National Pet Dental Health Month (continued)

Stinky pet breath is a symptom that can be due to a number of possible causes including:

• Bacteria and food particles stuck in the pet's mouth.
• The pet's diet.
• Eating disorders such as coprophagia (eating feces)
• Kidney disease
• Lung disease
• Mouth tumors

Getting into a routine of regularly brushing the pet's teeth using a product such as C.E.T Toothpaste, specifically formulated for pets, is the first step in promoting a healthy mouth. Regular annual dental visits can spot any symptoms of disease early.

When beginning a regular brushing program use a tooth wipe or finger toothbrush for the first couple of weeks and then begin using a tooth brush once your pet is comfortable with the process.

PetHealth101 is an excellent resource for articles on how to brush your pet's teeth.

National Pet Dental Health Month

February, 2009 is designated as National Pet Dental Health Month.

Why is our pet's dental health so important? Consider that without proper dental care, by the age of three, 80% of dogs and 70% of cats will have some form of dental disease. Regular annual veterinary visits are important to ensure that the pet's teeth and mouth are healthy and disease free.

To supplement annual visits to your veterinarian, it's a good idea to follow a 3 step dental health program:

• Step 1 - regularly brush your pet's teeth.
• Step 2 - use a dental rinse or add a dental solution to the pet's drinking water.
• Step 3 - regularly provide dental treats especially if brushing cannot be done.
  

Make 1-800-PetMeds your source for quality pet dental care products.

Peanut Recall

There's been a lot in the news lately regarding the recall of products containing Salmonella contaminated peanut butter supplied by Peanut Corporation of America from their Blakely, GA plant. Most of the recall involves human snack products such as cookies and crackers, but there has been a recall of a pet food product which is not sold by 1-800-PetMeds.

There are other manufacturers of peanut butter as well, but their products are not involved in this recall.

To keep you informed, to help you understand what's been going on with this recall, and to provide you with a way of finding out which products have been recalled, here is a link to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) website

National Association of Pet Pharmacies

I'm extremely pleased to report that 1-800-PetMeds pharmacy has been certified as an accredited pharmacy by the National Association of Pet Pharmacies (NAPP).

NAPP is "an independent and impartial organization established with the mission of ensuring the validity of pet pharmacies selling medications in the United States".

Similar to VIPPS, NAPP has certified that 1-800-PetMeds is licensed or authorized to dispense in all states that require licensure. Their website provides a list of the 1-800-PetMeds license numbers in those states, as well as a link to the regulatory agency for pharmacies in those states. In addition, the NAPP certifies the the products dispensed are EPA- or FDA-approved for sale in the United States.

November is National Diabetes Awareness Month

My apologies for not contributing since June. However, a discussion regarding Diabetes mellitus (Diabetes) and Diabetes awareness is a great way for me to begin writing again.

We hear and read time after time about the increased prevalence of Diabetes in the human population. Some causes can be attributed to a sedentary lifestyle, lack of exercise, diets full of carbs and starches as well as larger portions, all leading to an obese population.

This blog is really about pets, and in the dog and cat population, Diabetes is one of the most common endocrine disorders. Symptoms of Diabetes include increased thirst, hunger and urination, weight loss, and lethargy. In dogs, untreated Diabetes can cause rapid cataract formation. In cats, undiagnosed Diabetes can lead to diabetic neuropathy which is evidenced by the cat walking on it's hock (plantigrade posture). The incidence of Diabetes in the dog population has grown from 19 in 10,000 dogs 30 years ago to 58 per 10,000 as of 1999. In the cat population, the incidence of Diabetes can range from 1 in 50 to over 1 in 400 depending on the population studied.

Diabetes is easily diagnosed through a simple blood test and is most commonly categorized as Type I and Type II. Type I occurs mostly in dogs and is treatable with insulin. Type II occurs mostly in cats and is treatable with oral medication, although some cats are treated with insulin.

1-800-PetMeds carries a full line of products necessary for the treatment of Diabetes, as well as
a monitor to measure how effective treatment is. Here is a list of the products that we carry:

• Healthy Glucose Multivitamin
• IPet Glucose Monitoring Kit for Dogs and Cats
• IPet Test Strips
• Glipizide 5mg Tablets
• Vetsulin (for dogs and cats)
• PZI Vet Cat Insulin
• U-40 Insulin Syringes for Vetsulin and PZI Vet

PZI Vet Insulin has been discontinued by the manufacturer, and will no longer be carried once supplies have run out.

PZI-VET and Vetsulin Insulin

On April 8, 2008 IDEXX Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced that they were discontinuing production of PZI-VET. PZI-VET a brand of U-40 Protamine Zinc Insulin was FDA approved for use in cats. There are still supplies at the retail level. However, once those supplies run out, PZI-VET will no longer be available. That's the bad news.

The good news is that Vetsulin, manufactured by Intervet/Schering-Plough, which was previously approved for use in dogs only, has received FDA approval for use in both dogs and cats.

PZI-VET and Vetsulin are not the exact same insulin. PZI-VET is protamine zinc insulin, whereas Vetsulin is porcine zinc insulin suspension.

As cats are moved from PZI-Vet to Vetsulin, the dose of Vetsulin will need to be adjusted and monitored by the veterinarian.

Keep Pets Safe From Fleas and Ticks

On March 19, 2008, 1-800-PetMeds issued a press release providing specific recommendations for pet owners to prevent flea and tick infestation on their pets.

In this article, Dr. Michael Dym, 1-800-PetMeds veterinarian, discusses the types of diseases caused by fleas and ticks.

The advantages of using products such as Frontline Plus and K9 Advantix as a means of preventing flea and tick infestations is discussed in this press release.