A pet’s digestive tract consists of the mouth, esophagus, stomach, liver, pancreas, intestines, rectum, and anus. Regular comprehensive exams are essential when it comes to diagnosing and treating disorders of the digestive system. Signs of digestive problems in dogs and cats include diarrhea, vomiting, and a swollen abdomen.
Contributing factors to digestive system disorders include:
- Foreign body obstruction
- Malnutrition
- Overeating
- Inflammation of the rectum or anus
- Infectious disease
- Ulcers
- Accidental poisoning
If your pet is displaying symptoms of digestive trouble, bring them into see us as soon as possible. Depending on your pet’s diagnosis, your veterinarian might recommend a course of antibiotics, a change in diet, or even surgery.
Bottom line? Digestive issues should be not ignored, and we are here to help.
Dental Health
Your pet’s teeth are directly tied to their overall well-being, and even young pets can suffer the beginning stages of dental disease. Did you know that, by age three, 80 percent of dogs and 70 percent of cats show some evidence of tooth decay?
At advanced stages, dental disease can significantly impact a pet’s quality of life, making eating difficult due to mouth pain. Plus, bacteria from the mouth can enter the bloodstream and cause heart, liver, and kidney complications. Keeping up with the cleanliness of your pet’s mouth and their overall dental health can prevent years of discomfort, disease, and lost teeth.
Imagine if you never brushed your teeth or had them cleaned. Pretty frightening, right? As you can imagine, things would eventually start to go very, very bad inside your mouth: teeth would rot and decay, gums would become inflamed and infected. Bacteria from those rotting teeth would eventually travel into your bloodstream and could cause other serious health problems. And we haven’t even mentioned the daily, debilitating pain.
While some people might laugh at the idea of brushing their pet’s teeth or taking them for a dental cleaning, the fact is that routine dental care can mean the difference between a healthy and a sick animal companion.
Periodic dental exams help maintain proper oral hygiene and prevent future problems, especially if you have a pet who won’t tolerate brushing. Interested in learning how to brush your pet’s teeth? Just ask and our veterinarians will be happy to help you get started.
Richman Animal Clinic offers complete pet oral health services, including:
- Annual Dental Cleaning
- Preventative Dental Care
- X-Rays
Besides routine cleanings, we also conduct extractions on a routine basis. We understand that no surgical procedure is routine for you and your pet, but you can have complete confidence in our ability to perform these procedures properly.