Meet Eileen O’Neill-Hitch!! Our Featured Employee of the Week!

Eileen started at Animal Care Clinic as a veterinary nurse in April 2004. In November of 2008, Eileen moved up front to Customer Service and has been there ever since. Originally from the East Coast, Eileen has lived most of her life in California so she considers herself a “California Girl.” Eileen previously worked as a technical writer in Silicon Valley for 20 years, so this is her second career. She loves working with animals and says, “You’re never too old to keep on learning and growing. You CAN teach an old dog new tricks – they proved it on Myth Busters!” In her spare time, Eileen enjoys reading, knitting, and hiking. Eileen and her husband are also employed as staff by their cats.

How To Brush Your Dog's Teeth

Just like people, dogs and cats are recommended to get their teeth brushed as a part of their preventive care regimen. Teeth brushing should occur a minimum of 5 days a week to be beneficial. Use a child size soft bristled tooth brush and dog/cat formulated enzymatic toothpaste. Watch this video for some helpful tips in making brushing your pet's teeth an easy and fun process. Come by Animal Care Clinic or give us a call at 805-545-8212 for questions or to schedule a tooth brushing demonstration!

Meet Morgan York!! Our Featured Employee of the Week!

Morgan is a local from Santa Margarita, CA. She started working in veterinary nursing and lodging at Animal Care Clinic in December 2009. Morgan is studying Animal Science at Cal Poly and hopes to eventually go to vet school. Morgan has several pets including 2 dogs and her Quarter Horse, Rio. Some of Morgans hobbies are horseback riding, hiking, camping, spending time with family and friends and laughing. Morgan also loves working with kids and has been a volunteer in her church’s Sunday school classes for a few years.

Service Dogs in the News

Written by Nicole Gunkel, RVT

You may already know that two of our own staff members are currently raising puppies for Guide Dogs of America, but did you know that dogs can be used to help autistic kids, U.S. soldiers/veterans, and even sniff out cancer?! As a part of my job in the veterinary industry, as well as my interests in pets and medicine, I’m always trying to keep up with the latest news. I’ve been seeing quite a few articles recently that talk about pets and their many different ways they are used to service both people individually as well as our community as a whole, and wanted to share some of these really cool stories! Please click the links below to read the original articles and comment or let me know if you have heard about any other really cool stories!

In recent years there have been several stories documenting how dogs have helped autistic children to connect with others around them. They learn about feelings and needs and help to reduce stress. Meet Wyatt, the Rhodesian ridgeback and his owner Janice Wolfe who is taking the steps forward to help many more children in this USA TODAY article, “Rhodesian ridgeback stands tall as service dog for autism.”

Dogs are also helping those people currently serving in the military across seas and back home. Just as dogs have a calming effect with autistic children, they can help alleviate stress of soldiers deployed across seas. The News Tribune in Tacoma, Washington had an article about two dogs that prepared for a mission to Iraq.

Just as the healing effect’s of dogs in the armed forces have been shown, they are now being advocated for veterans after they have served in the military. The Veterans Dog Training Therapy Act has currently been referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs. You can follow the progress on GovTrack.us. Check out this article on USA TODAY “Man’s best friend could soon be veteran’s best medicine.”

Auburn University researchers have developed a custom harness that will allow dogs to be guided remotely. This could be used for dogs to take on dangerous tasks in military and security operations and provide benefits for helping disabled people. I found this article really fascinating on Discovery News called, “Dogs Guided Remotely by Stealth System.”

We all know that one of dog’s best senses is their sense of smell. Dogs are used in search and rescue in events like avalanches and fallen buildings to sniffing bombs and drugs. But you probably have never heard of a dog that could sniff out cancer! Well, think again! Several dogs in Turkey are being trained and their sense honed to do just that. Check out this really cool article, “Canine Cancer Detectors Introduced in Turkey.”

I know that there are so many other avenues that dogs, and even cats, are being used to help others. As I find other current news stories I’ll try to share them with you as well. If you would like to learn more about dogs in service or think your dog would make a great service pet, let us know! Guide Dogs of America is always looking for more great puppy raisers. The Delta Society trains and screens volunteers and their pets to share their healing powers in places like, hospitals, schools, rehabilitation centers and many more. Of course nothing takes away from the amazing benefits of owning a pet and the human-animal bond!

Tooth Brushing Tips & Techniques

Written by Nicole Gunkel, RVT

You may have heard how beneficial it is to brush your pet’s teeth at home.  You might think, “really?”  “That’s too difficult” or “that’s crazy!”  I want to tell you that for many pets, it really isn’t that hard to accomplish.  Brushing your pet’s teeth is the MOST beneficial thing you can do at home to minimize and even help prevent dental and gingival disease.  According to the American Dental Association, 80% of people brush twice daily.  Imagine what would happen to your own teeth if you didn’t brush twice daily, floss daily and have your teeth cleaned every 6 months!  Now think about your dog and/or cat not having anything done to protect their dental health!  I’m going to give you some tips to make brushing your pet’s teeth at home an easier and less stressful process.  It can even be fun!      

River likes to lick the flavored toothpaste!

        1)   First, remember that tooth brushing must be done a minimum of 5 days a week, and is ideally done everyday.  Tartar builds up fast and as soon as it begins to calcify into calculus (48 hours), no toothbrush will be able to remove it. 

        2)    Begin by letting your dog or cat lick the toothpaste.  Make sure to use toothpaste made especially for pets.  Human toothpastes have detergents in them that make them foam, like hydrogen peroxide.  These agents are not meant to be swallowed and could cause your pet to vomit if ingested. 

       

        3)   It’s best to start when your pet is young (but not necessary) and take baby steps.  You may want a helper to keep your pet from wiggling away at first.  I started out by sitting on the floor and had my puppy lay on her back between my legs, head closest to my body.  This allowed me to hold my squirmy puppy by squeezing my legs.  That left both of my hands free to manipulate the toothbrush and hold her mouth.  I have now progressed to letting my dog sit in front of me.  You can also have your dog sit in a corner where they can’t back away.

        4)   The best toothbrush is a child size brush with soft bristles.  This is also inexpensive.  I wouldn’t recommend the finger brushes, because it makes it just too easy to be accidentally bitten.  Ouch!

        5)   When starting, brush with the toothpaste for no more than 30 seconds.  Over time you can increase the duration.  You could even start out using a little peanut butter or beef broth for dogs or tuna water for cats to help make the experience more pleasant, as long as you eventually phase over to using toothpaste.

        6)   With one hand hold the mouth closed.  Insert the brush beneath the lips and along the teeth, and hold the brush at a 45-degree angle.  Brush in a circular motion.  The goal is to gently massage the gums and move tartar away from the gum line.  Work the brush along the upper and lower teeth on both sides.  Due to the location of the salivary glands, most tartar builds up on the outside of the teeth, so only the outside surfaces need to be brushed.  Your pet will move toothpaste around to the inside of the teeth when licking after you are done brushing.

        7)   Every time after brushing teeth, reward your pet with a treat or something they will think is special!  I like to brush my dog’s teeth before dinnertime, so her dinner is her reward.  

        8)   Make it a habit!  I already mentioned that tooth brushing needs to be done 5-7 times per week to be of any benefit.  I keep my dog’s toothbrush and toothpaste inside her food container, so every time I feed her those items stare me in the face and remind me of what I should do before feeding dinner.

River has learned this is not so bad, and will
now sit in front of me awaiting a special treat!

Even with the utmost patience, not all dogs or cats will allow tooth brushing.  For those pets, it is best to stick with other methods of at home prevention and keep up with dental cleanings as your veterinarian recommends.  My dog is currently almost 3 ½ years old and her teeth are sparkling clean and look way better than her buddies the same age.  If you have any questions about tooth brushing or dental health, please call or come in.  We can give you a tooth brushing demonstration! 

Meet Travis Morris!! Our Featured Employee of the Week!

Travis joined the veterinary nursing team in July 2008. Travis is a native of San Luis Obispo, and would eventually like to attend vet school. Travis has an interest in reptiles and currently his pets include 3 cats and 6 snakes. Travis practices martial arts, such as Kendo and Brazilian Ju Jitsu. He also loves to play with his son and teach him about animals. Travis is married to Cate (of our Customer Service Team) and they now have a beautiful baby girl as well.

At Home Dental Health Tips

Written by Nicole Gunkel, RVT

At Animal Care Clinic, dental disease & obesity are the top two health concerns that we see – and both can be life threatening!  About 70% of cats and 80% of dogs have some degree of gingival (gum) disease by the age of three!  Unhappy gums are caused by a build-up of plaque and tartar on the teeth, where it causes infection and mechanical irritation.   Most dogs and cats need their first dental cleaning by age three and about once per year afterwards.  After teeth are cleaned, plaque begins to develop within a few hours.  This plaque will calcify in just 48 hours!  Luckily there are things you can do at home to prolong the time needed before your pet’s first dental cleaning and extend the time in between anesthetic cleanings!

1)   Brushing teeth is the best thing to do!  80% of Americans brush their teeth twice daily, while most of our pets don’t get them brushed at all.  Everyone knows how much tartar builds up on his or her teeth in between brushings and it is the same for Fluffy.  Please see the following blog article for tips specifically on brushing teeth – it is easier than you think!
2)   Dental chews can be very helpful.  It is important to use the proper size chew for each pet – small treats can be swallowed by big dogs and get stuck in the intestines!  Treats that are too large will be hard for a small dog to chew.  Cats who will chew on dental treats can benefit greatly also – just be sure they are treats designed for cats!  We offer CET chews at Animal Care Clinic.  These are a rawhide based chew and some even add chlorhexidine, which is an anti-bacterial ingredient.  Most dogs love them!  Come by for a free sample.
3)   There are many chew toys that will also help keep teeth cleaner and gums healthier.  If your dog is a chewer try one of the rubber type toys that have ridges and different textures of surfaces that will rub against teeth and gums.  You can even squirt some pet toothpaste onto the toy.  Nylabones can be good for strong chewers.  Rope toys will also provide mechanical action against teeth and can even act like floss.
4) Oravet is a gel that is applied immediately after the teeth are cleaned.  The initial application must be applied to very dry teeth (done under anesthesia) to adhere properly.  You will then apply the gel to the outsides of the teeth once per week at home.  This product will help prevent the build-up of tartar by acting as a barrier.

Even if you use these products at home, your pet will need regular dental cleanings, just as we still have our dental hygienist clean our teeth every 6 months.  If you have any questions about any of these products or services, call or come by Animal Care Clinic.  We would be happy to help you!  Any of our veterinary nursing staff can assess your pet’s dental health at any time, so swing on by!