As much as I love summer
beach days and riding the waves, I equally love sunny winter days and playing in fresh snow. So far, we’re in a bit of a snow deficit, but it’s made for perfect walking weather. Syd and I have been together about three months, and I believe we have a pretty good routine going. She gets me up around 7am. I take her out, feed her, and then she goes back to sleep while I nurse a large cup of coffee. I got rid of my office due to Covid, so my days are spent doing readings from home. She seems pretty indifferent to my psychic abilities and sleeps either half on my lap or beside me while I’m on calls. I usually space people fifteen minutes apart, so on those breaks I take her out for a quick breath of fresh air. If there’s thirty minutes and we walk fast, I can make it around the block and not be out of breath for my next session. Before getting Syd I wouldn’t have gotten up and actually ventured out in those little breaks, and I have no idea why other than blatant laziness or indifference. Having a dog changes all of that pretty quickly! After my last client of the day, I put on my sneakers and YakTraks, so I stay upright and not fall down the road, and we head out for a longer walk. I have an app on my phone that tracks my exercise, and prior to November I was averaging less than a mile a day. That’s not totally accurate because I don’t bring my phone with me
Mouth Pain Q. How do I know if my dog has mouth pain?
A. Not all mouth and tooth
pain are created equal. Sometimes there is a swelling below the eye, which can indicate an abscessed molar, but it isn’t always that easy to tell. You need to be a good observer of your pouch’s behavior to see changes indicating pain. February is National Pet Dental Month. I have written about dental hygiene a few times. Today I want to talk about how to assess your dog’s mouth health and if he is in pain. For dogs with a normal shaped muzzle, all the teeth should line up. With brachycephalic dogs with smooshed in faces, the teeth do not have room to line up properly. Many teeth are turned sideways, missing, and protruding out the front of the mouth. For dogs whose teeth are lined up, the upper teeth come down the outside of the lower
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Furry Words
by Sara Moore
www.enlightenedhorizons.com
while shopping, and I don’t carry it around my house either, but more often than not, I was sedentary. Now I’m averaging over three miles a day, and my body feels stronger than it has in years! One challenge I’ve encountered is Syd had never seen a cat before moving in with me. She is an 85-pound chocolate Lab, but the 8 pound fur balls with claws TERRIFIED her! The first day exploring the house she came face to face with little Maple and did a very fast about face back to the safety of the kitchen. I think Maple is now having a field day with this power, but the other cat, Casper,
Ask the Vet…
by Dr. Judith Herman
teeth. This allows the dog to crush and tear when they are chewing. It also helps keep the teeth clean. Have you ever noticed when Fido loses a back upper tooth the lower tooth below will build up more tartar? That is because the cleaning action from the upper tooth is gone. Often the signs of pain are
can’t seem to understand why Syd doesn’t want to rub faces with him. It’s almost happened, but we’re not there quite yet. I was looking forward to having a dog to snuggle with at night, but she was totally content sprawling on a chair in the living room. I’m in the process of getting new floors downstairs, so it was more out of necessity that I had to figure out how to get her to realize that upstairs was really where it’s at. I tried bribing her with treats, but she’d get to the top step, reach her neck out as far as possible for her reward and then dash back downstairs. I called her. I acted so excited if she even tested out the first step, but the cat had really left an indelible impression on her, and she was NOT going up! Three days ago, I hooked her to her leash, grabbed a handful of bigger treats, and started leading her upstairs. I treated her essentially every single step, and before I knew it, she was in my room!!! The next challenge was getting her on the bed. I swear she is working me over because she won’t jump into my car, and I have to put her front paws on the tailgate and then lift her up and in. I had to employ the same technique to get her onto my bed. Once she figured it out, though, she circled a few times and plopped herself right where you would expect her to- the absolute middle of my queen-sized bed. I did what any good owner would do and adjusted my notebook,
laptop, and things around her. I was happy to sit on one quarter of the bed if it meant she’d stay with me. I had to put her leash back on to convince her to go downstairs, but as I write this, she’s sleeping to my right and crazy Maple is on my left. And yes, I’m still only taking up a fraction of the bed because Queen Syd is laying parallel to the pillows. Last night, she actually hopped up on her own, which was pretty awesome, as I brushed my teeth and awesome until I tried to climb under the covers, and she refused to move her head off my pillows. I even tried to physically move her, but she let her body go totally limp, and I was no match for her floppy body. So, I clung to the edge of the bed and pulled the covers up and around both of us. You know what she did? She spooned me. Oh Syd, how I love you. I know that my heart is all in because I didn’t complain about the dog hair she left behind when she got up to grab a drink of water. I haven’t minded vacuuming almost daily, getting up early, or sharing my bed. I do believe this is exactly what I needed.
minimal. Fido isn’t eating as well, losing weight, not chewing his food, and has bad breath. These can all be signs of a mouth problem with pain. Signs that may indicate discomfort in your companion might be flinching when touched around the mouth or that he chews on one side instead of both sides. Swellings around the muzzle are obvious signs of something going on. Many times, there isn’t obvious sign of pain with these swellings. Digging at the mouth is another sign of discomfort. This may indicate a loose tooth, something stuck in the mouth that is irritating Fido, or neurologic pain. Symptoms of discomfort not directly associated with the mouth are head tilts, shaking his head, watery eyes and other ocular discharges. Nasal discharges may not be a sign of a cold but may stem from a problem in the mouth. Discharges can be clear and watery, mucous of any color, or even bloody. It is important to check your dog’s mouth on a regular basis. If you brush your dog’s teeth, that is a
good time to take a look. You will be looking for a change in color of the gums, abnormal swellings, bleeding around the base of the teeth, a bad odor, pus like discharge around the teeth, excessive drooling, and a change in behavior with handling Fido’s mouth. Behaviors like running away, growling, moving his head around to make it difficult to examine are all signs that there is a problem. When you see any of these behaviors, symptoms, and changes, it is time to schedule an appointment with your veterinarian. It is not a time for a wait and see attitude. Dental disease that goes unchecked can cause more severe problems for your dog. Infections in the mouth can spread to the heart, liver, and kidneys creating potential life-threatening problems.
Sara Moore currently offers long distance readings over the phone or FaceTime. You can learn more at www.enlightenedhorizons. com and follow her on Facebook at Sara Moore Enlightened Horizons. All information given in a reading is not a replacement for licensed veterinary care.
Judith K. Herman, DVM, CVH Animal Wellness Center Augusta, Maine www.mainehomeopahticvet.com
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