In Frederick, MD Rabbits Have Teeth Too!

Adult rabbits have 28 teeth.  There are two pairs of incisors in the upper jaw and one pair in the lower jaw.  The second pair of upper incisors are called "peg" teeth.  They are smaller teeth that sit behind the first pair of incisors.  When the mouth is closed, the lower incisors rest on the "peg" teeth.  Rabbits also have premolars and molars called "cheek" teeth.  There is a large space between the incisors and the "cheek" teeth which makes it easy to give oral medications when necessary.

Rabbit teeth have no enamel, wear down quickly and grow continuously.  Their diet plays an important role in keeping their teeth worn down. As the rabbit chews hay, the grinding action and abrasive texture helps keep the premolars and molars worn down. An improper diet can cause tooth problems, such as spurs, in as little as a few days.  Grass hay and greens wear the teeth down much more than pelleted diets do. 

Speculum used to do a complete oral exam.

Another cause of spurs is malocclusion.  Malocclusion is were the upper and lower teeth do not align properly.  When the rabbit grinds its food, the tooth surfaces do not meet properly and do not wear evenly causing a "point."  Without proper grinding, spurs can form on the cheek teeth causing pain and ulcerations to the cheek tissue and/or tongue. 

Annual exams are important so the veterinarian can visualize the cheek teeth to make sure spurs have not developed.  If spurs are present, the rabbit will need to be anesthetized so those spurs can be filed down.  Medications, such as antibiotics and/or pain medication, may be prescribed.

If you notice your rabbit not eating well, drooling or producing fewer or smaller fecal pellets, these may be signs of an oral problem.  Call Kingsbrook Animal Hospital at 301-631-6900 so we may assist in helping your rabbit feel better.

Preventative Dental Care Recommendations from KAH

Want to know how you can keep your pet’s teeth clean at home and limit the frequency for anesthetized dental cleanings?  At home dental care is key to keeping your pet’s teeth in tip top shape.  There are a number of different products you can use at home, from simply giving a treat to daily brushing.  At home dental care can be easy as pie with the right products and approach.  

Dental treats come in a variety of shapes and flavors.  They can be found at just about any store in Frederick, MD from pet supply stores to grocery stores and even the dollar store.  So, how do you know which treats are actually helping your pet’s teeth?  A good way to find out is to check the Veterinary Oral Health Council's website at vohc.org.  Other good ways to make sure you are truly using a dental appropriate treat is if it is sold by your veterinarian, VOHC approved or made by Virbac.

CET Hextra chews for dogs and cats.

Chew treats for dogs are amongst the most popular treats seen on the market.  At Kingsbrook Animal Hospital, we recommend giving CET rawhide chews.  These chews are approved by the Veterinary Oral Health Council.  CET chews not only prevent tartar accumulation on the teeth, but also provide great mental stimulation for your dog.  Dogs should not chew treats that are too hard due to the risk of fracturing a tooth.  If there is a fractured tooth, it will likely need to be removed.  The CET rawhide chews are not too hard and they love the flavor.  Greenies and CET Oral Hygiene Chews make great dental appropriate treats for cats too!  Please exercise caution and supervise your pet when giving any chew treat .

Greenies brand chews for dogs and cats.

DentAcetic dental wipes are another dental product approved by the Veterinary Oral Health Council.  These wipes work great for both cats and dogs and are an easy way to start a home dental care routine.  As you wipe the surface of the teeth, enzymes work to break down tartar.  Most pets tolerate them very well and they are so easy to use.

Dentacetic dental wipes.

Lastly, the best thing you can do for your pet’s teeth is to brush them.  First, choose a veterinary approved toothpaste that is safe for your pet to ingest.  CET enzymatic toothpaste comes in a variety of flavors including poultry, vanilla mint, and malt.  Human toothpaste is not safe for pets to swallow and should never be used. 

   

                           CET enzymatic toothpaste  

  Then introduce the toothpaste by simply offering it as a treat.  Once your pet has become accustomed to the taste, use your finger to rub the toothpaste along the teeth.  After your pet easily tolerates you rubbing his teeth with your finger, try introducing a tooth brush.  Ideally, brushing should be done daily, but every other day is sufficient in decreasing tartar.

Any at home dental care routine takes time, patience, and persistence.  Learn ways to incorporate a home dental care routine for your pet by CLICKING HERE to visit Kingsbrook Animal Hospital’s YouTube channel.



When Does My Pet Need Dental Radiographs?

Ranee taking dental radiographs on a patient.

In our last blog we discussed what a dental prophylaxis is and why your veterinarian might recommend one.  We touched briefly on dental radiographs. Now let's go over WHY or WHEN your pet might need to have this done.  


Here at Kingsbrook Animal Hospital we take routine dental care very seriously.  Getting into a daily routine for dental health can lengthen the time between dental cleanings, or better yet, help prevent needing them! I don't know how many of you are in the habit of lifting up your pet's lips and looking at his teeth, but I invite you to do so! Just like with a doctor's physical exam- just by looking at the outside of the dog or cat a problem can be identified. A wound on the foot, or a loud dry cough. However the source of these problems are not always straightforward and radiographs are utilized to help the doctor determine the best course of treatment.


The same is true with veterinary dentistry. There are times during the oral examination of a pet's yearly physical that a doctor can tell there is something abnormal and a dental with dental radiographs would be recommended. A malocclusion or missing tooth, perhaps. Other times we unexpectedly find an abnormality during a routine dental prophylaxis. In either case, the radiographs provide more information for the doctor to decide the appropriate course of treatment. Here is a list of things we see in the mouth that would warrant the need for a dental radiograph.



Bone loss around the caudal root of a
lower molar due to periodontal disease.

- Retained baby teeth-  these teeth can have long roots that are very near the adult teeth roots that are coming in. The doctors use these x-rays as a guideline to extract the retained teeth without damaging the developing adult teeth.
 

-Malocclusion- this is when the teeth are in the wrong position or the jaw is malformed so the pet's "bite" is off. Often times a trauma will occur as a side effect of this. For instance if the lower jaw is too narrow- the lower canine teeth may poke up into the roof of the mouth. There a different treatment options for this, but radiographs are often needed as well.
 

-Discoloration- there are different reasons why a tooth is discolored. Trauma, death of the tooth, etc. Radiographs are typically recommended when a discolored tooth is identified.
 

- Feline resorptive lesions- these are like cavities in people. These are holes in the enamel at the gum line of the tooth and the sensitive tissue underneath is exposed. This is very painful for the cat. Radiographs help the doctor know if the roots of these teeth are still there and healthy or if they are what is called "resorbed" (kind of like dissolved). 
 



Abscessed caudal root
of the 4th premolar.

- Missing teeth. There can be a few reasons for  missing teeth. They never developed and really are not there. They are impacted under the gum line and are potentially problematic. The crown (the part you see in the mouth) has broken off and the roots are left under the gum line. We could never know what the reason for the missing tooth is without a radiograph. 
 

An impacted tooth is a tooth that never erupted but is fully grown and completely under the gum line- sometimes sideways! These impacted teeth can develop a type of cyst around them called a dentigerous cyst that is very destructive to the bone of the jaw. For this reason impacted teeth should always be extracted. Retained roots with crowns should also be extracted to prevent things like pain, infection and abscesses.
 

-Broken or Fractured teeth- sometimes these teeth can seal themselves off. If the pulp is left exposed, however, this is another potential source for pain, infection or an abscess.
 

Bone loss around the incisors.

 - Moderate to Severe periodontal disease- think wear and tear!- If a pet has a lot of tartar and gingivitis and it is left untreated a few things are going to happen. The gums are going to get really red and painful (gingivitis) and potentially infected, the gums are going to recede exposing more and more of the tooth that is supposed to be under the gum line, the tooth is going to become mobile or wiggly.  These three things all affect each other in a vicious cycle that ends up in the loss of the tooth, and most likely the teeth around it. Radiographs help us view how much damage or health there is associated with the tooth or teeth in question and if it can be saved or if it needs to come out. Our goal is always to save a tooth if we can.
 

Of course there are always things that I have not listed here when a veterinarian may feel a dental radiograph may be needed- a pet whose mouth looks outwardly fine but is not eating for instance.  But the most common reasons I have listed above.  Again, there are some routine things you can do to help keep your pet's teeth as healthy as possible. If you're in Frederick, MD and would like to learn about these, a technician would be happy to go over them with you so STOP BY!:)

 

What is a Veterinary Dental Prophylaxis?

Julie cleaning Blue's teeth

Ultrasonic scaling of tooth surface

All of our pets will need a dental prophylaxis in their lifetime.  If you have any question of whether your pet needs a dental cleaning, the staff at Kingsbrook Animal Hospital would be more than happy to help.  The following is information to explain how a veterinary dental prophylaxis is performed.
Veterinary dental prophylaxis are done not only to clean and evaluate your pet's teeth, but also to PREVENT oral and periodontal disease. Dental prophylaxis is a multi-step process that includes cleaning the surface of the teeth, and more importantly, cleaning sub-gingivally, or under the gum line. Plaque and calculus that accumulate under the gum line is what causes periodontal disease.

A veterinary dental prophylaxis at Kingsbrook Animal Hospital includes the following steps:

-Oral evaluation:  A veterinarian and a registered veterinary technician will evaluate your pet's teeth, gums, tongue and inside of cheeks for potential infection, abnormalities or disease.

-Dental cleaning:  Calculus, or tartar, is removed from the tooth's surface by hand scaling. Any tough tartar that remains on surface is then removed with an ultrasonic scaler.

-Subgingival cleaning:  A hand scaler called a curette, is used to remove tartar from underneath the gum line without causing damage to the gingiva.

-Polishing:  Smoothing the surface of the tooth decreases areas for bacteria and plaque to build up. Polishing also gets rid of small, hard to see debris still left on tooth after scaling.

-Irrigation:  The pet's mouth is rinsed to remove any remaining debris from the teeth and tongue.

-Fluoride:  Applying fluoride after cleaning helps harden the tooth surface and prevent plaque build up.
-Dental Radiographs:  Whole mouth radiographs are often recommended to evaluate the bones of the jaw and roots of the teeth.  Abnormalities are found under a seemingly normal gum line.  Look to the future for the next Kingsbrook Animal Hospital blog on why your veterinarian might recommend dental radiographs!


-Dental charting:  Any findings such as gingivitis (inflammation of the gums), missing, loose or to be extracted teeth are noted on a dental chart.  A dental probe is used between the gum line and tooth to see if any gingival pockets exist.  Gingival pockets can lead to tooth decay, abscesses or tooth loss and therefore are noted on the pet's dental chart. The dental chart is saved in the pet's record for future reference by the veterinarian.

 

Teeth after cleaning and polishing

Teeth before cleaning

If you have any questions regarding your pet's oral health, please contact Kingsbrook Animal Hospital in Frederick, MD at 301-631-6900 and ask to speak to one of our friendly technicians.  

Weight Loss Success at Kingsbrook Animal Hospital

Kerry and Cryus

Hi!  My name is Kerry and I'm one of the registered veterinary technicians at Kingsbrook Animal Hospital.  My dog, Cyrus, is a 9 year old German Shepherd mix. I adopted him from Murray State University, the school I attended for veterinary technology.  Like many other dogs, Cyrus lays around, not doing much while I'm at work.  Last year, I began to notice he was looking a little heavier than usual. Cyrus has been fed the same portion of Hill's Science Diet, with only a few treats, his whole life.  I first tried decreasing his daily food intake and completely took away treats.  Unfortunately, he did not lose weight.  In fact, he was still continuing to gain!  

Finally, defeated and frustrated, I brought him in to see one of our veterinarians.  After a comprehensive physical exam by Dr. Cook, Cyrus began the Hill’s Metabolic Diet plan.  We first took Cyrus'  measurements. These measurements help us to calculate the appropriate amount of food to feed each day. This also accounts for treats, which made Cyrus very happy. The rest was easy! I fed the measured amount of food and treats and weighed Cyrus each month. It's been
4 months and with this specialized food, in measured portions,
Cyrus has lost 6 pounds!

Look at that waistline!

Cyrus is now at his ideal weight of 40 pounds.  Now, he looks good and feels great! I now use the Hill’s Metabolic Diet as his maintenance food.   He gets to eat double the amount of food and is the healthiest he has been in the past year.  He is a weight loss inspiration to all Kingsbrook Animal Hospital patients!

Introduction of Hill's® Prescription Diet® Metabolic Advanced Weight Solution in Frederick, MD

Introducing Hill's^® Prescription Diet^®Metabolic Advanced Weight Solution.

Hill's Metabolic comes in dry and
 canned for dogs and cats.

Most often, choosing the right food and ensuring appropriate caloric expenditure through exercise, plays a very important role in helping dogs and cats reach their proper weight. However, it can be difficult to comply with a veterinarian's weight loss recommendation because you don't want to feel like you are depriving your pet. As evident by the current pet obesity rates, changing our behavior can be difficult even when it is in the best interest of our pet's general health and well-being.
Hill's^® Prescription Diet^®Metabolic Advanced Weight Solution is a weight loss nutrition that is clinically proven to work naturally with each pet's unique metabolic response to support healthy weight loss and maintenance.  It activates the body's natural ability to burn excess body fat and utilize calories. The breakthrough nutrition is clinically proven to provide a loss of 28% body fat in only 2 months. It works to control hunger, helping pets feel full and satisfied between meals. Also, it is clinically proven to avoid weight regain following the weight loss program.

The Metabolic Advanced Weight Solution offers dry food, canned food, and treats. These products work together to ensure safe and healthy weight loss and easy weight maintenance without making big changes or depriving our pet. Because the formula works with each pet's unique metabolism, it reduces the need for precisely measuring the food to safely achieve weight loss success.

In veterinarian conducted clinical trials, 88% of the 351 client-owned pets, lost weight within two months.  86% of dog owners claimed they would recommend the Metabolic diet to their friends with overweight dogs.  

If you are considering the Metabolic Advanced Weight Solution for your pet, please call Kingsbrook Animal Hospital for a weight loss exam and consultation appointment.  Our veterinarians will perform a complete physical exam to ensure your pet's health before starting the program. A technician will take various measurements of your pet to determine their body condition.  These measurements will aide in portion size calculations.  At no charge, we recommend your pet "weigh-in" with a technician to ensure your pet is safely on the right track.

Does your pet have the best smile in Frederick? In Maryland?

Calling Cute Pets! It's time for a contest!
Kingsbrook Animal Hospital is preparing for a February Contest! We will be picking one pet picture with the BEST SMILE to celebrate February’s veterinary pet dental month, Valentine’s Day, and your pet!

It’s super easy. Email a picture of your pet’s best grin to yourfriends@kingsbrookvet.com  Make sure to include your name, your pet’s name, and a phone number in your email.

Deadline to enter is January 31^st. (so send those pics ASAP).
Check out our Facebook page February 1st, when voting begins, to see all of the contestants. The winner will be decided on Valentine’s Day! Most ‘likes’ wins basket with goodies for you and your pet!

We are all so excited to see all those cute smiles!