Hollywood FL Vet Explains Importance of Regular Pet Dental Screenings

Importance of Regular Pet Dental Screenings Explained by Hollywood FL Top Vet

Your pet’s dental health is very similar to yours. The difference is you wouldn’t go months without brushing your teeth or even years without visiting the dentist. 70% of cats and 80% of dogs have some form of dental disease by 3 years of age according to the AVMA.  Dental disease can lead to:

• tooth loss
• eating problems
• bad breath

Oral disease can also affect the functioning of your pet’s vital organs, including the kidneys, liver and heart. The good news is as a pet owner there’s a lot you can do.

Here are a few tips to help safeguard your pet’s oral health.

1. Provide your pet oral chews designed specifically for oral health, it’s an easy and effective way to help reduce the build-up of tartar on the teeth.
2. Become familiar with your pet’s teeth at an early age. Examine their mouth regularly and check for sensitive painful areas or lesions.
3. Use pet friendly toothpastes and rinses to reduce tartar and bacteria build-up.

The Importance of Regular Dental Consultations

To ensure your pets oral health, have your veterinarian complete a dental consult on a regular basis. A vet can determine if your pet requires a non-anesthetic dental cleaning or more extensive work under general anesthesia. Your pet remains awake during a non-anesthetic dental cleaning and it can be a great way for preventative care. A non-anesthetic dental procedure is a dental cleaning completed without anesthesia. However, not all pets are suitable candidates for this procedure, and your veterinarian will determine which is the best option for your pet based on their overall health condition. Anesthetic dental cleanings are often recommended when your pet is showing indications of more advanced oral disease. They may include; polishing, scaling, antibiotics, x-rays, extractions and blood work. Ask your vet which one is right for your pet

Pet dental work can be a serious medical procedure so always be sure that it is performed in a veterinary hospital, by a licensed vet. At DPC Veterinary Hospital in Davie Florida we offer full dental packages for your pet including a FREE consult. Call us today at (954) 989-9879 more information.

Ft. Lauderdale Vet Answers FAQs on Dog Cat Cancer Screenings

Ft. Lauderdale Area’s Top Vet Answers 5 FAQs Dog and Cat Cancer Screenings

How important is dog cancer screening? Cancer in dogs, just like in humans, is an insidious disease but it metastasizes much faster in dogs and cats than in humans. Catching it early is important to successful treatment. While cats can also develop cancer, the disease is much more common in dogs and that's what we will focus on here. 

Q: What are common symptoms of cancer in dogs?

A: The symptoms of cancer in dogs are also symptoms for other diseases and conditions and that's why it's important to screen your pet for cancer. Symptoms include:

• Loss of appetite
• Blood or discharge from any opening
• Difficulty swallowing
• Abnormal swellings
• An offensive odor
• Vomiting
• Lumps or swelling
• Diarrhea

Q: What kind of screening for cancer is available for dogs?

A: The CBC and General Health Panel that we do ensures that the patient is systemically healthy and that there are no "warning signs" of trouble regarding things such as organ function or electrolyte status.

 A very high white blood cell count could indicate a pet has leukemia or an elevated blood calcium level could result from several different types of cancers,  other than that lab work alone will not accurately inform us whether or not a pet has cancer.

The screening along with X-Rays and Ultrasound would give you the best odds of detecting cancer.

Just like humans early detection of cancer or cancer risk in dogs and cats is important. At DPL Veterinary clinic we have a complete lab onsite for fast testing. May is cancer awareness month for pets and we encourage you to call us today and set up a cancer screen for your pet.

This blog post originally appeared here: http://www.dpcvet.com/blog/entry/dog-car-cancer-screening-ft-lauderdale.html

Hollywood FL Vet Explains the Benefits of Pet Laser Therapy

The Benefits of Pet Laser Therapy Explained by the Hollywood Florida’s Areas Top vet

If your older cat or dog has is in pain or has lost some of the bounce in its step consult a Hollywood, FL vet and discuss the appropriateness of pet laser therapy. Laser therapy has been around for decades for humans and is used to treat athletes for back strain, sore shoulders, knee pain and other ailments. Today the same treatment that NFL pros routinely receive in the locker room is now available for dogs and cats.

If you have an older pet the odds are 1 in 5 that it will develop arthritis but even if it doesn't the tissue around joints will start to deteriorate as part of the natural aging process. In either case your pet will slow down simply to avoid the pain associated with arthritis or "creaky joints."  Laser therapy can rejuvenate those tissues at the cellular level bringing instant relief from discomfort and providing the foundation for healthy cell growth.

How Pet Laser Therapy Works

Lasers are amazingly useful devices for a wide range of diverse tasks including bouncing signals off satellites, slicing metal, precise microsurgery, and in the case of pets, cellular rejuvenation. Lasers are essentially sources of "light energy" that can be tuned to perform specific tasks.

In veterinary use, a small handheld laser emitter is passed over the affected area of the pet by a trained veterinarian delivering "light energy packets." This energy is absorbed by the damaged cells triggering the production of ATP, a substance that fuels the rejuvenation and repair of cells. The more ATP produced the faster the cells are rejuvenated.

For your pet this is a relaxing, no stress experience similar to the way you feel when getting a massage. Your pet will feel a healing warmth and some dogs have been known to get so relaxed they fall asleep. For discomfort associated with arthritis or aging tissue the results are almost immediate and your pet will leave the vet feeling much better than he or she felt when they arrived.

Laser therapy has significant advantages over other treatments. There is no preparation required, no shaving of fur or fasting, obviously no surgical procedure is needed and it is far safer and more desirable than a drug therapy.

If you would like to give your four legged buddy relief from the creaks and pains of getting older, give DPC Veterinary Clinic, a Hollywood favorite pick for animal care a call today for details or to set an appointment. 

Anesthesia Free Pet Dental Cleaning Hollywood FL Vet Explains

What is an Anesthesia Free Pet Dental Cleaning? Hollywood FL Vet Explains

Does your dog or cat need a pet teeth cleaning. Your pet's dental health is just as important to their overall health as good dental health is for humans and just like humans selecting a dentist, you want to ensure that the Hollywood, FL vet that performs the cleaning is trained and experienced in dental care.

Too often owners put off pet teeth cleaning because it is not an inexpensive procedure and traditionally requires anesthesia, an aspect of teeth cleaning that may put some pets at risk. However, there is an alternative approach to teeth cleaning called non-anesthetic teeth cleaning that some pets may be candidates for that requires no anesthetic and is significantly less expensive.

Don't Neglect Your Pet's Dental Health

If your pet's teeth are brown or yellow they have a buildup of tartar and plaque, two substances that can contribute to serious gum disease. If gum disease is left untreated it can result in the loss of teeth, but just like humans, it can allow bacteria to enter the bloodstream and damage other organs in the body or even cause a complete shutdown of an organ.

If you opt for non-anesthetic teeth cleaning your pet will be evaluated for the risk of existing gum disease. If the risk is minimal your pet will become a candidate for the non-anesthetic technique.

What Does Non-Anesthetic Teeth Cleaning Involve?

Cleaning your cat or dog's teeth using this technique requires a vet or technician that is specifically trained in the process. Because your pet is not being put under, it has to be carefully and gently restrained to allow the technician access to the back teeth. It's much like you opening your mouth at the dentist but of course your pet doesn't know what's going on.

The pet dentist then uses a scaling device that resembles the same tool a dentist uses on a patient to scrape the tarter and plaque off each tooth down to the gum line. This results in white teeth and ending any bad doggie/cat breath that may have been caused by the buildup.

If you think your pet might be a candidate for non-anesthetic teeth cleaning then it's important to know that we have a non-anesthetic dental day scheduled for April 29, 2016 where we are offering the service for $189.00. Call today for details and/or an appointment.

Hollywood FL’s Top Vet Explains Brain Tumor Treatment

Hollywood FL’s Top Vet Explains Why Brain Tumors in Cats and Dogs are So Challenging to Treat

While brain tumors occur in both dogs and cats, particularly those over 5 years old, tumors are more common in dogs with some breeds, boxer, Boston terrier and golden retrievers actually being predisposed to the disease.

Brain tumors in both species are identified as primary or secondary. Primary tumors are those where the tumor originated within the brain or its membrane and include meningioma, glioma, choroid plexus papilloma, and pituitary adenoma or adenocarcinoma. Secondary tumors are caused by cancer that has metastasized to the brain from some other area in the pet's body. Examples of secondary tumors include hemangiosarcoma, mammary carcinoma, and melanoma. Unfortunately, these tumors have a very poor prognosis because they’ve already spread through the body.

Symptoms and Treatments for Dog and Cat Brain Tumors

Symptoms associated with brain tumors in both cats and dogs are caused by pressure exerted by the cancer mass on the brain. Symptoms may vary depending on what part of the brain the mass is affecting. Symptoms are typically progressive and get more pronounced as the size of the tumor increases but not always.

Symptoms that are common in both dogs and cats include:

• Decline in mental alertness
• "Drunk" gait
• Head pressing
• Going in circles
• Seizures
• Loss of vision in one eye
• Increased vocalization by cats and less purring
• Loss of appetite but increase in thirst

The most effective treatment is removal of the entire tumor by surgery but unfortunately that is rarely possible. Of course in the case of secondary tumors, removing the brain tumor does nothing to mitigate the effects of the other cancers in the body.

Chemotherapy is an option for some types of cancer providing the pet is healthy enough to survive the general anesthesia required to administer it. Radiation is another option that can be used to slow the growth of the tumor but is rarely able to eradicate it.

Controlling symptoms is a common approach to dealing with brain tumors and there are a number of options to relieve the pressure on the pet's brain. At the end of the day, pet brain tumors can be treated but rarely completely cured.

If you have questions about pet brain tumors we encourage you to contact Hollywood's favorite veterinary hospital DPC today!

Davie’s Top Vet Explains Benefits of Neutering

The Benefits of Getting Your Pet Spayed or Neutered Explains by Davie Florida's Premier Vet

We all know that getting your pet spayed or neutered is the responsible thing to do to help prevent over population. Buy in addition to preventing unwanted litters, there are some long-term health benefits for pets that get spayed or neutered.

Here are just a few of the benefits to you and your pet:

• Males will do just about anything when it comes to mating like digging under fences to get outside. They can put them selves in danger by getting loose and roaming the streets where they can get hit by a car or run into another male looking for a fight. Neutering keeps your guy close to home.
• Females in heat have all kinds of issue like frequent urination; that’s both uncomfortable for the pet and annoyance in the house.
• There’s a misconception out there that neutering and spaying will make your pet obese. It’s not true.
• Neutering will save you money and keep you pet healthier by keeping them close to home where they can avoid disease.
• Spaying females before her first heat, can help prevent uterine infections and breast cancer, which is fatal in about 90% of cats and half of dogs.
• Neutering your puppy can almost eliminate their chance of ever getting testicular cancer.

If you have any questions about getting you pet spayed or neutered give DPC Veterinary Hospital in Davie a call today at (954) 989-9879.

Holiday Safety Tips From Hollywood Florida's Best Vet

How You and Your Pets Can Have a Happy Holiday From Hollywood Florida's Vet Dr. Megan Cassels-Conway, DVM

'Tis the season for extravagant holiday feasts, gathering of family and friends, cookies and candy and all the decadence of the holidays. At the veterinary clinic 'tis the season for pancreatitis, gastroenteritis and chocolate toxicity. All the wonderful things we love about the holidays can spell disaster if our furry friends partake alongside us. Vomiting cats and dogs with diarrhea put a damper on the holiday spirit but can easily be prevented. Use this guide as your holiday helper this season to avoid the major culprits of the holiday pet woes.

Chocolate

This is one most people know about but do you know just how little it takes? The darker the chocolate the more theobromine and caffeine, making baking chocolate the worst. Signs range from mild vomiting and diarrhea to seizures and heart arrythmias and eventually death. Baked goods are not quite as bad as pure chocolate but can still pack quite the punch.

Turkey, Ham, Drippings and Gravy

There's a good chance you're four-legged friends will be staring you down during your entire meal pred, but don't give in to the pouty eyes. Meat skin, fat, drippings and gravy can be extremely high in fat for pets. This is a level of fat they are not used to and their body cannot metabolize properly. These levels of fat result in pancreatitis, a severe inflammation of the pancreas (the organ producing enzymes to break down fat in the intestines). Pancreatitis is typically seen as bloody vomiting and diarrhea, although both are not always seen. Pork products or turkey skin are frequent culprits of pancreatitis but any high fat food can do the trick. Pancreatitis can cause severe dehydration and can become life threatening. It is best to avoid human food for all pets.

Onions and Garlic

Members of the onion and garlic family can be toxic to dogs and cats in very low doses. Feeding any food that has been cooked with onions or garlic is enough to do the trick. Ingestion leads to destruction of red blood cells, needed to transport oxygen around the body. Dramatic anemia can occur within hours and leave your pet severely weak with breathing difficulty.

Xylitol

Sugar substitutes are a common way we watch our waistlines over the holidays. Xyltitol is one of those sugar substitutes found in many candies, gum and even peanut butter. Canine bodies do not recognize a difference between xylitol and regular sugar and release large amounts of insulin which can result in severe hypoglycemia. Later on xylitol causes death of liver tissue.

Nuts and Raisins

Some of our favorite holiday snacks and cookie ingredients can lead to severe medical concerns in pets. Macademia nuts can cause neurologic problems from weakness to seizures in dogs. Effects on cats are unknown. Raisins and grapes have an unknown component which causes severe kidney damage with as little as 1-2 grapes or raisins.

Alcohol

This may seem like an obvious one but happens more often than you would think. Alcohol poisoning occurs in dogs and cats with much smaller amounts than you might imagine. For a small puppy or kitten, even a few licks of a spilt drink on the floor can affect the nervous system and heart. The holidays are full of wine, beer, eggnog and other festive libations. Enjoy the festivities but be sure to clean up spills and keep an eye on drinks, never leaving them unattended.

And if you just have to give in...

If those pouty puppy or kitty eyes get the better of you, what can you give your pet? Stick with raw or steamed vegetables and fruits. Dark green vegetables such as broccoli, green beans, spinach; carrots; apples and sweet potatoes are healthy, safe treats for pets when they au natural. Problems arise when they are cooked with butter, oil, cream or drippings. You can always give regular dog food or biscuits, as well in moderation. Sometimes your pet just wants to feel included and have a little snack while you eat.

If your pet is know to have eaten a toxic food or substance, call your veterinarian immediately. Daytime emergency care is offered at DPC Veterinary Hospital in Davie, FL. Contact your veterinarian immediately if your pet shows any of the signs discussed above. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call us at (954) 989-9879.