We’re sure many of you have heard of “anesthetic free dental cleaning” for your pets. They are often marketed as convenient as they can be done in your own home or at your local pet store.  These procedures are often performed by members of the public that have declared themselves a title such as a “veterinary hygienist”.  They are inexpensive and are done without anesthesia – sounds great right?  Think again!  Did you know that anyone who provides veterinary dentistry services in Ontario without the direction and supervision of a veterinarian will be considered to be practicing veterinary medicine without a licence?  It is an offence for anyone who is not a licensed veterinarian to use a term, title, or description that may lead a member of the public to believe otherwise (ex veterinary hygienist, pet hygienist etc.).

So what is the danger you ask?   Unfortunately, anesthetic free dentistry (AFD) brings with it other risks and leaves many (if not most) patients to suffer silently from unrecognized dental disease. Owners think they received a valuable service, when in fact they and their pets benefited very little. 

This picture and dental x-rays are from a dog that had received regular non-professional teeth cleaning without anesthesia for many years. When the dog started to have difficulty eating her food the owner suspected that there might be problems that had not been detected. The dog needed close to 2 dozen teeth extracted because of advanced, severe periodontal disease. This is a prime example of how non-professional teeth scaling can allow severe dental problems to go untreated, leaving the patient in pain. We see many patients with similar stories. Note that the teeth appear “clean” and none were mobile or loose.

Figure 1. A periodontal probe is placed into an area of severe bone loss. The patient had recently had AFD performed and the teeth appear to be clean. None of these teeth were mobile.

Figure 2. Dental radiograph of the area pictured above. These teeth had minimal or no mobility despite loss of most of the supporting bone. The patient has been in pain for years.

Fig. 3 – Dental radiograph of the same patient, showing large areas of bone loss and multiple abscessed molars that had been missed during the recent AFD cleaning procedure. Changes like these take years to occur.

When humans receive a dental cleaning, we give total cooperation to the hygienist for around an hour. Veterinary patients have much more severe dental disease than the average human patient. Does anyone really believe that a dog or cat, with substantially more disease and oral pain than the average human, will cooperate adequately to enable a good cleaning? Really?

AFD services commonly state that they will refer patients if they find pathology requiring any treatment. Unfortunately, they do not even know what they are missing, and about the only thing they might be able to evaluate is whether a tooth is mobile. By the time a tooth is mobile it has usually been decayed and painful for years.

Professional dental cleaning includes scaling the crowns of the teeth both above and below the gum margin and polishing all scaled surfaces. Scaling is accomplished using ultrasonic power scalers and metal hand instruments that are kept extremely sharp.

Calculus accumulation above the gum line has little adverse effect on a pet’s health. Conversely, plaque and debris under the gumline may have a profound effect on a pet’s health. Anesthesia-free dentistry (AFD) can provide improvement in the appearance of the teeth due to the removal of visible calculus. This may give a pet owner the misimpression that a professional periodontal cleaning has been performed. However, without subgingival treatment, periodontal disease has not been addressed. Removing just the visible calculus from teeth, without addressing the area under the gumline, is just “tooth grooming” since it makes the teeth appear clean while providing minimal health benefit.

The use of general anesthesia is extremely safe when properly administered by trained individuals. Without general anesthesia, calculus and debris that pose a risk of aspiration since an endotracheal (breathing) tube with a properly fitting cuff is not in place. Power or hand scalers may contact the patient’s gums causing flinching or discomfort that may cause the pet to fear ongoing home hygiene measures. Physical restraint to force a painful procedure on a pet may induce fear of oral manipulations in the pet, cause physical injury to the pet or operator and results in substandard procedure. General anesthesia allows full oral examination with no patient jaw tone, objection, struggling, or anxiety. It allows tooth scaling without causing discomfort to the patient. It allows positive control, and protection, of the patient’s airway preventing aspiration of gross or aerosolized debris and bacteria. In short, it allows the operator to perform a complete and meticulous procedure.

As a profession, we are committed to patient health and safety. Given the advantages provided by the use of general anesthesia (improved patient safety, better experience for the patient, ability to perform a detailed and meticulous oral examination, ability to take dental x rays and much better quality of the actual cleaning) and the fact that AFD provides only the advantage of being cheap, the College of Veterinarians of Ontario consensus opinion is that professional dental cleaning must be performed with the patient maintained under general anesthesia. 

(We would like to thank Dr. Tony Woodward -board certified veterinary dentist for the picture and x-rays and contribution to this article)

Written by Suzanne Lyons, D.V.M Practice Owner Bloor Animal Hospital.

Our cat Max is a four year old Ragdoll with a wonderful gentle easy going personality-and what a looker! He has beautiful blue eyes and a beautiful silky coat.

A couple of years ago we started noticing that Max had really bad breath. His teeth looked like an older cat’s teeth rather than that of a four year old’s. My mother didn’t really think anything of it and thought that was just the way he was. About six months ago Max’s left eye was dripping brown discharge and even though my mom would wipe it with a warm cloth and water it wasn’t going away and seemed to be bothering him. 

I work as a co-op student at Bloor Animal Hospital and made my mom take Max in for a check up. It turns out that Max’s teeth were severely decaying and rotting. He had stage 3 Periodontal disease, pockets between the teeth and the gums, gingival recession and more than 50% bone loss. Unusual for such a young cat! This was probably genetic and just the “cards that he was dealt” in life. We felt so bad for him! When Dr Lyons examined him and showed us his mouth his teeth in the back were bleeding! His breath was extremely bad. He must have been living with a gnawing pain and aching mouth and couldn’t tell us! 

On November 14th Max had to have 10 teeth extracted-one of them being his top canine. His remaining teeth were cleaned and are healthy at this time. He was given wonderful loving care and lots of medication for pain to make his recovery as comfortable as possible. Bloor Animal Hospital made certain that his pain was managed. 

After just a few of weeks we noticed that Max became almost like a kitten again! Running around playing and bouncing off of the walls. No more bad breath-just nice healthy pink gums! He eats soft food and even still enjoys small amounts of kibble. Max’s quality of life has greatly improved-he’s beautiful, healthy and happy! 

Written by Chloe, Bloor Animal Hospital Co-op Student

Tiffani & Katie made these tasty dog treats for Valentines Day! Here’s the recipe so you can make some for that special pooch in your heart, or come by the clinic this weekend and bring some home for that lucky dog!

Banana and Honey Dog Treats

Ingredients 

• Original recipe makes 7 dozen dog treats 

• 2 cups water
• 2 bananas, mashed
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 egg

• 4 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Lightly grease 2 large baking sheets.
3. Combine water, mashed bananas, honey, vanilla, and egg in a large bowl.
4. Stir in whole-wheat flour and baking powder.
5. Beat dough with an electric mixer on medium speed until ingredients are thoroughly combined, 1 to 2 minutes.
6. Turn dough onto a floured surface and knead until no longer sticky, 5 to 8 minutes.
7. Roll out dough to 1/4-inch thickness and cut into mini shapes with your favorite cookie cutter.
8. Place dough shapes on prepared baking sheets.
9. Bake in preheated oven until cookies are lightly browned, about 20 minutes.
10. Turn off the oven and leave cookies until thoroughly dry and crisp, 30 to 40 more minutes.
11. Remove baking sheets from oven and allow cookies to cool on pans for 10 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire rack to fully cool.

 

Super Simple Sweet Potato Dog Treats

Ingredients 

Original recipe makes 32 servings 

• 1 sweet potato
• 2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

• 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 2 eggs

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Prick sweet potato several times with a fork.
2. Heat sweet potato in a microwave on high until tender, about 6 minutes. Cut potato in half and scoop flesh out of the skin into a bowl; discard skin. Mash potato with a fork or potato masher and transfer about 1 cup to a large bowl. Save any remaining sweet potato for another use.
3. Mix whole wheat flour, applesauce, and eggs in the large bowl with the sweet potato until a dough forms. Turn dough out on a well-floured surface and roll dough to about 1/2-inch thick. Cut out shapes using a cookie cutter or cut dough into strips with a pizza cutter. Arrange cookies on an ungreased baking sheet.
4. Bake until crisp, 35 to 45 minutes. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes before removing to cool completely on a wire rack.

Cream Cheese
Dog Treat Frosting Recipe

.Ingredients:

• 8 ounces cream cheese (low or fat free)
• 2 Tbsp. honey
• 2 Tbsp. plain yogurt (low or fat free)
• flour (see note)Note: You will need approximately 3 Tbsp. of flour. You can use any type of flour for this recipe. Keep in mind that if you use wheat flour (or another type of flour with specs of color) it may affect the end color of the icing.

Instructions:

1. Mix first three ingredients in a bowl until smooth.
2. Mix in one tablespoon of flour at a time until you have a good consistency for spreading.

 

Recipes from dogtreatkitchen.com & allrecipes.com 

When was the last time you looked in your pets’ mouth? Most people either don’t think to look in their mouths, or don’t really know what they are looking for once they are in there. Here are some general oral guidelines:

 
Before you go in, have a smell! Bad breath is the first indicator that your pet may have some dental disease.

Flip the lip, once you are in the mouth you want to look for:

• red, swollen gums
• tartar build up (yellow/brown accumulation on the surface of the tooth)
• broken or fractured teeth and loose teeth.

If you notice any of the above a trip to your veterinarian is the next step. An examination is key to evaluating dental disease. From there your veterinarian will discuss your options. Depending on the level of your pets’ dental disease your vet may recommend a dental cleaning.

Now that you know your pet needs a dental cleaning, what does that mean?

• Your pet will require a general anesthetic for the procedure (it is impossible to provide adequate dental care without it).
• The procedure is very similar to the cleaning humans receive. The Registered Technician cleans and polishes the teeth on the surface and below the gum line.
• Ideally dental x-rays of each tooth are taken. This is to ensure there is no disease under the gum line.
• The veterinarian will examine each tooth, checking for pockets or gaps between the tooth and the gums where bacteria will hide and cause disease.
• If there are any teeth that are diseased the veterinarian may freeze the area and remove the tooth.
• Once the procedure is complete your pet is woken up, recovered and able to go home later that evening.

Good oral care is imperative for your pet to live a long and healthy life. If left untreated, dental disease can damage your pet’s internal organs, be a source of chronic pain and affect their quality of life. If you are concerned that your pet is suffering from dental disease or if you would like to learn more about your pet’s dental health, please discuss it with your veterinarian. We offer complimentary oral examinations with our Registered Veterinary Technicians for anyone who is interested in learning about pet oral care.

Written by Ashley Kipling, Registered Veterinary Technician at Bloor Animal Hospital.
416-767-5817 2387 Bloor St West

 

Most recently I had both my cats in at Bloor Animal Hospital for dental procedures. I have had numerous, healthy cats over the years, all but one of them needing their teeth cleaned at one point in their lives, so I am well aware of how common and important it is to have your pets’ teeth cleaned. However, both of my current cats have unique issues that were of concern for me and I’d like to share this experience with you.

 

Heidi: Heidi is my five (5) year old FIV positive kitty. FIV stands for Feline Immunodeficiency Virus which can make it more difficult for Heidi to fight off infections. Heidi was affectionate with those she knew, but could be a bit shy with those she did not. She liked to play for short periods of time and would then go hide for awhile. She rarely picked up toys in her mouth and did not play with toys for any extended period of time. I just considered Heidi a sweet but shy kitty. Heidi would always have runny eyes, a probable consequence of a herpes virus and/or related to having FIV. She rarely kept her face clean and disliked it when I would take a tissue to wipe the dark tears away from her face. For such a young cat, Heidi’s gums have been very red and sore looking, possibly due to her FIV positive status. I knew her teeth needed to be cleaned. Upon examination, it was determined that Heidi would need quite a few teeth out. I brought her into work with me so that Dr. Morris could perform her dentistry. Dental x-rays revealed that the roots of her teeth were mostly resorbed and that it was basically only her sore, red gums that were holding her teeth in. All her teeth had to be extracted except for three (3) canines in the front! I felt so bad for Heidi! What would she think when she woke up? Would she be depressed that she did not have any of her teeth anymore? She would only be able to eat canned food now. I wondered if she would miss crunching down on her kibble. Maybe she would feel like less of a cat without her shearing, carnassial teeth that made her the true feline carnivore that she was? What would an empty mouth full of gums feel like? And I wouldn’t be able to explain to her why she no longer had teeth or give her any forewarning that this was how she would wake up. I felt so bad for her!

When Heidi came home, she was happy and rolling around, sometimes pawing at her mouth, but otherwise content. I attributed this behaviour to the long-acting pain killer that was given to her…good times! However, days turned into weeks and it was revealed that Heidi was a new cat..and not just the fact that she was a cat with only 3 canine teeth! She now spends her most of her time out and about socializing, playing with toys and with her people family. She keeps her face clean! She wipes away the tears on her face and I never have to do it for her! A revelation came to me, someone who thought she knew cats so well, especially her own: although I always thought Heidi was a happy cat, there was no doubt that her sore gums and teeth were hurting her and I had no idea just how much! All that time, she was not at her full happy capacity. Now that Heidi’s face wasn’t sore, she was happy to keep her face clean of tears. Now that Heidi wasn’t in pain, she was happy to be pet and played with, picking up toys in her mouth and tossing them around! And she is a-ok with canned food instead of dry….trust me! It makes me so happy to see Heidi such a changed cat! I only wish I had only done it sooner!

 

Keats: Keats is my fifteen (15) year old diabetic cat. Keats was diagnosed with diabetes in 2007 and has been receiving insulin injections twice a day since then. He had dental cleaning in 2011 with a few extractions. Diabetic cats tend to be more prone to infections which includes dental disease. Keats’ breath was getting increasingly bad and his teeth did not look good. A thorough examination confirmed that he would need his teeth cleaned with possible extractions. Preoperative bloodwork and urine testing revealed that, at Keats’ older age, he was beginning to show signs of kidney issues. Despite knowing firsthand the competency of the doctors and staff here at Bloor Animal Hospital and how often dental cleanings are performed on the young and old here, I was personally a bit nervous about putting my own 15 year old diabetic cat with kidney issues under anaesthetic. But I also knew that I have had cats that have lived to be 20 years old and if Keats was going to be one of those cats, he couldn’t do it with an infected, sore mouth. Not only was his mouth sore, but the bacteria and infection in his mouth was also aggravating his diabetic and kidney issues.

Keats was started on IV fluids the night prior to his dentistry to prepare him and his ageing kidneys for the anaesthetic that was going to be used the next day during his dental procedure.

Nine (9) extractions later (leaving only one lonely canine tooth in front!), Keats was done! And, just like my experience with Heidi, Keats was a much happier cat! He is far more active and his eyes have that younger cat sparkle back in them! And now Keats will be much more likely to reach that ripe old age of 20…or maybe more…with a mouth which is free of pain and discomfort.

 

 

Written by Kirsten, loving cat mom & Veterinary Receptionist at Bloor Animal Hospital. 

It was January 3rd when Simba, a handsome 13 year old cat first came through our doors.  He was in the care of Diana and Gord Ross.  Diana is the owner of A Changing Nest home furnishing and consignment shop in Bloor West Village .  About 6 months prior the Ross’ noticed Simba wandering the area around the store.  Day after day there he was, looking like he could use a meal and a place to stay.  One day, Simba wandered in.  Being natural animal lovers, the Ross’ welcomed him.  Already having a number of other pets of their own, they were unable to bring Simba home, but the store seemed like a perfect fit for him.  Simba took to his new home and immediately felt comfortable with his new family.  He also was hired as the store’s “meet and greet”, welcoming customers and enjoying the attention and affection in return.  Thanks to the love and care provided by the Ross’ he went from a street cat to a celebrity and became known by name by most customers and residents in the area.

The day Simba first visited us, he was in to have an infected wound in his paw examined, but at this visit, a much greater concern was noted.  Simba had glaucoma in his left eye.  Glaucoma is a condition where there is an increase in pressure within the eye.  It is painful and permanently damages the optic nerve, resulting in blindness.  Unlike glaucoma in humans, dogs and cats respond very poorly to medical management and often need their eye removed to resolve the pain.  We felt for the Ross’ now having to make some important and costly decisions for their new friend.

Instantly, we could see why everyone had grown so attached to Simba; his bright orange coat, his kind and gentle personality and the head butts of course! We knew we had to help.  The Ross’ had already done so much to care for Simba, on top of their other pets, yet Simba still had a painful condition that needed to be treated. We wanted to help this community cat!

On January 9th, Dr. Lyons and the team at the Bloor Animal Hospital volunteered their time and resources to help Simba by surgically removing his painful and permanently blind eye.  They also cleaned his teeth and removed a painful cavity.  Simba sailed through his surgery without complication and made an excellent recovery at the hospital.  He was a fabulous patient and bonded with the team immediately.  Diana and Gord came to visit Simba frequently giving him love and affection to help him feel comfortable while at the hospital.

Simba is now back at home at the store and doing better than ever!  Now pain free, Diana is seeing him play with toys that he has had for 5 months now, but has never taken interested in!  He is active and eating and back to working as the host of A changing nest.   Clients and community residents alike are flocking to the store to see Simba back in full swing!

Bloor animal hospital is proud to be part of such a fabulous community where we can work with other local business’ like A Changing Nest to help animals needing medical attention.  Sometimes it really does take a village….

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bloor Animal Hospital is located at 2387 Bloor Street West (416) 767-5817

A Changing Nest is located at 572 Annette Street (416) 519-2011

http://www.achangingnest.ca

 

As a precursor to Dental Awareness month in February, Dr. Morris thought it would be interesting for you to see behind the scenes of his dog Beatrix’ dental procedure. I will caution you, some people may find a few of these images a bit graphic but we think it’s a great opportunity to see what happens during a dental procedure.

A little background: Beatrix is an 8 year old Jack Russel. For those of you who haven’t met Bea, she is a 3 legged wonder dog!

In December Dr. Morris found a small lump under her left eye. After a few days this lump went away, but it quickly returned! Dr. Morris suspected she may have a tooth root abscess and she was scheduled for a dental procedure. Here is what happened:

 

 

The night before her procedure Bea came in for some pre-op testing. She had blood and urine profiles done to make sure she was healthy for the anesthetic. Then Bea stayed over with us! She was very cozy in her bed. so cute!

 

 

 

 

In the morning Dr. Morris gave her another full physical exam. This is Bea on the exam table in our treatment room. If you look closely you can see the lump under her left eye. It’s at this time when the Registered Technician gives Bea an injection of a sedative and pain control to calm her before they start.

 

 

 

Here is Bea now sedated. You can see how sleepy she is. The Technician has placed her IV catheter and fluids and she is ready to go under anesthetic. It is also at this time where the technician and assistant will attach some of her monitoring equipment. We us a doppler machine that allows us to hear her heart beat at all times. We also use the doppler to closely monitor her blood pressure during the procedure.

Once her doppler is on, the technician will administer an injectable anesthetic into her IV. This will sedate her enough to allow the technician to place a breathing tube in her airway and attach the gas anesthetic.

 

 

Bea is now under full general anesthetic. At this time, more monitoring equipment is placed on her. You can see a grey clip on her ear; this is a pulse ox monitor and it monitors the amount of oxygen in her blood as well as her pulse.  Bea is quite snugly under all those blankets! When animals are put under general anesthetic their temperatures will drop. We do our best to prevent this by using warming devices and lots of blankets. The technician will now take x-rays of all of her teeth.

 

 

 

 

Here is the first x-ray of that questioned tooth. She has chipped the crown of the tooth but in this angle the root is missing?

 

 

 

Here is a new angle! There’s the missing root. The dark shadow around the tip of the root is due to bone loss and infection!

 

 

 

Here is the other half of the problem tooth. More signs of infection around these root tips as well. The best treatment is to extract the tooth.

 

 

 

After the technician cleans and polishes all of her teeth, making sure she cleans under the gum line-the exact same as when you and I go to the dentist. Dr. Morris freezes the nerves around the tooth. This will make the extraction pain free. Freezing the tooth allows Dr.Morris to extract the tooth without having to deepen her anesthetic, making the procedure as safe as possible.

 

 

After 40 minutes of extracting, the tooth is finally out and Dr. Morris places stitches. These stitches will dissolve on their own in a few weeks.

 

 

 

 

The procedure is over and her gas anesthetic is turned off. All of her monitoring equipment will stay on until she is completely awake. Dr. Morris, the technician and the assistant are sitting with her as she wakes up. Bea slowly wags her tail, she can hear Dr.Morris’ voice as she is coming around.

Remember that her mouth is still frozen and we gave her an injection of pain control before her procedure started. This will keep her very comfortable during her recovery. An injection of a long lasting pain medication is given to her right at recovery and Dr.Morris will also continue to give her some mild pain control while she is at home.

 

 

Bea is now back in her recovery cage. Still a little groggy, but very comfortable. The technicians and assistants will continue to keep a close eye on her. Once is is fully awake the assistant will take her out for a walk and will offer her some food. She will be eating soft food only for a couple of weeks to allow her extraction site to heal.

 

 

 

 

 

It’s been a couple of days since her dental procedure and Bea is back at home and feeling better than ever! Look how happy she is!!

 

 

 

 

 

Dental care is one of the best ways we can help ensure our pets live a long and healthy life. If left untreated, the infection in her mouth would have effected Bea’s internal organs and continued to cause her pain. Take a look in your pets’ mouth today! some signs of dental disease are:

• Yellow/brown tartar build up
• red or bleeding gums
• foul smelling breath
• missing or wiggly teeth
• lumps under the eyes
• difficulty eating or pawing at their mouths

If you are concerned about your pets’ oral care, please see your veterinarian.

We would like to thank Beatrix Morris for allowing us to document her procedure. 

 

 

 

This time of year most of us in the Bloor West Village are forced out in the freezing weather to warm up and de-ice our cars before our trip to work. Many times this ritual includes topping up our windshield washer fluid and antifreeze. This task, if not done safely can have deadly consequences for our pets and wildlife. Antifreeze contains ethylene glycol. It is a sweet tasting, odourless liquid and is highly toxic to animals.

Ethylene glycol can also be found, in lower concentrations, in some windshield de-icing agents, hydraulic brake fluid, motor oils, solvents, paints, film processing solutions, wood stains, inks, printer cartridges, etc.

Unfortunately animals are attracted to the ethylene glycol by its sweet taste and will drink it voluntarily if they have access. Ethylene glycol is so toxic that only a tiny amount can have deadly consequences if ingested.  As little as 1 tablespoon can be fatal to a medium sized dog!

What are the signs of ethylene glycol poisoning?

Early signs of ethylene glycol poisoning are called “Stage 1”, and can be seen within 30 minutes of toxin ingestion. The signs include:

• lethargy
• vomiting
• in-coordination (walking drunk)
• excessive urination
• excessive thirst
• hypothermia (low body temperature)
• seizures
• and coma.

In “Stage 2” (which occurs 12 to 24 hours after ingestion), some of the signs seem to dramatically improve, luring pet owners into a false sense of security. However, during this stage, pets become dehydrated, and develop an elevated breathing and heart rate.

“Stage 3” occurs 12-24 hours after ingestion in cats, and 36-72 hours after ingestion in dogs. At this stage:

• signs of severe kidney dysfunction, which is characterized by swollen, painful kidneys and the production of minimal to no urine, may occur.
• Progressive depression
• lethargy
• lack of appetite
• vomiting
• seizures
• coma
• death 

It is critical that you bring your pet to a veterinary clinic if you know or even suspect that they have consumed ethylene glycol, or if they are exhibiting any of the early symptoms. Do not wait; time is of the essence and immediate treatment is essential! the antidote only has a narrow time period to work. Left untreated, the animal will die.

Keep your pets and your local wildlife safe by storing your antifreeze where they can not access it, clean up any spills immediately and leave all pets in the house when topping up your reservoirs.

Let’s keep ourselves warm and our pets safe and let the countdown to spring begin!

 

Written by Ashley Docherty, RVT and Practice Manager at Bloor Animal Hospital.  This blog is based on material written by: Kristiina Ruotsalo, DVM, DVSc, Dip ACVP & Margo S. Tant BSc, DVM, DVSc & Justine A. Lee, DVM, DACVECC

© Copyright 2012 Lifelearn Inc. Used and/or modified with permission under license.

 

In the new year, some of us make resolutions for ourselves. But what about our pets? Now is a good time to have your pets weight evaluated and work on trimming down for the spring.

Your pets’ weight is one of the most important things we can monitor throughout our pets lives. Maintaining our pet’s ideal weight is a simple and inexpensive ways we can prevent many health problems in life. It’s a way we can ensure our pets live a comfortable, and long life.

Today veterinarians are finding a large increase in overweight or obese pets, more now then ever. Weight gain is usually associated with an increase of calories consumed, combined with a lack of exercise. A few extra pounds gained for a person may not be very significant; however, for pets, weight gain can mean major health risks and even a shorter life span.

Obesity can cause the same health problems in pets as it does in people such as: diabetes, joint problems, lower urinary tract disease in felines, strain on kidneys, heart and liver, and they can be at a higher risk of complications during procedures which require anesthetic.

A question you may ask is, “How do I know if my pet is becoming over weight?”

You should be able to feel their ribs under a thin layer of fat, but not be able to see them. They should have an hourglass figure when viewed from above, and their abdomen should be tucked up under their rib cage.

 If you believe your pet is, or is at risk of becoming overweight, the most important thing to do is to book an appointment with your veterinarian. There could be a medical reason for your pets’ weight gain and this must be ruled out before starting your pet on a diet. It is very important to never start your pet on a diet before consulting with your veterinarian. We need to change their eating and exercising habits gradually.

A calculation is used to determine the appropriate amount of calories your pet needs to consume in a day. A diet is chosen for your pet based on the amount of weight your pet needs to loose, whether or not they like the food, and whether it works with your pet’s metabolism. Your pets’ weight needs to be monitored closely by weighing them monthly. Once your pet has reached his or her weight loss goal, we can then gradually change them to a weight maintenance diet.

 Remember, an overweight pet is not a healthy pet. They don’t gain the weight overnight; therefore we can’t expect them to loose the weight overnight. Together with the help of your veterinarian, patience and perseverance you can achieve your pet’s weight loss goal.

Written by Ashley Docherty Registered Veterinary Technician & Practice Manager at the Bloor Animal Hospital

2387 Bloor St West