February is National Pet Dental Health Month
PETS' DENTAL HYGEINE
Monitoring Your Dog’s Dental Health
Catching teeth problems early will help avoid severe dental disease. The simplest way to keep track of your dog’s teeth is to look at them on a regular basis and be aware of signs that may indicate a problem. To inspect your dog’s teeth, lift the lips all around the mouth, looking at the front and back teeth as closely as possible. Be gentle and use caution so you do not accidentally get nipped! Your veterinarian will also take a look at your dog’s teeth during routine examinations, so make sure you keep up with these – visit your vet every 6-12 months for wellness check-ups. Contact your vet if any problems arise. Watch for the following signs:
• Halitosis (bad breath)
• Reluctance to chew / crying out when chewing
• Increased salivation
• Red and/or puffy gums
• Bleeding gums
• Tartar / Calculus (hard coating on teeth that is usually brown or yellow;
results from plaque build-up)
• Missing and/or loose teeth
• Anything else about the mouth that appears unusual
The Dangers of Dental Disease
Plaque builds up on the teeth and turns into tartar, or calculus. These areas grow bacteria and eat away at the teeth and gums. Halitosis, periodontal disease, oral pain and tooth loss can occur. However, the bacteria not only cause disease in the mouth – they can also affect other parts of the body, like the heart and kidneys. The most important thing to do is address dental disease as soon as it is detected, no matter how minor. Better yet, work hard to prevent it!
Preventing Dental Disease in Dogs
There are several things you can do to help keep your dog’s teeth in good shape. Start a dental care routine as early as possible in your dog’s life so he get used to the feeling of having his teeth brushed and inspected. Puppies have 28 deciduous teeth that typically fall out by about six months of age. By this time, your dog should be getting his teeth brushed regularly. If you decide to brush your dog’s teeth, here are some important tips to keep in mind:
1. NEVER brush your dog’s teeth with human toothpaste – it can make your dog sick! Use special enzymatic toothpaste made especially for dogs. The same goes for oral rinses.
2. Plaque begins to turn into tartar / calculus within 24-48 hours, so daily brushing is recommended. Work your dog’s tooth brushing into your own routine – consider brushing his teeth around the same time you do yours so it will be easier to remember.
3. Use a “finger brush” or special long toothbrush designed for use on dogs. When starting out with brushings, the finger brush can help ease your dog into it, as these do not feel as awkward as hard brushes.
4. Before you begin, ask your veterinarian to show you some techniques to make tooth brushing easier on you and your dog.
If you are not able to brush your dog’s teeth, there are other options. Consider using oral rinses made especially for dogs. You can also purchase special dental treats. Avoid real bones – not only can they lead to gastrointestinal upset, they may also cause tooth fractures.
Come into Dog & Friends™ for dental supplies such as Breath-Less Brushless Toothpaste, Zukes Dental Chews, N-Bones, Terrabones, Dental Dinousars.
January 5, 2010
Introducing Curbside Service
Call your order in and we’ll bring it out curbside to you.
It’s Simple…
1) Call us with your order 407-647-PAWS (7297)
2) Pull up in front and we’ll bring it out to your car
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September 2009
We are open at our new location downtown by Lake Eola. Our new address is 431 E. Central Blvd. Orlando 32801. We are in the Post Apartment Building (used to be Lee's Lakeside) between Stardust & Pesca.
We look forward to seeing you soon!
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June 11, 2009
It is with both regret and delight to inform you that Dog & Friends will
be closing its doors in College Park on Saturday, June 27. We will be
reopening in August at our new location in downtown Orlando by Lake Eola.
It is not an easy decision to leave College Park after the many years Dog
& Friends has been part of the community. However due to tough economic
times and the lack of traffic coming through my husband and I had to
decide to either close the doors all together or try to keep Dog & Friends
alive by moving to a higher traffic location.
We truly appreciate our loyal customers and hope that you will support us
at our new location just 3.5 miles from where we are now.
Because we value you as customers and want this to be the least disrupting
as possible to your schedules, during the interim period (between closing
Edgewater location and reopening at our new location) I am offering to
continue food orders. My husband and I will deliver the food to your
homes during this period on either Friday evenings or Saturday mornings.
If you are interested in setting up a standing order please contact me via
email, jackie@dogandfriends.com or my cell # 407-928-6469.
Thank you for your understanding and support.
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YOUR PETS' FOOD
Has your pets’ food been on the recall list?
The food and treats we sell at Dog & Friends™ have never been recalled.
Please educate yourself on what you’re feeding your best friend.
Check the FDA Recall list regularly:
http://www.fda.gov/oc/opacom/hottopics/petfood.html
What's in your Pet's Food?
This A+ FRR Pet Nutrition FAQ discusses BHA, BHT, and Ethoxyquin, and reveals why these potentially toxic artificial preservatives are included in some pet food brands.
In general, foods will spoil without some form of temperature control or preservatives. BHA, BHT, and ethoxyquin are chemical antioxidants designed to extend the shelf life and reduce fat spoilage (rancidity) of pet foods and pet treats. Chemical additives and artificial preservatives such as BHA, BHT, and ethoxyquin may cause dry skin, allergic reactions, dental disease, and poor health, as well as stimulate adverse effects on liver and kidney functions.
Specifically, BHA, short for Butylated Hydroxyanisole, and BHT, Butylated Hydroxytoluene, are both artificial preservatives added to oils to slow down deterioration. BHA and BHT (as well as ethoxyquin) are used in numerous pet food brands, including both "premium-grade" brands like Science Diet (even their prescription diet product line) and lower-grade brands like Alpo and Pedigree, to replace vitamin E, which is removed during oil processing. Studies have shown that BHA and BHT promote liver disease and other medical problems.
Ethoxyquin is a chemical preservative – and possible carcinogenic – regulated by the FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration) as a pesticide. While ethoxyquin cannot be used in human foods, it continues to be used in many pet food brands. Ethoxyquin has been found to promote kidney carcinogenesis and significantly increase the incidence of stomach tumors and enhanced bladder carcinogesis, according to several studies, including a recent one by The Department of Pathology, Nagoya City University Medical School, Japan.
Did You Know? Under a typical pet food diet, the average dog (44 lbs) can consume 26 lbs of preservatives a year!
The FDA currently allows only a trace amount of ethoxyquin residue (.5 to 5 ppm) in human consumed foods, yet it allows high amounts (150 ppm) to be used in pet food and livestock feeds. Of note, in 1997, the FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM) made a request to manufacturers of ethoxyquin and the pet food industry to voluntarily lower ethoxyquin residue in pet foods to 75 parts per million (ppm). To date, there is still no mandatory requirement to meet the voluntary request.
Note: Rather than listing it as an ingredient on the packaging, some dog food manufacturers simply print "E" to represent ethoxyquin.
At Dog & Friends™ we take pride that our foods or treats do not contain BHA, BHT or Ethoxyquin.
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PETS & EXERCISE
Just like their human counterparts, pets need a fitness regimen to keep them on the path to good health. The first key in any pet fitness regimen is you! As the owner, it is up to you to set the routine, find the motivation and get out there and exercise with your pet.
How do you find the motivation?
They key is to build your exercise routine with your pet into each week just like you would plug in an appointment to the vet, picking the kids up from school, or going to work each day. If you schedule it like any other appointment, the likelihood of deviating from it is less likely.
What is optimal?
Most experts feel that a thirty-minute routine, four times a week is sufficient for a dog of normal health. Though daily is even better if you have that much time to give. For a cat, fifteen minutes, once a day is sufficient for a cat of normal health. Though again, two fifteen minute sessions a day is optimal for an indoor cat. **If you suspect that your pet has any physical limitations, you should consult your vet before beginning any exercise routine.
What Works?
For dogs you have several options. You can either break your routine into two, fifteen minute sessions or if you and your pet are up to it, you can do the full thirty minutes all at once. Exercise options that work?
• You can play a vigorous game of fetch
• Go for a long walk
• Go for a jog
• You can play a wild game of chase
• If you have a water-loving breed, such as a Retriever, you can even go swimming
• Any game you and your pet can play that will get his heart pumping will do the job
Cats can be a little trickier because they type of play that they engage in is different than that of dogs. Cats engage in either social play, which is the romp, wrestle, and chase that you see between littermates or between cats living in the same household. Or they engage in object play, which is where they will stalk, pounce, chase and play with an object so they can kill it. Object play is what you should focus on when it comes to exercising your cat. There are many interactive type play toys on the market that work great when it comes to getting kitty's interest. Several of these include?
• Feather toys (Any toy with a handle for you to hold, tied to a string with a feather on the end is sure to go over big with your cat)
• Some cats like to play fetch with furry mice
• Toy balls on a slick surface floor can peek some kitties interest
• Catnip toys can also aid in getting your cat into the game
• Laser toys are a big plus with many cats (**Though hazardous if pointed in the eyes)
Whatever game you and your cat enjoy will work, just remember to keep up the pace for fifteen minutes.
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