Dental radiographs are crucial and should be a standard of care. They allow us to examine the unseen parts of a tooth, particularly the root and the tissue underneath the gum line. The radiographs help us assess the health of the root, pulp cavity, and periodontal ligament, which holds the tooth in place. With these radiographs, we can detect tooth root abscesses, infections, and bone damage. They also help us make decisions about whether a tooth needs to be removed or if it can be saved through medical treatments.

During a dog dental exam, a veterinarian will check for various signs of oral health. First, we check the color and hydration of the gums. Pink, hydrated gums are a good sign, while dark red, purple, sticky or dry gums may indicate problems such as dehydration or gingivitis. We look for obvious signs of disease, like fractured or missing teeth or oral masses. We also look for tartar or calcified tartar on the teeth. That's what we have to scale and crack off the tooth, and that's a big reason why we require anesthesia with our dentals. It's not a comfortable procedure. When they're asleep, they don't feel it, which is great. The degree of tartar build-up helps us grade the dental health from one to four, where one is just minor build-up and four indicates severe disease necessitating tooth extraction.

You can refer to the ASPCA toxins site or call the poison control hotline. If the substance ingested is, for example, chocolate, the toxic dose for your dog can be calculated based on their weight and the amount and type of chocolate consumed. Also, consult your veterinarian's office as they might direct you to call poison control.

Identifying the need for CPR can be difficult. By the time a patient requires CPR, if their heart has stopped or they're not breathing, there's little you can do at home. Signs include collapse, gums turning purple or blue, loss of pink color on the tongue, absence of breathing, limpness, and non-responsiveness. These are definite indications for CPR. Classes on pet first aid and CPR are available in local communities. I will tell you that the percentage of pets that can actually be saved by these procedures is relatively low, just like in humans, unfortunately. However, it is a good thing to know.

You'll know because you're observing them. Indications such as bleeding, limping, or clear cuts signal that first aid is necessary. A bone stuck on the lower jaw also requires immediate attention. If your dog appears to be choking, inspect their mouth for blockages. This should be done quickly as there's limited time for resuscitation if they lose their airway. If your dog's behavior isn't normal and mirrors a situation where a child would need first aid, it's likely that your dog needs first aid too.

Yes, there is a medication called dewormer. If you are using HeartGuard Plus, which we recommend, it contains a dewormer that will deworm your dog once a month. they are out in the environment, they are coming into contact with all kinds of things out here in full shirt. A lot of wildlife can transmit intestinal parasites in their feces and/or urine, so making sure your pet is on a monthly dewormer with their heartworm is a great idea. We also do annual fecal screenings to detect the presence of intestinal parasites.

I cannot tell you how many times these dogs have no symptoms. It's a routine health check that allows us to find out they’ve got hookworms, roundworms, or tapeworms on the rear end. The dog may have no symptoms, so that's why these tests are so important in annual exams.

You can prevent your dog from passing intestinal parasites on to other pets by cleaning up after them as soon as they have a defecation or bowel movement. By picking up their stool immediately, you can prevent the larvae from getting into the grass, especially if your dog has parasites like hookworms.

Yes, your indoor dog can still get intestinal parasites. Even though your dog is indoors, they come into contact with the outside environment when they go out for walks or to potty. They can get parasites like hookworms and roundworms from the grass or by ingesting a live flea. There are some intestinal parasites that are also contagious to people, so we need to be cautious about that. Dogs can get tapeworms when they ingest a live flea, so if your dog is an indoor dog, but they have tapeworms, that means that when they are going outside to go potty, fleas are getting on them and they're chewing at them and swallowing a live flea because that's the only way a dog can get a tapeworm.

Most dogs pick up intestinal parasites from either other dogs, the environment, or they might have them from their mothers.

Intestinal parasites can be prevented with environmental control, but it requires 100% effectiveness, which is quite challenging. While these parasites can be prevented and treated, it's going to be fairly hard.