Corner Animal Hospital : Online Pet Pharmacy and Veterinary Service

It seems that today’s pets are more pampered than ever.  Pet owners indulge their furry friends with premium food and treats, colorful toys, and even dress them in posh, fashionable outfits.  They get them kitty condos and obedience lessons, vitamins and vaccines. But there is one aspect of pet care that even the most loving owners tend to miss: Pet dental disease prevention.

Dental care is one of the most commonly overlooked aspects of pet ownership, but ignoring it can not only cause major dental disease in pets, it can lead to more serious health problems including heart, kidney and lung disease.  Shockingly, according to the American Veterinarian Dental Society, 80% of dogs and 70% of cats show some signs of gum disease by age 2.

There are many types of dental diseases that dogs and cats can acquire.  The most common are :

• Gingivitis
• Tooth abscess, especially of the carnaissal teeth
• Cavities
• Cracked teeth
• Worn down teeth

So what should a conscientious pet owner do to prevent dental disease in their pet?

It’s essential that dental care in pets, as with people, be preventative.  Your pet’s teeth should have the tarter scraped off of them every 3-6 months, and be professionally cleaned under general anesthesia at least once a year.

The most important thing you can do at home to stave off dental disease is to brush your pet’s teeth.  Brushing regularly will keep gums healthy and prevent tartar build up. Obviously, some pets will be more complacent about having their teeth brushed than others.  Cats especially tend to balk at the idea of human fingers poking around their pearly whites. In these cases, you can slowly get your pet comfortable with tooth brushing by progressing from a finger, to a gauze pad or cotton swab (perhaps dipped in their favorite treat) on the gums, to eventually using a soft bristled toothbrush.  Remember to always properly restrain your pet before brushing their teeth to avoid problems.

If you think these precautions seem over the top or unnecessary, think again: Studies have shown that taking measures to prevent dental disease in your pet may add as much as 5 years to their life. So go ahead and buy Spot that fancy collar and splurge on a new toy for Tabby.  Just don’t forget to pick up that toothbrush while you’re at it!

Corner Animal Hospital : Online Pet Pharmacy & LI Veterinary Service

http://www.corneranimal.com

Buy the Medications Your Pet Needs With Confidence. Owned by Ivy League Educated Dr. Dorothy Hayes and Dr. Judith Lombardi Daniels. “We treat your pets as family members. Their health and comfort are our primary concern.”

Visit our Online Pet Pharmacy to shop for your pet’s meds at http://shop.corneranimal.com

When it comes to keeping your pets safe from flea and tick infections, Frontline is the name to know. It is the #1 trusted choice for flea and tick control by veterinarians. With just one dose, your dog or cat will be protected from fleas or ticks for at least a month. Frontline will not only kill any currently existing fleas or ticks already on your pet in the first twenty-four hours it’s been applied, but it will keep them off, not only killing full-grown pesticides, but also flea eggs and larvae. It’s also waterproof, allowing your pet to swim and be bathed without losing Frontline’s capabilities. It can be used on kittens and puppies at ages as early as 8 weeks old. For complete flea and tick control, choose Frontline.

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Dental disease in pets is actually one of the most common and most overlooked pet diseases. Proper tooth and gum exams are now part of a regular veterinary visit because dental health is an essential aspect of your pet’s long-term health.

What are the symptoms of pet dental disease?

Bad breath is the most common symptom of poor pet dental health. Some other symptoms include swollen gums, difficulty or pain when chewing, excess tartar, poor appetite, and weight loss. If your pet has gingivitis, you want to make sure that it does not escalate to periodontal disease, which could cause the infection to spread to other organs.

How is it diagnosed?

Dental disease can only be diagnosed after a complete oral examination which is performed by a veterinarian. Following the oral exam most veterinarians will also look for other common signs of dental disease. Once the disease is diagnosed the veterinarian can then set up a treatment plan.

How is dental disease treated?

If your pet has a mild form of dental disease, such as tartar or gingivitis, the treatment is a simple cleaning plan, but if tartar or gingivitis is more serious, a veterinarian should perform a professional tooth cleaning. In such cleanings, your pet will be anesthetized to allow for the tartar to be removed from the teeth as well as from under the gum line. Once the tartar is removed, the teeth are cleaned with an antibacterial rinse and are polished to make it more difficult for tartar build up to start again.

How is it prevented?

Pet dental disease is easily preventable. In order to slow down the build-up of tartar and gingivitis, you should feed your pet a prescription diet and brush its teeth regularly. If you cannot brush your pet’s teeth, you can feed them enzyme chews as a substitute. Whatever you choose to do, just remember that dental disease prevention is an important step to ensuring your pet’s overall health.

Here is our Pet Dental product that is available in our online pet pharmacy : http://shop.corneranimal.com/category_s/49.htm

C.E.T.’s exclusive antibacterial system and time-tested Dual-Enzyme System to control plaque and eliminate bacteria buildup. They can be fed as a treat once a day (on non-brushing days) or as directed by your veterinarian. Chews are the easiest method of care for pet owners but should be used with brushing for best results. Contraindications/precautions : Pets with food allergies to beef should avoid these treats since they are made from beef hide.

Seborrheic Dermatitis is a dog skin disorder in which the outer layer of the skin and hair follicles are over productive. The disorder starts on the areas of the dog where the oil glands are the largest – including the scalp, face, and behind the ears. Caused by yeast called pityrosporum ovale, the signs are an inflamed scalp, greasy or waxy skin, and red skin rashes. At first, the symptoms can be similar to that of dandruff, but they will progress gradually to include additional symptoms.

How does a dog get Seborrheic Dermatitis?

Seborrheic Dermatitis comes in two forms – primary and secondary. Primary Seborrheic Dermatitis is inherited through a recessive trait. A dog with this condition may begin to show signs as young as 10 weeks of age, however they will be very subtle. It is usually between the ages of 12 to 18 months that dogs with primary Seborrheic Dermatitis begin to show clear symptoms.
Secondary Seborrheic Dermatitis is typically seen in older dogs. Secondary infections are either the result of bacteria or yeast. These infections look the same as primary infections but are a reaction to an outside source rather than an inherited trait.

How is it diagnosed?

Many of the symptoms of both primary and secondary Seborrheic Dermatitis are similar to many other common dog skin conditions. If your dog displays any of these signs, it is very important to visit a veterinarian. Your veterinarian will take a small skin biopsy to be sure that your dog has Seborrheic Dermatitis and not a more serious skin condition.

How do I treat it?

Primary Seborrheic Dermatitis requires treatment for the dog’s entire life. There is no cause for the condition, but it can be controlled through the use of shampoos and moisturizers. Malaseb shampoo has proven to be an effective shampoo for the treatment and control of this skin condition. It can be used on dogs as well as on cats and horses. The shampoo should initially be used two or three times a week. As the severity of the condition lessens, then the frequency of use can be lessened. In order for the shampoo to be effective, it is also necessary to make sure that it stays on the skin for 10 to 15 minutes before being rinsed off.

After using the shampoo, use a moisturizer or an after-bath rinse to help retain the moisture and natural oils in your dog’s skin. Even during treatment, be sure to carefully watch your dog’s skin. It is possible for the condition to worsen during treatment. If this occurs, be sure to see your veterinarian right away to determine a better healing method for your dog.

Click here to get Malaseb Shampoo from our online pet pharmacy  http://shop.corneranimal.com/product_p/10137.htm

Did you know that your dog’s dental health is just as important as yours? Just imagine what would happen to your mouth if you did not brush your teeth regularly.  Well, the same thing will happen to your dog’s mouth if you do not clean their teeth.

There are two main types of bacteria in your dog’s mouth that can cause disease and infection:

• Plaque. Plaque is the initial build-up of bacteria and sugars on your dog’s teeth. It is a sticky, colorless film that is constantly forming. It is the main cause of mouth and gum disease.

• Calculus or Tartar. Tartar is plaque that has hardened on the teeth. It can also form underneath the gum. Tartar gives plaque more surface area to grow on and a stickier surface to adhere to.

A number of diseases & infections can develop as a result of tartar & plaque. These infections occur not only in the dog’s mouth, but in other parts of the body:

                • Gingivitis is an inflammation of your dog’s gums as a result of a buildup of plaque and tartar.

• Periodontitis is an oral cavity disease that attacks the gum, bone, and tissues around the teeth.

• Pyorrhea is an inflammation of the gum and tooth sockets, often resulting in puss and the loosening of teeth.

• Caries is the decalcification of the tooth enamel, leading to cavities.

• In addition to infection of the mouth and gums, tartar and other mouth infections can contain bacteria that can spread to other parts of your dog’s body, infecting the heart, kidneys, intestinal tract and joints.

In order to prevent infection in your dog’s mouth, you need to prevent plaque and tartar buildup. There are many ways to do this:
 

• Tooth brushing. This is the best way to prevent tartar. Veterinarians recommend that all dogs have their teeth brushed at least twice a week. You can buy special toothpaste and toothbrushes just for your dog.

• CET Chews. While tooth brushing is the best way to protect your dog’s oral health, it is true that most people don’t have the time or patience to brush their dog’s teeth multiple times a week. Giving your dog chews is another way to maintain oral health. CET chews are made of tough rawhide that has been treated with enzymes to help control plaque buildup. This makes them more effective than regular chews. CET chews work to keep your dog’s teeth healthy and clean and its breath fresh. You can either use them daily or on the days when brushing just isn’t possible.

• Drinking Water Additives. This is another great way to control the plaque and tartar buildup on your dog’s teeth and it’s really easy to use. Simply add the medication to your dog’s water bowl. Drinking water additives reduces plaque and tartar by killing the bacteria in your dog’s mouth. Using drinking water additives also helps to reduce tooth decay.  

Maintaining your dog’s oral hygiene is one of the most important aspects in maintaining their overall health. Prevention of oral disease should be a regular part of your dog’s grooming routine.  Whether you choose to use brushing, chews, drinking water additives, or a combination of the three, be sure to consistently support your dog’s oral health.  They’ll love you for it!

Here is our Pet Dental product that is available in our online pet pharmacy : http://shop.corneranimal.com/category_s/49.htm

C.E.T.’s exclusive antibacterial system and time-tested Dual-Enzyme System to control plaque and eliminate bacteria buildup. They can be fed as a treat once a day (on non-brushing days) or as directed by your veterinarian. Chews are the easiest method of care for pet owners but should be used with brushing for best results. Contraindications/precautions : Pets with food allergies to beef should avoid these treats since they are made from beef hide.

Does your cat suffer from hairballs? Hairballs in cats are actually quite common. Cats have many rough projections on their tongues that are called papillae. These papillae are used to help cats groom their fur. While the cat is grooming, it often ingests fur which gets caught in the cat’s stomach or small intestines. This causes a blockage or what is more commonly known as a hairball. Even though they are common, there are ways to help your cat prevent and treat them.

What types of cats are most susceptible?

There are three different types of coats that your cat can have: short hair, medium hair, and long hair. Cats with long hair get hairballs more often. Cats with soft fur also tend to get more. The soft fur sticks to the tongue easier than coarse fur. Indoor cats are also more likely to get hairballs. Since they do not spend time exploring outdoors, they spend more time grooming.

What are the symptoms?

Vomiting is the most common symptom of a hairball. The vomit may or may not contain fur. Other symptoms include not eating as often or as much, and hiding because they do not feel well.

How can I help to prevent them?

To prevent hairballs, you need to help your cat reduce the amount of fur they ingest and help the fur that is ingested pass easily through the digestive system. The best way to reduce the amount of hair that is ingested is to thoroughly brush your cat daily. Make sure to use a good wire brush, which pick up hair that your cat would otherwise lick up. Brush your cat for 5 to 10 minutes each day, making sure that the brushing is done slowly from head to tail. Most cats love being groomed and will enjoy the daily activity.

You should also let your cat go outside and eat some grass. Grass works as a laxative that helps them pass hair through their digestive systems. It also helps them to vomit up hairballs that have already formed in their stomach or intestines.

How do I treat hairballs?

To help the ingested fur pass through the digestive system, you could give your cat an intestinal lubricant, such as Laxatone. The lubricant breaks down the cat’s fur and keeps it from sticking to the lining of the stomach and intestines. To give your cat the lubricant, simply put a few drops on their nose or paw and let them lick it off. The recommended dose in cats is ½ to 1 teaspoonful for 2 to 3 days, then ¼ to ½ teaspoonful 2 to 3 times a week. If vomiting increases or continues after the treatment, bring your cat to the veterinarian for a more serious treatment.

Click here to get Laxatone from our online pet pharmacy
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Doggie ear care is very important to the health of your dog. Checking your dog’s ears only takes a few minutes, so make it a part of your dog grooming routine. Regular cleanings can prevent many common ear problems and infections. Since dogs’ ears are so sensitive, routinely cleaning them will keep them pain free and happy. Here are some helpful tips on checking your dog’s ears:

Use your eyes and your nose:

If you need help seeing inside your dog’s ears, you may want to invest in a pet scope. It’s a tool very similar to the kind your doctor uses to check your ears. If you see a dark waxy discharge, this may be a sign of ear mites. Your dog’s ear canal can be the perfect breeding ground for mites, yeast or bacterial infection. Dogs with floppy ears, like spaniels and bloodhounds, are very prone to ear infections because very little air flows into their ear canals.

Sniffing your dog’s ears is another way to detect problems early. Normally, a dog’s ears shouldn’t smell foul in any way. If you see puss-like discharge along with a foul smell this may be a sign of a bacterial infection. Allergies are also known to cause some dogs to have smelly ears. If you’re new to this and are unsure, have your vet check your dog’s ears. An infection, if left untreated, can be very painful for your dog and could even damage your dog’s hearing.

Some signs that your dog might have an ear problem :

• Constant scratching
• Rubbing their ears against objects
• Excessive wax
• Redness
• Foul odor
• Matting of hair in the external ear
• Head shaking

When encountering an ear that needs cleaning, follow these 4 steps:

1. Use a gauze to wipe away discharge that is on the surface

2. Gently pull up on the ear and partially fill the ear with the cleaning solution. By straightening out the ear you allow the cleaning solution to flow down the ear canal to where the infection and debris are located.

3. After the canal had been partially filled, massage the base of the ear canal very gently. Most pets find this part soothing.

4. Let your pet shake its head if it wants to. Then use gauze to soak up the fluid that comes out of the ear.

Just remember :

No matter which species you are cleaning, pick a room that is quiet and free of small children.

Do not put Q-tips into your pet’s ears unless you have been shown the proper technique, and your pet is adequately restrained. Q-tips can damage the sensitive tissue that lines the ear canal. Also, an ear drum can easily be ruptured by placing objects in the ear canal, especially if the ear has an infection. They can actually push dirt and foreign matter deeper into the ear if not handled properly. You can even lose the cotton tip in the ear canal.

A great non-prescription medication is Pan-Otic, which is used for routine ear cleaning. It enables removal of debris from the external ear to eliminate sources of irritation and infection and to facilitate otic examination. It is safe and suitable for dispensable use.

Click here to get Pan-Otic    http://shop.corneranimal.com/product_p/08857.htm

Grooming is an important part of caring for your pet. Not only does it make them look and feel beautiful, it helps keep them healthy too!

Benefits to Grooming Your Pet :

A good grooming session with your pet can be greatly beneficial to both you and your animal. The best part is that there are a lot of grooming methods you can do yourself at home! Granted, there are benefits to using a paid professional because they are trained to not only groom, but spot potential health risks before they develop into major complications. Every so often, you may want to take your pet to a professional groomer.

Regular grooming develops a strong bond between you and your pet. An animal that lets you brush out its fur and clean its ears is showing great trust in you. Grooming involves a great deal of petting and handling which also benefits the pet’s emotional state too. Regular grooming also may uncover any potential health risks- for example, when brushing your pet; you may find a matted section of fur that is hiding some form of skin disease or irritants like clinging plant pods or thorns. Small irritants like these can develop into infection and disease if left uncared for. You should also clean any dirt out of their ears before it becomes compacted and causes complications.

The two greatest benefits to routine pet grooming are, one, it allows you to make observations that may uncover issues like weight problems, vision trouble, skin disease or tumors before they develop and become untreatable. And two, it allows you and your pet to develop a deeper and more trusting relationship together!

How to Properly Groom Your Cat :

Cats clean themselves, so do you really need to groom them too? Yes! Although they spend a great deal of time cleaning their own fur, they still need a little help from their owner. Plus, why would you pass up such an opportunity to bond with Fluffy?

Ideally, you want to start grooming your cat when it’s a kitten. If you start young, it will become routine and normal to them. However some cats, at any age, don’t take kindly to grooming, so don’t force it! Do very short grooming sessions where maybe you only brush one part of its body and another tomorrow. Gradually increase grooming seasons until they are more receptive to this routine.

When grooming your cat, you want to relax them first, so spend some time petting them to get the cat into the idea that you’ll be handling them for a little bit. Then gently begin to brush their fur- hold the brush in one hand and use the other to smooth down their fur in front of the brush to feel for any lumps and matted fur. If you do find matted fur, gently brush out one layer of fur at a time. If it seems to be causing your cat discomfort, slowly brush it out over a few days. If at any time the cat lets you know that it is uncomfortable, be sure to stop and find out what is causing the stress- don’t force additional grooming. Cats need to know they are in control, otherwise they may not trust you next time. One handy trick that works for my frisky cats (who like to attack their brush) is that I try not to let them see the actual brush. For some reason this works- they love the feeling of the brush but don’t like looking at it. Usually, most cats don’t like to be brushed for a long time anyways, so doing a little each day will be more efficient than trying to brush them out for a long time. And always remember to brush in the same direction as their hair is growing.

How to Properly Groom Your Dog :

Now, dogs typically don’t spend as much time self-grooming as cats, so they’ll be relying on you a bit more for their personal hygiene! Brushing your dog before you give him a bath will remove any loose fur which increases the effectiveness of the shampoo. When brushing your dog, be systematic, start at the head and move your way to the tail. Be firm but gentle with your brush strokes to be sure you get the job done but not to hurt your pet or cause them any stress. You want them to enjoy grooming sessions with you! When you find any tangles or matted areas, don’t brush at them firmly! This will hurt the animal’s trust in you- gently and slowly try to detangle the knots and brush the fur free.

When bathing your dog, you have to find a suitable location. Sinks and basins work great for smaller dogs while bathroom tubs or portable pet tubs are best for larger dogs. Using an outside hose is convenient, but not a great alternative. The cold water makes your pet uncomfortable, plus the shampoo won’t work as well in cold water. Never use a shampoo made for humans! Our shampoos contain harsher detergents that may damage your pet’s hair or sensitive skin. When it’s time to dry off, use a cotton towel for short haired dogs and rub the fur vigorously with the grain and then against working head to tail. For long haired dogs, you should comb out the fur to prevent tangles.

Clipping your dog’s nails can be a little tricky, so you’ll need to get clippers specifically for dog nails. You have to be careful not to trim too far back- inside your dog’s nail is a vein referred to as the “quick”, and cutting the quick of the nail can cause pain and bleeding. The longer your dog’s nail, the longer the vein extends into it. So if you haven’t done it in a while, you’ll have to cut their nails in phases. First, taking off just a little bit at the tip and then waiting a week. After the first cut the quick will retract further back away from the tip. Then cut a little more, again waiting a week allowing the vein to retract. Once you get the hang of it cutting your dog’s nails will be as easy as cutting your own!

Products :

Since you’ve already made the choice to properly groom your pet, you also want to be sure you’re using the right grooming supplies! Contact your veterinarian to help you decide what types of products you may need. There is an array of antibacterial shampoos and solutions to choose from, so do your research for Fluffy and Fido and they will look fabulous for you in return! Benzoyl Plus Shampoo is a great choice - it is anti-bacterial, keratolytic, and follicular flushing. It also degreases and rehydrates your pet’s coat. Plus, it’s safe for use on dogs and cats!

Click here to get Benzoyl Plus from our online pet pharmacy   http://shop.corneranimal.com/product_p/10737.htm