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Show SOUTHERN UTAH NEWS Community Month February is National Pet Dental tartar wrap a washcloth around one or two of their fingers and use it to wipe the pets teeth, stroking from the gum line to the end of each Medical Association tooth. This should be done for a is promoting responsible few weeks while the pet is adapt- pet dental care during National ing to the process. Then, apply- formulated tooth- Pet Dental Month this February. ' ing Local veterinarians, like vet- - paste, owners can brush the pets erinarians nationwide, are chal- - teeth with a soft toothbrush. Pet lenged with educating animal owners should not, however, ap- owners about their pets oral hy- - ply human toothpaste because it and the perils of neglecting may upset the animals stomach, essential dental practices. In 'Look for warning signs In ad- experts say oral disease is dition to consistent dental care number-on- e diagnosed health at home, veterinarians encour- for dogs and cats. age pet owners to look for warn- Itsmorethanjustbadbreath, ing signs such as yellow or brown says Dr. Dana Clark, a member tarter buildup along the gum line, ofUVMA whose practice is based inflamed gums, persistent bad in Bountiful, Utah. If left un- - breath, change in eating habits plaque and tartar can and pawing at the mouth. Animals get pieces of food lead to periodontal disease and With approximately 70 percent of all dogs and 80 percent of cats showing signs of periodontal dis- by age three, the Utah Vet- - dog-or-c- at -- tooth can eventually infection through the spread bloodstream in the heart, liver, and kidneys. Preventative procedures - Lo- cal veterinarians emphasize the need for preventative dental measures such as scheduling regular physical and dental ex- aminations with licensed veteri- narian. Dental procedures can remove damaging tarter and bac- teria build-u- p that cause gum disease and other health prob- lems. Examinations and clean- ' ing procedures are moderately priced and safe to the animals health. Veterinarians say that pet own- ers can perform several preven- tative dental care activities at home. For example, owners can loss-an- d stuck between their teeth just like humans do. Plaque and tarter need to be removed, but the first step is noticing the prob- lem, says Dr. Gary Petersen, UVMA member whose practice is based in Salt Lake City, Diet also plays an important role in an animals overall dental hygiene. Veterinarians say table foods typically have too much sugar and are not as good for an animal as formulated pet foods. Pet owners are encouraged to carefully read nutritious facts on packaging before mak- ing purchases. In fact, some pet foods are proven to reduce plaque, gingivitis and tartar. The Seal of Approval of the Veterinary Oral Health Council appears on prod- ucts that meet defined standards for plaque and -- Veterinarians say owners quently overlook the dangers volved with hard chewable jects. Some hard objects are good for an animals teeth, but others are not. Aggressive chewing on fre-ea- Befit se in-erina- ry A) commercially available cow hooves, for example can chip or break a dogs teeth. Owners should check with their local erinarian when questions arise, Large animals - Some veteri-fac- t, narians will be promoting pre-th- e ventive dental care for large mals during National Pet Dental Month this February. Larger such as horses, should animals, not be forgotten about. They also need dental care, says large mal veterinarian, Dr. John Farrer, whose practice is based in South Jordan, Utah. Owners should look fbr warning sigiis , such as difficulty eating, consis- tently dropping feed, weight loss and sensitivity to the bite. Dr. Farrer says, however, that owners should provide horses with dental care on a regular basis, long before such warning signs appear. Remember that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, Farrer says. For more information on pet dental care or National Pet Den- vet-gie- ne ani-proble- m ani-treate- d, tal Month, Fi-iend- fi Blind Kitty knows when theres a mouse in the house By Carolyn Mitchell The cats eyes are spectacular instruments that allow the feline species to see quite clearly even in total darkness. But even without those mag- nificent orbs tbe feline ,is pressive on the prowl. Con- sider this tale ol a blind cat, a kitty with one eye and a field ' mause ,coule. f weeka a L.lz Morley-Smitwas pitching in mth chores at Bentons House, A h All of a sudden Liz saw Cassie, eyeless cat, freeze and then dash over to the base visit of an empty cat crate. She assumed the stalk pose a 14-year-- Patiences mouth, she an- swered with a gulp. Patience is white with a fetching black A local beauty, smudge on her face. Her skin allergy is clearly no impediment to her skills as a pouncer. There the mouse was the head peeking out of one side of her mouth and the tail dangling from the other, Liz says. Patience had a surprised look on her face like OK, now what?" Tania clapped her hands and Patience dropped the mouse. Liz clamped the food bowl over the mouse, slid the cardboard be- neath it and quickly made her way out of the building, She released the mouse in the nearby brush and watched him scamper off, apparently none the worse for his brush with ev- - www.petdental.com. The Utah Veterinary Medical - low belly, throaty murmurs Association is a consortium of and quivering tail, recalls Liz. 485 Utah veterinarians, work- - Then Grubbins, who has only ery squeaky nibblers night one ee n over beP Cassie. mare. rf ing to advance the health and Benton s House staffer Tania I guess he thought he could g of animals and the Brown guessed that a toy was sneak into Bentons House unpublic. under the crate, but as she detected since two of the three moved the crate from the wall, cats in the entrance hall are eia field mouse darted out. Liz says. ther blind or The tiny creature spotted both But one should never underescats and wisely dashed back un- timate the hunting prowess of der the cage. d the feline blind, or rental a commercial a We food bowl a steel home, endowed. got big property, fully and a large piece of cardboard As a postscript, Liz notes that for the are to responsible you telephone capture and contain the during the field mouse caper Liz says. On our next Sasha, the third cat with Bentons mouse, wiring inside the walls. in try rousting out the mouse, House foyer privileges, never he ran down the hall, past the moved from her warm snoozing kitchen area straight into one of spot on top of the microwave, the cat rooms. Shes the only cat in the foyer Here Mr. Mouse made a near who has total vision! Liz says. fatal error by seeking refuge in I guess her attitude was: Been a suite full offelines with senses there, done that, ho hum. and instincts, if not bodies, in tact. Julius, a gregarious orange tabby who wobbles from neurological damage, spied the mouse first, and according to Liz, tried valiantly to cross the room in a straight line. At the same time, seven ofhis pet-foo- d well-bein- ere' a shock! building, We're gour control, 'National pet dental month 9 If you own a 6 WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 14, 2061 one-eye- d, one-eye- or Thats why South Central offers Inside Wire Maintenance a valuable insurance policy that provides fast, reliable repairs with no charge for parts or labor. South Central Communications 45 N. 100 W. P.O. Box 555, Escalante roommates jumped off their sleep pads and ran over to help with the great mouse hunt. In the confusion of eight Pretty Patience pounced, but the field slightly unbalanced cats, two mouse got away with some help from harried women and one tiny human hands. Photo by Harry Munro. mouse, we lost sight of the prey. It was Tania who noticed the iki intruder was missing and asked, Wheres the mouse? f Lizs eyes swept thoonw-I- n C (.ft nrtsrmmv:,'Lri |