownish tartar (also known as calculus) accumulating on them. Bright red gums (known as gingivitis, inflammation of the gums) or a bright red band or line above the teeth, is a tell tale sign of tooth disease. This is inflammation, and inflammation is painful wherever it occurs.
Below: A normal, healthy mouth
Below: Advanced dental disease in an older, Collie dog
What can be done?
Your vet will ‘scale and polish’ all sound teeth and remove any bad and loose ones. X-rays may be used to help diagnose problems in the roots. Like ourselves, dogs suffer from dental decay (caries), although in fact this is less common than general infection and tooth loosening (called periodontal disease).
Note that dogs often get many tooth extractions carried out at once. A bad mouth may easily require 20 extractions (dogs have 42 teeth in total). This often sounds drastic to owners but, because dog dental patients are given a general anaesthetic for their treatment, it is best to do all the work during one, or occasionally two, surgical procedures. General anaesthetics are necessary because dogs won’t cooperate like we do, by lying back in the dentist’s chair!
After dental procedures, dogs are often given antibiotics and painkillers for a few days to aid recovery. During this time, they may benefit from softer food than usual, although it is surprising how many dogs seem to eat normal food enthusiastically straight away, presumably because their mouths are immediately more comfortable. Dissolving stitches may be used in the mouth for more complicated extractions.
Below: X-ray of a molar tooth
Right: Cleaning a dog’s teeth with an ultrasonic probe
Find out more next month in Part 2 of, ‘Open Wide - the tooth about dental disease!’
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Fleas and Ticks – dogs’ unwanted friends!
Fleas
Most dogs will contract fleas at some stage. Fleas are black parasites around 1-3mm long that can be found in a dog’s coat, often at the base of the tail or lower back. Fleas survive from the blood they suck and can live on a dog for of a couple of weeks. A female flea can lay as many as 50 eggs in a day. These eggs drop off the dog onto bedding or areas around the home. The eggs hatch and develop a cocoon where the flea remains until a host (i.e. a dog) is within reach to leap on to.
Some dogs with fleas show no symptoms, but often they show signs of itching such as chewing or scratching. By examining the dog’s coat and brushing a flea comb through their hair, fleas and flea dirt may be found. Occasionally dogs develop a skin reaction to fleas and in severe cases (particularly puppies) a flea infestation can cause anaemia due to blood loss. Dogs that ingest fleas (e.g. from gnawing or licking) are at risk of contracting tapeworm as fleas are carriers of these worms.
Many products are on offer to treat fleas. Spot-on treatments, sprays and collars are available but it is best to check with your vet which treatment is right for your dog.
Ticks
Ticks are parasites that are grey in colour, shaped like a bean and around 1cm long. They attach themselves to dogs (commonly on a dog’s face, ears or legs) and feed from their blood. Similar to fleas, large numbers of ticks may cause anaemia. In the UK, Lyme disease can be contracted from a tick although this is rare.
Ticks can be picked up from grasslands, wooded areas, and where livestock such as sheep or deer live. They are most active during the spring and autumn. It is advisable to check your dog for ticks regularly and if you find any, consult your vet for help on treating and controlling them as they can be difficult to remove. If a tick is not removed correctly, it can cause irritation, infection and pain.
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Labradors awarded the Dickin Medal
Founder of the People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA), Maria Dickin, began awarding the Dickin Medal in 1943 for the bravery shown by animals during war. The PDSA Dickin Medal is recognised as the animals’ Victoria Cross.
Since 1943, sixty-three Dickin Medals have been awarded; one to a cat, three to Metropolitan Police horses for their work in London during World War 2 (WWII), 32 to pigeons who delivered life saving messages during WWII, and 27 to dogs. Four of these dogs are Labradors.
On the 5th March 2002, two Labrador guide dogs called Salty and Roselle were awarded the PDSA Dickin Medal for their courage and loyalty to their blind owners during the terrorist attack of September 11th 2001 in New York. Salty and Roselle led their blind owners down over 70 floors of the World Trade Centre to reach a safe place.
Above: Roselle with owner Michael Hingson and Omar Rivera with Salty
Above right: Lance Corporal Karen Yardley with Sadie
On the 6th February 2007, a Labrador called Sadie received the Medal for the work she carried out as a Royal Army Veterinary Corps (RAVC) arms and explosives search dog in Afghanistan in November 2005. Sadie detected an explosive device near a concrete blast wall which was then made safe by bomb disposal operators. Sadie’s actions saved many civilian and soldiers’ lives. Sadie also served in Bosnia and Iraq.
On 24th February 2010, a Labrador called Treo became the most recent recipient of the PDSA Dickin Medal. Treo, an RAVC arms and explosives search dog, was deployed to Afghanistan in 2008 to detect weapons and munitions hidden by the Taliban. On two occasions, Treo located improvised explosive devices on routes due to be used by soldiers. He undoubtedly saved the Platoons from casualties.
Above: Sgt Heyhoe and Treo
To find out more about the PDSA Dickin Medal, go to: www.pdsa.org.uk/dickinmedal
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Prize winners!
….and finally congratulations go to the winners of the third Dogslife prize draw!
The first prize, £100 of Pets at Home vouchers, has been won by Mrs R from Shropshire. The second prize winners, each receiving £50 of Pets at Home vouchers, are Mrs T from West Lothian and Mrs H from County Armagh. Mr V from Fife, Mr D from South Lanarkshire, Mr B from Buckinghamshire, Mrs F from North Yorkshire, Mrs S from East Sussex, Mr W from Hertfordshire, Mrs A from Isle of Wight, Mrs T from Cheshire, Mrs L from Surrey and Mrs J from Cheshire have each won £10 of Pets at Home vouchers.
Remember, each time you update your dog’s health record you are automatically entered into the prize draw. So keeping your dog’s record up to date increases your chance of winning! The next prize draw will take place in July.
You may have noticed that we now have over 1000 Dogslife members! Thank you to everyone who encourages participation in the project; with every new member and the continued support of those who take part, we will find out what keeps dogs healthy!
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Don't forget to come back to Dogslife to update your dog's record www.dogslife.ac.uk
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