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.

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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).

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The Dangers of Online Pet Pharmacies

Pet pharmacies are on the rise as pet parents are on the hunt for lower prices on medications. The advantage of this market is that the consumer receives a reduced price and there is the convenience of home delivery, instead of visiting their local veterinarian to fill or refill prescriptions. Their disadvantages, however, include the risk of being counterfeit, expired, or nearing expiration date and being improperly stored, which is damaging to the drug, thus reducing effectiveness and safety.

Counterfeiting in online pharma

Counterfeiting can range from brand name to generic products. These counterfeit drugs may be contaminated or worthless, thus may not help the condition or disease the medicine is intended for. They also run a great risk of being poisonous and cause dangerous side effects. They may even contain the wrong active ingredient or no active ingredient at all. Packaged in phony packaging that looks legitimate, why question it? These are the proverbial inexpensive phony Prada bags sold on street corners (of the internet).

Quality control is key

Reputable manufacturers will not and legally can not currently sell their products to online pharmacies. One of the main reasons why the veterinary pharmaceutical companies want their drugs distributed by a veterinarian and not a third party is to ensure that a proper veterinary-patient relationship is intact so that their products are not misused and/or prescribed inappropriately. In addition, quality control is maintained as the veterinarian is much more likely to store the medications properly and turn over their inventory on a regular basis to avoid buying in bulk and prescribing expired or soon to be expired medications.

Maintaining distribution of an effective, quality product is not only important for your pet, it is important for the reputation of the company for its products to be seen as safe and effective when utilized in a proper manner. It is not about maintaining higher prices for their products

How to spot the fakes

Recently, CEO of Action Packing and Design, Paul S. Rodriguez Jr, plead guilty to intentionally trafficking in counterfeit labels and packaging for anti-parasite products and veterinary medicines between July 2015 and December 2016. His operation produced counterfeit artwork for flea control products Frontline and Frontline Plus, sold by Merial. He also trafficked in counterfeit trademarked Rimadyl labels (a veterinary painkiller marketed by Zoetis).

Merial provides the following to help consumers to check whether their Frontline products are genuine:

1. Check the lot number/expiration date on the retail carton matches the lot number on the applicator package and/or the individual applicators.

2. Determine whether the instruction leaflet is included. It provides the following information: first aid statements, including emergency US or related merial branch telephone numbers; precautionary statements for humans and pets; directions for use; Frontline Plus from Merial usually has an adhesive calendar sticker with instructions for use and phone number. Treatment frequency is printed on the front panel. Visual aids and instructions are also included.

3. The pesticide is contained in an applicator package, which is child resistant.

4. Text on the package is in English only. There should be no stickers on the package. Related country’s approval numbers and phone numbers are printed on the box.

5. Once you open the applicator package, each individual applicator has a label that includes the registrant’s name “Merial;” the product name; “CAUTION”, “Keep out of reach of children”, “For animal treatment only”; Composition of active ingredient(s) (fipronil for Frontline Top Spot products; and fipronil and (S)-methoprene for Frontline Plus products). Text is in English. Note that for Merial Frontline Plus*: Applicator itself has the lot number and expiration date printed in the front.

The safest place to obtain pharmaceuticals is from your veterinarian. They are the only healthcare provider trained in the proper application and administration of animal products and is knowledgeable in the side effects and their interactions with other drugs.

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