News

Pet Dental Awareness Month

February is National Pet Dental Health Month. This is a national campaign designed to educate pet owners about the importance of proper dental care for their pets. Since we, at Pet Street Veterinary Care Center, strongly believe in good oral care for our animal friends, we offer for the month of February a 15% discount on professional cleaning for your pet!

For most of us, caring for our teeth has been part of our daily routine for as long as we can remember. Just like it is for us, oral health care is important for pets - regular, professional care from veterinarians and home care from pet owners to keep plaque removed. Daily brushing and feeding special pet foods can help.

Pet dental facts
1) Periodontal disease is the most prevalent disease among dogs and cats.
2) An astounding 80% of dogs and cats show signs of oral disease by age three, according to the American Veterinary Dental Association.
3) Periodontal disease is common in dogs of smaller breeds because dogs' teeth often are too large for their mouths, forcing the teeth closer together.
4) Dogs start out with 28 deciduous (baby) teeth, cats start out with 26 deciduoud teeth. By six month of age, these baby teeth fall out and are replaced by permanent, 42 in the dog and 30 in the cat.
5) Broken teeth are a common problem for dogs, especially among outdoor dogs. According to veterinary dental experts, aggressive chewing on hard objects is a primary cause of broken teeth in dogs.
6) Odontal clastic resorptive lesions are the most common tooth disease in domestic cats. Studies show that about 28% of domestic cats develop at least one of these painful lesions during their lifetime.

Causes of periodontal disease
Plaque is a colorless film that contains large amounts of bacteria. If left unchecked, plaque builds up, creating infection, destroying gums and resulting in the loss of the tissue and bone that support the teeth. Since plaque will build up within 24-36 hours, daily brushing will help maintain proper oral health throughout a pet's life.

Signs of periodontal disease
All pets are at risk for developing dental problems. Once a pet displays any of the warning signs below, serious periodontal disease may be present.

• Tooth loss                                    • Subdued behavior
• Bad breath                                   • Dropping food out of the mouth
• Yellow-brown crust on teeth        • Going to the food bowl, but not eating
• Bleeding gums                              • Change of chewing or eating habits
• Abnormal drooling


Contributing factors
• Poor oral hygiene: ignoring the condition of a pet's mouth can lead to periodontal disease, tooth loss and other health problems.
• Breed: periodontal disease is more common in smaller breeds of dogs and certain breeds of cats.
• Age: Periodontal disease is more common as pets grow older.

Treatment of oral disease
• Pet owners should look for warning signs of oral disease. Common indications include bad breath, a change in eating or chewing habits, pawing at the face or mouth and depression. If any of these signs are present, the pet should be taken to the veterinarian for a dental exam.
• Pet owners can reduce the risk of oral disease. The first step in preventing oral disease is a routine physical examination, including a dental exam.
• Pet owners should practice a regular dental care regime at home, which may include brushing the pets' teeth with specially formulated toothpaste.
• Pet owners should schedule regular follow-up care with their family veterinarian and ask about specially formulated foods with proven benefits in plaque and tartar removal.

If you may have any questions regarding oral care for your furry family member, please feel free to give us a call at 386-265-4444. We're more than happy to help you in giving the best oral care for your pets!!

The staff of Pet Street Veterinary Care Center

NEW CONTEST

WINNER TAKES HOME 3 MONTHS OF HEARTWORM PREVENTION!!

Every 3 months the staff of Pet Street will post one story of one of our clients on our website. The story has to be related to a treatment, surgery or general experience at our clinic. A great chance to put your pet in the picture!
There will be a few rules, which will include:
1) our staff is entitled to pick the winning story, at their discretion, and it will be posted on our website
2) the story has to have a minimum of 300 words and a maximum of 1000 words
3) pictures are a plus
4) the participant has to be an active client of Pet Street
5) the deadline for the first round will be January 20th. 2010
6) all entries can be e-mailed to: petstreet@petstreet.us

At the beginning of April 2010 the winning story of the first quarter of 2010 will be posted on our website. The winner will be notified by one of our staff members.

Don't hesitate and start writing in order to get those 3 months of heartworm prevention for your dog or cat for FREE! The heartworm preventative which will be given out is Advantage Multi. This is a combination of heart worm-, flea- and intestinal parasites prevention.

If any questions please call the office at: 386-265-4444.

The contest winner of the fourth quarter 2009 is Cappy.

We thank family Sussman for sharing their story with us. Congratulations with winning 3 months of Advantage Multi, a great combination of heart worm-, flea- and intestinal parasite prevention for Cappy!!

Read the fantastic story about Cappy below!

Dear Dr. Van Deijck, Cindy and Toni,                                                  

We wish everyone could meet Cappy, our Lhasa-mix dog, “rescued” Dec.1, from the Humane Society. Wanting a small dog, he appealed especially because he held back from the yapping pack jumping around him in the small dog viewing room. He also lacked the “Fi-Fi” air, looking very sporting with his handsome tan saddles, muzzle and ears on a white curly coat. He was friendly and calm and went willingly home with us.

We stopped at the pet store for a bed, bowls and food. At home we offered food and treats which he refused. Instead he sat shivering on the couch next to us, this couldn’t be nerves- he was feverish.

We made an appointment the next morning at Pet Street, finding Dr. Van Deijck on a list provided by the shelter. Cappy could barely stagger into the exam room, his rear legs collapsing under his slim 12 pound body. We were so reassured as Dr. Van Deijck, for the next hour, began searching Cappy’s body for clues, head to tail, listening, probing, and listening some more- all the while teasing out the knotty threads of disease or injury by thoroughly explaining first steps in the diagnostic puzzle of screening, x-rays, and testing. First things first we all decide, aware of costs, his 104 temperature , and what could tell us the most ; realizing too that this little guy, so close to stealing our hearts, might not make it.

Over the next month, one day at a time, “Our Team” made progress in stemming the pneumonia, clearing up the eyes, and finally banishing the constant cough and “schnozzely” dripping nose infection.

Now that Cappy could smell his food he began to eat proper food- formulated to treat a kidney condition, not the burger and fries we hand-fed just to give him nourishment.

Dr. Van Deijck had medicines compounded as chicken flavored liquids after Cappy proved it wasn’t just us who couldn’t get a pill down his throat!!

Today, six weeks after we staggered into Pet Street Veterinary Care Center, Cappy weighs a bit over 17 pounds (and may have to go on a diet !!), is cough free, no nose drip, clear eyed and sprightly of step. He still has a snaggle-tooth smile, his tail curls over his back, something we didn’t know the first weeks! He is loyal to a fault; following us from room to room and onto our bed every night. He begs for a ride in the car each morning, up to the church and back, head out the window, ears aloft in the wind. I think he knows everyone was praying for him. We are so grateful for finding a lovely dog and a dedicated, talented care team.

Value?   Priceless!!!!  Thank you, Pet Street, from our very full hearts.

 “Wuf”!! Cappy loves you too!!

                                                                         Beth and Verne Sussman