In recognition of February being National Pet Dental Health Month Kate and Don talk with Dr. Mark Hanks, discussing why all pet guardians should be concerned about dental disease in their pets. The American Veterinary Medical Association website reports that more than 85% of dogs and cats that are at least 4 years old have a condition in which bacteria attack the soft gum tissue – periodontal disease. The bacteria in the gum line due to periodontal disease can easily spread to other parts of the body such as the heart, causing serious illness. Dr. Hanks describes the procedure for cleaning a pets teeth and why general anesthesia is required. We talk about various approaches to preventing dental issues in both dogs and cats and the benefits of starting when our pets are still less than 16 weeks of age. Lastly we discuss which breeds are more prone to dental issues. We wrap up the show talking about a related issue; nose bleeds in dogs.
You can hear The Woof Meow Show on The Pulse AM620, WZON, and WKIT HD3 at 12 Noon on Saturday. If you’re not near a radio, listen on your computer at http://www.wzonthepulse.com or your smartphone or tablet with the free WZON 620 AM app. A podcast of the show is typically posted immediately after the show, and can be downloaded at www.woofmeowshow.com and the Apple iTunes store.
Listen to the show – http://traffic.libsyn.com/woofmeowshow/WoofMeowShow2016-02-27-Pet_Dental_Health-podcast.mp3
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