Zeus' Day At The Dentist



Zeus recovering after his dental cleaning

  

Well, Zeus had his dental cleaning today.  He was certainly not happy this morning when he didn't get his usual breakfast feast and he found himself in a cage rather than roaming the clinic like he normally does!  He went under general anaesthetic at 9:00 and was finished and waking up by 10:00.  Dental x-rays revealed no evidence of lesions or tooth decay so all he needed was a basic cleaning.  After scaling the teeth with a set of hand instruments, an ultrasonic scaler was used to remove any unseen plaque.  Next we used a tool called a curette to clean the surfaces below the gum line and finished up with a polisher to smooth out any rough areas left by the scaling instruments.  Then it was time to turn off the anaesthetic and wake him up.  His recovery went very smoothly and before long he was up asking for his missing breakfast!  His gums will likely be tender for a day or two but after that I'm sure he will be feeling much better and perhaps he will forgive me for not feeding him like I am supposed to!



Zeus' Dental X-rays



Our Pets Need (and get) Dental Care too....

Many of you know Zeus, my very handsome 12 old old tabby, who has finally achieved his target weight of 12 pounds (thanks to the wonderful staff here at Royal city!).  He’s more active, playful and interacts more with everyone.  However, his breath is quite smelly and he’s dropping a bit of food when he eats.  He had a dental cleaning almost 2 years ago and I guess it’s time for another! We’ll do his pre-operative blood work today and schedule him for Thursday. He doesn’t show any signs of infection in his mouth and he doesn’t have a hearth murmur, so unless the blood work tells me something different or unless he needs extractions, I won’t put him on antibiotics.  - Dr B. Drewry


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The Incredible Shrinking "Zeus"

Have you ever been told that your pet is overweight?
Dont be discouraged....here is a success story that will hopefully inspire you in your weight loss goal for your own pet.

This is a tale of a cat who was overweight and his owner (who is a staff member here at the clinic by the way) recognized that Zeus had become less active, his ability to jump up was dwindling, and his overall health was in jeopardy.  She made the decision to get the excess weight off and he was put on our "Slim Fit Program".  He was brought in for blood work prior to starting the program, to ensure there was no underlying health concerns, and with the blood work indicating there were no other problems - Zeus' life was about to change.

His starting weight was 14.78 lb on May 28/2011 with a Body Condition Score of 4.5/5.

He was put on a  good quality low calorie diet which is high in protein and psyllium fibre to ensure Zeus was always well fed and satiated. His portions are carefully measured every day to esure he is never overfed, and his treats were restricted to very low calorie healthy snacks given in moderation as incentive to exercise.

Several weeks went by and his weight went down to 14.6, and then 14.4 lbs a few weeks after that. At that point Zeus' weight plateaued and he stayed at 14.4 lbs for the next 4 weeks with no change. Plateauing is something that happens to almost every animal on a weight loss program, and so do not dispair. Eventually the weight started to come off again, and by the end of July he was down to 13.8 lbs.

As of Today he is 13.0 lbs with a Body Condition Score of 3.5/5. He still has a little more weight to lose, but having already lost 1.78 lbs - his activity level has increased and he now runs around playing with balls and other toys and such. The increase in activity will increase his metabolism and he will continue to drop the weight at a nice slow and steady pace.

His suggested goal is to get to 12 lbs - but we will continue to assess him and see where he really needs to be. Its not just about the pounds as it is about how he 'wears' that number.

Weight loss in cats has to be a slow process - they should not lose weight too quickly as it can drastically affect their health. So...if you have an overweight cat....be patient and persistent. Weight loss for your cat can happen with proper nutrition, portion control, increased exercise and limited treats. Ask your veterinary staff how they can help you get the extra pounds off your pet.