Why Should I Brush My Dog’s Or Cat’s Teeth?

How Can I Brush My Animal’s Teeth?

It is usually an easy and fun procedure. First pick a soft-bristled or finger toothbrush. Next, get toothpaste from your veterinarian. Do not use human toothpaste because it has detergents that should not be swallowed.

How About Wipes?

Dental wipes can be effective in removing plaque. Be sure to wipe the area where the tooth meets the gum line.

How Often Does My Pet Need To Have Teeth Cleaned By The Veterinarian?

It depends on the degree of plaque and tartar accumulation. You need to examine your pet’s teeth monthly. Look for an accumulation of yellow or brown material at the area where the tooth meets the gumline especially over the cheek teeth and canines.

Once you notice plaque or tartar accumulation, it is time for a professional cleaning. Do not wait.

Attached to the tartar are bacteria, which irritate gum tissues. When treated, the inflammation will resolve. When gingivitis is left untreated, it will progress to periodontitis, which is non-curable.

The intervals between teeth cleaning procedures will depend on how often you can brush your pet’s teeth. Once or twice daily cleaning is optimum. If you cannot brush the teeth, then your pet will probably need two or three teeth cleaning visits yearly.

Can I Just Take My Fingernail Or A Dental Scaler To Remove The Calculus?

Dental disease occurs below the gum line. By removing calculus from the tooth, you are not removing disease below the gum line. In order to thoroughly help your pet, plaque and calculus must be removed from below the gum line.

Do You Have To Use Anesthesia To Clean My Pet’s Teeth?

Anesthesia is necessary when performing teeth cleaning. Anesthesia provides three important functions: immobilization in order to clean below the gum line, pain control, and the ability to place a tube into the windpipe, so bacterial products do not enter the respiratory system.

I Am Concerned About The Anesthesia. Is It Safe?

We take every effort to provide safe anesthesia. We use gas anesthetic agents; dogs and cats are given pre-operative tests depending on their age and condition to qualify them for anesthesia; and patients are monitored while anesthetized both visibly and with similar monitoring devices as used in human hospitals.

What Is Involved In The Teeth Cleaning At Your Hospital?

Each Oral Assessment, Treatment, and Prevention (Oral ATP) visit has twelve separate steps:

1. general exam before anesthesia, pre-operative organ testing
2. oral exam under anesthesia
3. gross calculus removal
4. subgingival (below the gumline) scaling, root planing, curettage where indicated
5. tooth polishing
6. irrigation
7. fluoride / OraVet application
8. post cleaning exam and dental x-rays to evaluate the areas below the gum line
9. dental charting to create a treatment plan
10. therapy if necessary
11. home care instructions
12. no-fee follow up appointment to see how well you are performing home care.

How Much Does A Tooth Cleaning Procedure Cost?

It is impossible to determine what the procedure will cost because we do not know the status of your pet’s teeth and gums. There are four levels of teeth cleanings at our hospital. Fees are based on severity plus costs for preoperative testing, anesthesia, necessary therapy, and medication. Fees for all dental services are available by e-mail or fax. The doctor or staff will provide an initial treatment plan based on exam room findings and a follow up treatment plan with fees after a tooth-by-tooth exam is conducted under anesthesia.

What Is The Best Food For My Pet?

Hard food will help remove plaque from teeth. There are special diets specifically manufactured to help control plaque. Feeding the special diets in conjunction with daily brushing is the best to keep the teeth clean. Diet alone will not control plaque, but it will help.

What Toys Should I Avoid To Protect My Pet’s Teeth?

Chewing on objects harder than teeth may lead to dental fractures. Be especially careful with cow and horse hoofs. They commonly cause fractures of the upper fourth premolars. Tug-of-war games must not be practiced, especially in young dogs and cats in order to avoid moving growing teeth to abnormal locations. Throwing dogs discs can also cause trauma to the teeth, resulting in pulpitis (an inflammation of the pulp).

What Are Cat Cavities?

Many cats get painful lesions at the gum line that invade teeth. They are properly referred to as tooth resorptions. Unfortunately we do not know what causes tooth resorption, and the most effective treatment involves extraction of the affected tooth. Check to see if your cat has an advanced resorption by pressing a cotton-tipped applicator to the gum line. If a painful lesion is noted, your cat will chatter its jaw.

How Can I Tell If My Pet Is Suffering From Periodontal Disease?

The leading sign is bad breath. Dogs and cats should not have disagreeable mouth odor. Bad breath comes from infection. If your pet’s breath does not smell like roses, let us examine its mouth and advise care.

What Type Of Tests Are Done To Diagnose Dental Disease?

If your pet has periodontal disease or a fractured tooth, an oral exam is performed while under anesthesia. A periodontal probe is used to evaluate bone loss around each tooth. X-rays are taken to evaluate if the teeth can be saved or need to be extracted.

When Do I Have To Start Worrying About Dental Problems With My Pet?

As soon as puppy or kitten teeth emerge, it’s time to start brushing. Although baby teeth are replaced with adult teeth, the puppy or kitten gets used to the brushing procedure, which continues for life.

What Can Be Done If My Pet Has Periodontal Disease?

Periodontal disease occurs when tooth support structures are affected by infection. In the beginning stages, cleaning above and below the gum line as well as removal of calculus attached to the tooth will help restore periodontal health. In advanced cases, either periodontal surgery or extractions are performed. Antibiotics given monthly also help to control the progression of periodontal disease.

Which Animals Are At Most Risk For Periodontal Disease?

Smaller breeds are more prone than larger because the teeth are closer together in small dogs, and they usually live longer. Terriers, Maltese, and Shih Tzus are especially prone to periodontal disease.

What Can You Do To Fix A Broken Tooth?

If your dog or cat breaks a tooth, there are two treatments: root canal therapy or extraction. You cannot leave the tooth alone with an exposed nerve. In addition to pain, infection will soon develop that can spread to the rest of your pet’s body.

How Does Spina Bifida Develop?

The vertebrae form in the embryo (earliest stages of development) during the mother’s pregnancy. Sometimes, abnormal growth and development of the spine happen before birth with both puppies and kittens. The result is that some of the neural tube, the part of a fetus that eventually develops into the brain and spinal cord, fails to close into a complete tube. This usually occurs on the back side (dorsal or posterior side), resulting in a defect in the affected vertebrae. This congenital (trait present at birth) defect is called spina bifida. Sometimes only the bones are involved, and the defect may cause no symptoms. This is called spina bifida occulta and is usually found incidentally on X-rays taken for other reasons. In other cases, however, the defect in neural tube growth and closure involves the membranes surrounding the spinal cord (called the meninges) or leaves a defect in the spinal cord itself. These defects usually result in clinical signs termed spina bifida manifesta.

Central Nervous System 

1. The brain and spinal cord make up the central nervous system (CNS). The CNS is the body’s processing center and coordinates what the entire body does.
2. The CNS takes in sensory information, processes it, and sends out signals through nerves to make the body do something.
3. Information is sent from various areas in our bodies (like when a dog steps on hot pavement), and the CNS makes the desired movement happen (moving the foot away from the hot surface).
4. A cat can’t jump onto a couch without a signal first being sent to the brain from the eyes that a couch is nearby. The cat’s brain must also then signal the legs to jump.
5. Nerve cells, called neurons, send these signals. There are billions of neurons in the body, and they communicate with each another to cause physical responses and actions.
6. The inability to move, called paralysis, stems from problems in the nervous system.
7. A signal from the nerves in the body is what causes any part of the body to move, so if the part of the nervous system that takes care of the legs has enough damage, the nervous system cannot tell the brain to move the legs.
8. If signals cannot be sent to tell urinary and fecal muscles to wait a bit or to loosen now, the body will have no control over those muscles, and incontinence will happen.

Because spina bifida manifesta most often affects the area of the low lumbar and sacral regions in affected puppies and kittens (most often Old English Bulldogs and Manx cats), the signs can include abnormal control of urination and bowel movements, as well as movement abnormalities in the pelvic (hind) limbs.

Another common finding in patients affected with spina bifida manifesta is tethered (spinal) cord syndrome, where the end of the spinal cord is abnormally attached to the spine. As the puppy or kitten grows, the spinal cord cannot expand along with the spine, stretching the spinal cord and leading to further neurological problems.

How Common is Spina Bifida?

Spina bifida is relatively rare in dogs and cats, and the disease can vary from mild to severe.

Human parents of babies with spina bifida are told that no two cases are alike because the symptoms vary in severity depending on where the vertebrae have not closed and by how much is exposed, and the same is true for dogs and cats.

Spina bifida can occur because of genetic factors, problems with nutrition, or if the mother was exposed to certain chemicals and toxins while pregnant. It’s possible that inbreeding and selective breeding practices may increase the likelihood of this condition. English bulldogs and the tailless Manx cats are the breeds most affected by spina bifida, but it can happen to any breed of dog or cat. In brachycephalic or short-faced dog breeds such as English bulldogs, French bulldogs, or Pugs, spina bifida tends to occur at the first thoracic (chest area) vertebra but can be found in different lower areas of the spine as well.

Cats and dogs with spina bifida may leak cerebrospinal fluid, or CSF, from sacs near their tail area. CSF is essential to cushion the spinal cord and keep the spinal cord healthy.

Screw tail dog breeds such as English bulldogs, French bulldogs, Pugs, and Boston Terriers are also known to develop a similar yet different spinal condition called hemivertebra.  With hemivertebra, vertebrae are deformed, and two or more may fuse together, which has the potential to cause walking and elimination (urination or feces) issues depending on the location of the deformity on the spine. However, most hemivertebra lesions are not associated with clinical signs. 

Diagnosis

Treatment

Spina bifida may be a minor or major issue for your pet, depending on how many vertebrae did not close properly and where those incomplete vertebrae are located.

Severe cases are considered untreatable, and unfortunately, the pet will have a very poor quality of life due to pain, paralysis, weakness, neurologic deficits, and little ability to control their bowel and bladder. Typically, puppies and kittens are euthanized immediately upon diagnosis of severe spina bifida, and signs that something is not normal can be seen as soon as the puppy or kitten begins to walk.

In minor cases, generally, no treatment is needed. Most of these cases are found coincidentally on X-rays taken for a separate concern. Supportive care can help manage fecal and urinary incontinence, urinary tract infections, and hygiene issues.

1. Mild cases can often be treated with reconstructive surgery that removes tumors and cysts, closes sacs, and sometimes may restore part of the spinal cord. Discuss with your veterinarian whether referral to a surgical specialist is best for you and your pet.
2. Medications can help with urinary and fecal incontinence, and your veterinarian can offer options for pain control.
3. Physical therapy and rehabilitation can help with mobility and strengthen weak muscles.
4. Wheelchairs and braces may be recommended.
5. Diet may be modified to help manage specific issues and ensure your pet is getting adequate nutrition.

Prognosis

Prognosis is good for clinically normal pets, and some with mild disease can lead good, functional lives. The prognosis for patients with severe nerve damage or lack of function is guarded, and euthanasia may be recommended if no quality of life is possible. If your pet has been diagnosed with spina bifida, your veterinarian can discuss with you how your pet may be impacted physically and what ongoing treatment options and lifestyle changes may look like for you and your pet so you can both have the best quality of life possible.

A salivary mucocele, also known as a salivary gland mucocele or sialocele, is a swollen area associated with saliva (spit) leaking from a salivary gland into surrounding tissues. It can be caused by damage to either the salivary gland, which produces saliva, or the salivary duct, which is the passageway for saliva from the gland to the mouth.

What does a salivary mucocele look like?

This type of salivary mucocele is also referred to as a ranula. Mucoceles under the tongue may become so large that they can be seen next to the tongue or can prevent the mouth from closing properly. They can also cause trouble keeping food in the mouth and swallowing. 

Uncommon places a salivary mucocele may be seen is on the cheek, where it’s seen as a swelling below the eye. The eye on the mucocele side of the face may appear larger than the eye on the healthy side. A bulge in the roof of the mouth may be seen as well. 

How is a salivary mucocele diagnosed? 

For the most part, salivary mucoceles are easy to diagnose. All that is usually needed is to remove some of the fluid and cells by suctioning them out with a needle and syringe, a process called aspirating. The salivary fluid is examined under a microscope to confirm the type of fluid and to look for bacteria in case the mucocele is infected. 

What is the treatment for a mucocele? 

Surgery is often needed to remove the diseased gland. If the mucocele is caused by a damaged duct, sometimes surgically creating a new opening in the duct can solve the problem without removing the gland. Fortunately, though, there are multiple salivary glands in the mouth so removing one will not have a major effect on saliva production. Once in a while, multiple surgeries are needed to ensure all diseased salivary tissue is removed. 

Occasionally, the veterinarian will drain the mucocele to relieve some of the pressure on the neck and face. This is especially common when the mucocele is big enough to cause problems with eating, drinking, breathing, or swallowing. Almost all drained mucoceles refill with saliva again, so this is only a temporary solution. Antibiotics and anti-inflammatory medications may also be needed depending on if the mucocele is infected or if the pet has a lot of inflammation and pain. 

Most pets who undergo surgery do extremely well and recover normally. Salivary mucoceles are uncommon. It is unlikely for them to recur after a successful surgery.

Dental Care

Bad breath isn’t an accident; our pets get it for the same reasons we do, and one of those reasons is poor oral health. However, the need for dental care goes far beyond the importance of treating “bad” teeth that are painful and thus can make pets reluctant to eat or drink. The bacteria involved in the infection can travel through the body, causing problems in other organs. You can help to prevent dental disease by brushing your pet’s teeth regularly at home with a toothpaste made for pets, not humans, and by making sure your veterinarian checks your pet’s teeth at every appointment. Your pet may need a dental cleaning under anesthesia for such concerns as gingivitis, periodontal disease, or tooth resorption.

Exercise

While exercise helps prevent obesity, preventing weight gain is not the only reason to provide exercise. Our pets aren’t meant to live a life of dull luxury hanging around on the couch. Exercise also gives them a reason to sleep soundly at night and to have social time (particularly dog play dates). It deepens the human-animal bond, and just plain makes our friends feel good all over. Just going for a walk to check out the smells and sights makes your dog’s day, and interactive cat toys will keep your cat’s mind and body sharp. 

Regular Checkups

Your pet should have at least an annual checkup with your veterinarian. It’s the equivalent of your annual physical. (Some pets may need more frequent checkups, due to on-going health problems, age-related diseases, etc.) Your pet’s doctor will do a physical exam and feel the skin, muscles, bones, etc. for problems; check his teeth; and make sure his health appears to be good. Finding a potential problem sooner, rather than later, is always best for your pet’s health. (And often, it saves you money over the long run.) The older your pet gets, the more important this preventive care becomes.

Microchip

While the system of scanning for microchips is not perfect, having your pet chipped still increases the odds that you will get him home, if he gets lost. It doesn’t matter whether he got lost while you’re camping or if he simply bolted out the door. Tags can fall off collars. Collars can break. (In fact, cat collars are designed to break away, for safety.) In the aftermath of natural disasters, microchips can be invaluable.

Nutrition

Your pet needs a balanced diet created for his species. The price of a pet food doesn’t necessarily equate to the best food for your pet and his health needs. Check the food packaging to see if the food is approved by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO). This group tests commercially available pet food and tells us if it meets our pets’ nutritional needs or not.

Also, your pet needs fresh water every day.

Parasite Control

Internal and external parasites can make your pet (and, in some cases, your family) sick, so using preventatives can keep your pet comfortable and save you a lot of money. It is important to control fleas, ticks, tapeworms, ascarids, other intestinal worms, and heartworms. An infestation of fleas can suck so much blood that your pet can become anemic.  They also can cause skin problems. Ticks can transmit Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, ehrlichiosis, babesiosis, and Cytauxzoonosis. Heartworm disease kills pets every year; heartworm prevention medication is much less expensive than treatment.

This causes the flea to either jump off the pet or be eaten by the pet. For this reason, most dogs and cats with severe flea allergies have never been found with fleas on them!

The Life Cycle of the Flea: Ctenocephalides felis

The majority of the flea population is found off the pet and around the home. Flea eggs are laid in the hair coat and are designed to fall off your pet and into your home. Flea larvae hatch from the eggs and develop in a pet’s environment by feeding on adult flea feces (i.e. digested blood) that fall out of the hair coat of the pet. Flea larvae eventually spin cocoons, often within carpet fibers, for pupation.

The ideal flea control program uses products that target all of the various stages of the flea life cycle and treats the pet’s environment.

Flea Control Recommendations

For the flea allergic patient, 100% flea control is required to remain symptom-free. Even very minimal exposure (i.e. one flea bite a week) may be enough to keep a flea-allergic patient itchy!

• Your pet should remain on monthly flea control year-round. Any pets in contact with that pet should also be on monthly flea control.
• Your pet’s veterinarian may ask you to treat your pet’s indoor environment for fleas with a spray designed to quickly kill fleas and stop their reproduction. To use a spray around your home:
  1. Remove your pets from the area to be sprayed.
  2. Wash all bedding.
  3. Vacuum all carpets and upholstery and then discard the vacuum bag (flea eggs can continue to hatch in vacuum bags).
  4. Spray all surfaces until damp to the touch.
• Sometimes a pet’s outdoor environment will also need to be treated for fleas. Your veterinarian can recommend a product for you to use or the outdoor environment can be treated professionally by pest specialists.

Always wait until all surfaces have dried before allowing your pets back into a treated area.

The physical state of inadequate red blood cells is called anemia, and when it is severe enough, it is a life-threatening condition.

Pets will not itch from their fleas unless they are allergic to flea bites. No scratching does not mean no fleas.

It is easy to underestimate a pet’s infestation. Only animals allergic to flea bites will itch from their fleas. This means that the animal who is not allergic to flea bites will not be scratching or losing hair. Thus the owner may not realize that the pet has a heavy infestation. If your pet is effective at licking and self-grooming, it may be hard to see the fleas, especially if the owner does not have a flea comb. Do not rely on your own ability to see the fleas; use reliable flea control regardless of what you see or do not see.

Check for Flea Dirt

The black, pepper-like specks found in an infested pet’s coat are actually bits of blood that have been sucked up by the flea and excreted in neat little packages to feed the larval fleas that hatch in the environment. Even if live fleas are not seen, flea dirt means that live fleas are there.

Who Are the Victims?

• Elderly cats who go outdoors. The elderly cat is often debilitated from other metabolic problems. Grooming is less efficient, besides which an older cat is just not strong enough to withstand much blood loss.
• Outdoor puppies. Their situation is similar to that of the kittens’: too small to effectively groom and trying to grow in the face of ongoing blood loss.

Eventually, the weakness catches up with these animals, and they will die unless they receive a blood transfusion.

Evaluation and Treatment

The good news is that these patients can still be treated even fairly late in the course of the disease. Often they will need blood transfusions or transfusions with blood substitutes. They will also need to have their fleas removed and will ultimately need to be returned to an environment where they will be protected from further flea infestation.

The first step is recognizing the problem. This is not difficult for a trained veterinary healthcare worker, but it may not be easy for an uninformed pet owner. The affected animal will have pale gums (normal gums are shell-pink; anemic gums can be completely white). In advanced diseases, the patient will be listless and even cold. A flea comb can be used to check for flea dirt. Pets sometimes eat small pebbles, dirt, or cat litter when they are anemic in an effort to obtain more iron.

• Be familiar with the normal color of your pet’s gums so that you can recognize a problem.
• Regular flea combing can help nip a big problem in the bud.
• Use flea control products all year round so you don’t get caught with a surprise heavy flea burden in the spring.

A test called a hematocrit (HCT) or packed cell volume (PCV) is easily done in your veterinarian’s office to assess the degree of anemia. The hematocrit or PCV reflects the percentage of red blood cells that should be in a sample of blood. In dogs, the normal range is 38 to 57; for cats, 24 to 45. Blood transfusions are considered when values reach 20 or less.

Ridding the critically ill patient of fleas can be problematic. Often the patient is too sick to tolerate the stress of a bath and is too young or too small for flea control products. In this situation, veterinarians have to use their judgment on what is the safest route to removing the fleas. It is worth mentioning nitenpyram (brand names Capstar®, PetArmor FastCaps®, and Capguard®) at this point as this simple product has greatly enhanced our ability to clear fleas from a patient quickly and safely. Nitenpyram is available as a fast-acting flea-killing tablet with no known side effects for mammals. It is labeled for use in animals weighing 2 lbs or more and begins killing fleas within 20 minutes of oral administration. While it does not have long-acting flea protection, its ability to rapidly remove a lethal flea burden has made it especially popular for use on patients with dangerous flea infestations.

Returning Home

Of course, after all the blood transfusions, heat support, and flea removal, the pet will ultimately go home, potentially to the same environment where the infestation occurred in the first place. Usually, topical flea control products will provide adequate future protection, and the use of a vitamin and iron supplement will help the patient rebuild red blood cell reserves. 

If the infestation is severe, consider treating the home environment separately before the patient returns to it. Your veterinarian can help you select safe and effective home treatments. The most important prevention is the owner’s education.

There Is No Reason for a Pet to Carry a Flea Burden in This Day and Age

There are still common misconceptions among pet owners:

• People commonly believe they have a flea bite sensitivity, and if they themselves do not perceive fleas biting, then there cannot be a significant flea burden. Fleas actually only bite people when they are newly emerged from their cocoons and are hunting for their permanent host. Waiting for a person to perceive a flea bite requires the flea population to have successfully established in the environment (i.e., the house) and progressed all the way to the production of new adult fleas. In reality, when the fleas are biting people, a significant population has been present for weeks or longer.
  
• Many people believe that a pet with fleas will scratch or be itchy. In reality, only the pets allergic to fleas will be itchy.
  
• It is also commonly believed that fleas are simply part of pet ownership and that there is no way to avoid them. This may have been true at one time, but, in reality, fleas have been optional for decades, with flea control methods achieving higher levels of convenience and safety each year. The days of sprays, powders, and foggers are largely gone, supplanted by chewable tablets and spot-on preparations. No pet needs to have fleas in the 21^st century, and new products are being released every year.

The general pet-owning population has certainly heard of fleas and is aware of most of the modern flea control products. Yet, still, pets die from this easily preventable problem because people do not realize how serious it can be and cannot recognize when it has gotten to a serious point. Be proactive and keep up your flea control all year round; if you wait for what you think of as warm weather, your pet may well already be infested. Do not assume a pet with fleas will scratch. Do not assume that if the humans are not being bitten, then the flea burden must be light. Do not be one of those people whose beloved pet is lost to an easily preventable disease.

Compare flea-preventive products to help you decide which product is best for your situation. If you need help selecting flea control products, remember that your veterinarian and staff are professionally educated in this subject and will be happy to assist you.

Spot-on flea and tick products for dogs and cats have greatly improved the safety and convenience of controlling external parasites on our pets. Using pesticides that are many degrees less toxic and frequently more effective than the organophosphate or carbamate dips and sprays of the past, these spot-on products help keep our pets (and our homes) free of annoying pests that can also carry serious diseases.

When used according to the label directions, spot-on products are well tolerated by most pets. However, as with any product that is applied directly on the skin, there is the possibility that certain individuals will have adverse local reactions to one or more ingredients in the product. Some individuals will have similar reactions to many different spot-on products with different active ingredients, suggesting that their sensitivities may be to some of the inactive ingredients. These reactions are restricted to the area of skin that comes in direct contact with the product, so they do not reflect a systemic toxicosis but rather a local hypersensitivity. Skin reactions to spot-on products can vary from mild tingling sensations to actual chemical burns of the skin in especially sensitive individuals.

The mildest form of skin reaction to spot-on products is epidermal paresthesia, which is defined as an abnormal sensation such as an itch or prickling of the skin. Paresthesia occurs when the applied product “tickles” the nerve endings in the skin, causing the characteristic sensation. Although paresthesia may occur with any spot-on product, it is most commonly associated with products containing concentrated pyrethroids such as permethrin, cyphenothrin, and etofenprox. Pyrethroid paresthesia is a syndrome that has been well documented in both humans and animals. Human descriptions of pyrethroid paresthesia vary from “tingling” to “pins and needles” to “burning” sensations in the skin at the site of pyrethroid contact. These sensations begin within 30 minutes of application and may last 8 to 24 hours if untreated. Some pets appear to experience similar discomfort following application of spot-on products; the fact that the products are generally applied between the shoulder blades can make the sensation particularly annoying to the pets. Affected pets, cats in particular, may become hyperactive and agitated as they try to walk away from the sensation; others may become quiet, subdued and reluctant to move. Skin at the product application site will appear normal (if redness is noted, you’re dealing with contact dermatitis, see below).

Fortunately, treating epidermal paresthesia is fairly simple and entails bathing off the product with a mild dish soap (pet shampoos are too mild to remove all of the product). For pyrethroid paresthesia, applying vitamin E to the affected skin can provide quick relief— just use scissors to snip open a vitamin E capsule (the kind used as a vitamin supplement) and squeeze the oily contents onto the pet’s skin and rub it in.

A rare but more significant skin reaction (in terms of sensitivity) to spot-on products is contact dermatitis, in which an inflammatory reaction develops in response to the topically applied product. These responses – sometimes referred to as hypersensitivity reactions – can occur upon the first use of a product, but more commonly occur after several uneventful exposures to the product. The body sets up an inflammatory response to the site of application, and the skin will appear red and irritated. In more severe cases, wheals or blisters may develop and the skin may actually ulcerate. Unlike paresthesia, which tends to occur within 30 minutes of application, oftentimes the onset of contact dermatitis is delayed for several hours, with the full extent of the injury taking 12 to 24 hours to develop. Depending on the degree of the inflammatory reaction, the level of discomfort can range from mild to quite severe. After bathing off the spot-on product, pets who develop more than mild redness at the application site should be seen by their veterinarians for further treatment to reduce the inflammation and discomfort.

The good news is that skin reactions to spot-on flea/tick control products are quite uncommon, and most pets will have no problems when these products are used. Unfortunately, it is not possible to predict which individual will react to a given product until the reaction has occurred. For this reason, it is a good idea to observe your pet closely for at least an hour following the application of any spot-on product for any signs of discomfort.

Although not life-threatening, skin reactions can range from mildly annoying to very painful; for this reason, a pet that has had a reaction to a spot-on product should never have the same product applied in the future. If a spot-on product is still desired for flea and/or tick control, try a product with different active ingredients than the one that caused the reaction. Following application, watch the pet carefully and be ready to bathe at the first sign of problems. Unfortunately, there are rare individuals that cannot tolerate any of the topical spot-on products, and other flea control options such as sprays or dips may be needed.

More serious problems can result when spot-on flea/tick products designed for dogs are inappropriately applied to cats. Certain concentrated pyrethroids (e.g. permethrin) that are not harmful to dogs can cause life-threatening tremors and/or seizures if applied to cats—these are not really adverse events but are instead true poisonings since the product was misused.  Always read the label before using any topical flea/tick product on cats, and never apply products intended for dogs onto cats.   

Frontline (fipronil) is toxic to rabbits. 

If your pet has a reaction to a flea or tick control product of any kind, you should report the reaction. All spot-on product labels will have a phone number that you can use to report the reaction to the manufacturer. By law, the manufacturer is required to send monthly reports of adverse reactions to the appropriate federal regulating authority. Alternatively, you can go to the agencies’ websites to find out how to report reactions directly to them. Report reactions to flea/tick products containing heartworm preventatives, such as Revolution and Advantage Multi, to the Food and Drug Administration; report flea/tick products that do not contain heartworm preventatives to the Environmental Protection Agency.