Last minute gift shopping got you stressed? Shop stress-free at River Landings Animal Clinic. These following products are both pet and vet approved for any pet and pet owner!
How Holiday Stress Affects Pets
How to Brush Your Dog's Teeth
Step one
Pick the right time.
Brush your dog's teeth when they are calm and relaxed. Your goal is to set a routine. Working up to brushing daily is ideal. But if their mouth is healthy, even three days a week can make a difference. Without brushing, plaque can build up, putting your dog at risk for bad breath, gum disease, and tooth decay. It can also cause painful infection. Severe infection can spread, causing life-threatening conditions.
Step two
Collect your tools.
You'll want to use a toothbrush made for dogs (pick one up at your next vet visit with us!). The bristles are softer and specially angled. Finger brushes can work well for dogs under 30 pounds. For larger dogs, longer handles can give you better reach. Be sure to use dog toothpaste, too. It comes in dog-friendly flavors like poultry or peanut butter. Never use human toothpaste; it contains ingredients that may hurt your dog's stomach.
Step three
Assume the position for optimal control.
Make sure you're in a spot where your dog is comfortable. Don't stand above your dog, hold them down, or take a threatening stance. Instead, try kneeling or sitting in front of or to the side of them. Gauge your dog's anxiety level. If they seem upset, stop, and try again later. You may need to work on mastering each of the following steps over time.
Step Four
Get them used to you touching their gums.
Test your dog's willingness to have you touch their mouth by rubbing your finger along their upper gums and teeth. This will help their get used to the feel of something against their teeth. Use light pressure. You may need to get their comfortable with this over a few sessions before moving on.
Step Five
Test toothpaste taste and texture.
Put some dog toothpaste on your fingertip. Let your dog lick the toothpaste from your fingertip so that they can get used to the texture and taste.
Step Six
Test toothbrush mouthfeel.
When pup is used to you opening and touching their mouth, start using the toothpaste and toothbrush together. Lift their upper lip.
Step Seven
End on a positive note.
When you're finished brushing your dog's teeth, reward them with their favorite treat or extra attention. Also remember that good dental care doesn't end with brushing. Certain chews and treats can also help you fight plaque buildup. Don't forget to schedule regular professional dental cleanings. Talk with your veterinarian about how often is right for your dog.
There's An App For That: Pet Care In Your Pocket
Smartphones, when smartly employed, are a powerful but often overlooked way to enhance patient care and client perceptions. Following are 5 ways to improve patient care by leveraging clients’ smartphones.
There's an app for that!
Following are some of the many apps clients can use that will help them and their veterinary team provide better care for their pets.
| The App | The Application |
|---|---|
Evernote Google Keep |
Clients can keep digital journals of the pet’s activities |
BPM Tap VetCalc+ |
Clients can use to check their pet’s heart or respiratory rate |
RVC Pet Epilepsy Tracker RVC Pet Diabetes |
Both help clients keep disease logs and remind them about specific disease care (eg, injection sites and times for diabetic pets) |
| Medisafe Meds & Pill Reminder | Clients can track multiple medications |
| Vet2Pet PetDesk |
Clients can use for scheduling appointments, ordering medications and pet food, and more |
Pet Poison Helpline ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center |
Both provide clients with information on pet toxicity and connect pet owners with a poison control center |
| SloPro | Allows clients to video and document pet injuries (eg, lameness) in slow motion |
Monitoring Diseases
At-home management of certain diseases can overwhelm clients. Smartphones offer a lot of ways of easing the overload that comes with rigorously detailed treatments.
Basic applications like Evernote and Google Keep enable clients to keep digital journals of their pet’s activities that can be easily shared with their vet and remain in sync across devices.
Apps like BPM Tap or VetCalc+ have built-in tempo counters that allow clients to simply tap the screen corresponding to the heart or respiratory rate they are trying to count. These apps automatically output the rate based on the taps, and some will even store logs.
Some organizations are leading the way in disease-specific apps. The Royal Veterinary College has 2 apps worth checking out: RVC Pet Epilepsy Tracker6 and RVC Pet Diabetes.7 Both can help clients keep disease logs, access trusted reference information, and store the practice’s contact information. The diabetes app helps remind clients to rotate injection sites, provides graphical displays of glucose measurements, and even incorporates a validated tool to help track quality of life. Simply search the app store for “Royal Veterinary College.”
Helping with Medications
Clients dealing with pets on multiple medications may benefit from one of the many apps available that help organize and remind pet owners. One stand-out app, Medisafe Meds & Pill Reminder, has a visual interface that imitates a pill box that is easy to use and is particularly helpful because clients can track their own medications, other family member medications, and pet medications all in one place.
Accessing Trusted Information
Google, although the fastest way to get an answer, is not always the safe or right answer. Always look to trusted reference resources, like Pet Poison Helpline and ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center. Each has their own apps, which provide information on pet toxicity.
Built-In Go-Tos
Last but not least, look no further than the built-in functionality of most modern smartphones. Lights, cameras, microphones, speakers, GPS, and accelerometers extend superpowers to those who hold these tiny pocket computers.
The camera app is a useful tool that allows clients who are describing findings. Pro-tip: Record with video rather than still photography. Even when documenting skin lesions, live video can assist the veterinary team by giving clearer context. Apps like SloPro are available to help clients document video in slow motion (eg, lameness documentation at home).
