Vaccines stimulate the puppy’s immune system to produce antibodies against specific viruses. The antibodies remain in the bloodstream for varying periods of time; it is important that regular booster vaccinations are given throughout the dog’s life. Vaccination at six to eight weeks, twelve to fourteen weeks and sixteen to eighteen weeks of age will ensure [...]
Archive for January, 2010
Young puppies are temporarily protected for a maximum period of 16 weeks against many diseases by the antibodies received through their mother’s first milk (colostrum). The young puppy will respond to vaccination when these maternal antibodies decline to a sufficiently low level. The decline may occur at any time in the six to sixteen week [...]
The dog’s diet should include: *dry dog food-its hard crunchy nature has an abrasive effect on the teeth helping to remove some of the plaque; *strips of meat-so that the dog has to chew the meat into suitable pieces for swallowing; *bones with meat on them-to encourage chewing. This is likened to a person eating [...]
See your vet who will give your dog a general anaesthetic, provided it has not eaten or drunk for eight hours and will remove the plaque and tartar with an ultrasonic scaler. After all the plaque and tartar is removed, the teeth are polished to provide a smooth surface which slows down the re-formation of [...]
Drooling saliva, bad breath, reluctance to eat hard food, difficulty closing the jaw if tartar build up is excessive and rubbing the mouth on objects or with a paw. If you pull the lips back, you notice a yellow brown scum or a hard, cement like substance stuck to the canine, premolar and molar teeth [...]
Dogs carry large numbers of bacteria in their mouth because they have no oral hygiene and lick their skin and fur. The bacteria develop on food particles in and around the teeth and combine with saliva to form plaque. Plaque is a yellow-brown scum which eventually becomes calcified to form a hard cement-like mass called [...]
Erosion can be due to the dog catching distemper before the permanent teeth erupt or puppies born from bitches being fed diets deficient in fat soluble vitamins A, D, E and K during their pregnancy. Staining of the enamel can be caused by administering tetracycline to puppies before their pemanent teeth erupt. Once the enamel [...]
The canine teeth, as they are long, tapered and more exposed, are prone to being chipped or broken. The common causes are fights, falls and cars. If the end of the tooth is chipped or broken, it usually remains healthy. The sharp jagged edge of the tooth may irritate the lip causing an ulcer. In [...]
UNDERSHOT JAW: The normal occlusion or bite is one where the upper and lower incisor teeth meet when the mouth is closed. The common malocclusion seen in the brachycephalic dogs: i.e. those with a pushed in face, is the undershot jaw, where the lower is longer than the upper jaw. It is common and considered [...]
This is reasonably common in the dog, especially the smaller breeds, e.g. the miniature poodle. The incisors and canine teeth are more commonly involved. The permanent teeth erupt alongside the temporary ones.The temporary tooth or teeth remain firmly embedded in the gum leaving the dog with extra teeth. This usually occurs in the upper jaw [...]
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