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Whether you call it neuter, spay, castrate or desex, there’s been a lot of debate about the right time to get it done in dogs. That’s because it varies from breed to breed. Recently, a study was published on the best age for neutering medium-sized dog breeds like Kelpies.
Continue reading “The Best Age To Neuter A Kelpie Sized Dog”
Sometimes when a tooth needs removal, there’s plenty of time to explain why. However, most of the time, you get a hurried phone call while your dog or cat is asleep. There’s really nothing you can do but trust us.
Let’s pull back the curtain. Here I want to show you, using the latest best practice guidelines, how vets decide when a tooth should be extracted (never pulled), and what your choices are.
Continue reading “When Should A Dog Or Cat’s Tooth Be Extracted?”
The tooth pictured here is fractured. Ignore the black gums, which are normal in dogs, and focus on the dental probe which is in the exposed (and dead) pulp cavity. It’s infected and needs removal.
It’s stressful knowing a dog or cat might lose teeth. The main worry is “how will they eat?” When it happens it’s never as bad as feared.
Continue reading “Tooth Extractions In Dogs & Cats: Recovery & Cost”
The key to a dog’s teeth developing properly is that it isn’t just programming. Sure, their structure and growth are genetic, but a tooth’s final position is dictated by the teeth around it.
When it works well, each tooth finds the gap it needs and they all end up being perfectly spaced. But what you see above is what happens when there are extra teeth in the way. These are persistent deciduous teeth.
Continue reading “Help! My Dog Has Retained Puppy Teeth”
Dogs can get all kinds of lumps and bumps, some serious, some not. That’s why I’ve previously written a guide to dog skin lumps with pictures. Just click on the picture to visit.
However, there’s one very particular swelling that I haven’t talked about even though it’s important, common and easy to recognise.
It’s the tooth root abscess.
Continue reading “Help! My Dog Has A Lump On The Face”
Have a look at the rabbit’s teeth in the picture above. What you can see are the lower incisors coming out of the mouth and almost touching the nose. What you can’t see are the upper incisors curling inside the mouth in a similar way.
Much further and any one of them will create a painful wound and prevent eating. Horrible! Why this happens is due to a fact that surprisingly few rabbit owners know.
Continue reading “Overgrown Rabbit Teeth: Trimming vs Removal”
Let me tell you a story that shows what we’re up against.
I met a very perplexed feral cat researcher recently. In his study area the cats generally hunt and eat one common mammal. However, suddenly the population of that species crashed.
There were lots of other tasty critters still hopping around, some of which look nearly the same. Despite this, the cats began to starve.
Continue reading “Getting Cats To Eat Raw Chicken Necks”
Every so often I’m reminded that I’m not doing such a great job. As part of a routine health check, I’ll be checking a dog’s teeth. “Wow,” I say, “Good job! You must give him a raw bone at least every week to get teeth this good.”
“No. I brush his teeth every day.”
Continue reading “Should I Brush My Dog’s Teeth?” Anaesthesia free dentistry for dogs and cats is now available in most major cities in Australia, including Adelaide.
I’ll be frank. Vets are horrified by this. I want you to know enough about dental hygienic procedures so that you can see what it is that scares us.
Continue reading “Anaesthetic Free Dentistry”Follow the links for information on:
Cleaning a cat’s teeth? ARGGH. Before you throw your hands up in horror, here’s a secret: it’s easier than dogs! You just need to know how. Here we will tell you what you can do for dental care in cats.
Continue reading “Cleaning cats teeth”
Many dog owners come to us thinking that if their dog chews biscuits it will protect their teeth. Sadly this is not always true. Here we will tell you which biscuits can help dental care, and what else can prevent gum disease and tooth decay in your dog.
Continue reading “How To Keep Dogs Teeth Clean”