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Are your gun dog's teeth healthy?

By Tony Price

Wednesday, 13 June 2007

Even if the season's ended, it's vital to keep an eye on your gun dog's health and condition.

If not taken care of, a poor dental condition can have an adverse long-term effect on a gun dog's general health and wellbeing.

The first sign of a problem is usually a build-up of a hard, brown, plaque substance on the gun dog's teeth. If no action is taken to remove the plaque it can lead to gum infections and result in serious tooth decay. Even worse, the plaque can sometimes create toxins that can have a harmful long-term affect on a dog's kidneys.

A simple inspection of the dog's teeth will let you know if they need attention or not. If you do find evidence of plaque, here are a couple of ways we've found of treating the problem. The first, and easiest, is to give the dog a roasted knucklebone, which can be purchased from most pet stores. The majority of dogs will happily spend all day chewing this type of bone, and the actual chewing process removes (or certainly loosens) the plaque from their teeth.

The other option is to use a dental scraper on the dog's teeth. We tend to condition all our dogs from an early age so that they are happy to let us open their mouths and inspect their teeth. Using a scraper is simply the next stage of this conditioning. The scraper is great for removing any really stubborn stains on the teeth, and is also ideal for when a particular dog isn't that bothered about chewing on a bone.

A quick word of warning, though. Be wary of allowing dogs to chew constantly on bones, or other items, in their kennel. In the past we've experienced one or two older dogs that have completely worn their teeth away, simply by constantly carrying a stainless steel bowl around in the kennel! Obviously this happened over a period of several years but it can happen, so it's worth mentioning.

Tooth wear can also be caused by allowing dogs to have constant access to bones or other hard objects, such as large stones. We only give our dogs bones to clean their teeth when it's necessary - and definitely not more than once every couple of months.

Over 'ere!
You should also have a good look in your dog's ears, to make sure there's no dark coloured wax or other infection that's developed over the season. If there's a build up of dark brown or black 'gunge' this usually indicates an infestation of ear mites. This can be treated with a mixture of Benzyl Benzoate and Liquid paraffin mixed at one to five.

Always shake the mixture well before filling the dog's ear, and remember to use the mixture liberally - don't just use a few drops as with some of the specialist ear treatments. We recommend you fill the dog's ear with this mixture every day for three days, vigorously massaging it into the dog's ear canal. The dog's ear canal goes down, round a corner and along, so it's necessary to work the mixture all the way round the bend to the bottom. Then wipe the ear clean with a soft tissue.

After this, inspect the ear twice a week to ascertain whether the dog needs further treatment. If you find your dog has a persistent ear problem consult your vet, sooner rather than later, because ear problems left without treatment usually develop into long-term problems.

Sarcoptic mange
Another problem becoming very common in our area is sarcoptic mange, which is generally passed on from the fox population. If caught at the early stages it's not a difficult parasite to treat. The early signs are baldness round the eyes, on the ears, with small bald patches on other parts of the body or a reddening and loss of hair between the back legs.

If you find it necessary to consult your vet for treatment for this condition - vets tend to prescribe a product called Stronghold - be sure to inform the vet that you suspect it to be sarcoptic mange, possibly caught from being in contact with foxes. This helps prevent mis-diagnosis, as the ailment can often be mistaken for a food allergy or other skin complaint. A wrong diagnosis could mean extreme discomfort for the dog as until the correct treatment is given it will probably lose a considerable amount of hair and suffer from constant irritation. In our experience it appears that this mange mite can transfer easily from dog to dog. Conversely, at other times there can be just one in the kennels with the mite.

If you suspect that your dog may have srcoptic mange, be extremely careful about any contact with the animal, this especially applies to children, as humans can contract this disease, which we commonly call scabies. If you are confident to do the treatment yourself, we've found rubbing a small amount of Benzyl Benzoate on the infected area generally clears it up within a few days.

The right kit
During the summer you will still need to work your dog to keep it fit. As such, I would advise you to carry a dog first-aid kit with you at all times, and probably a more comprehensive first-aid kit in your vehicle as well. Injuries do not just occur in the shooting season! Here's a list of the most useful items I keep in my dog first-aid kit:

• Plastic insulation tape. This is really useful for covering damaged dew claws. You must be careful not to wind it too tight round the dog's leg, though, otherwise this will cut off the blood flow to the dog's foot. The tape is also useful for holding in place coverings for small leg wounds in the same manner as it provides a waterproof coating. It can also be used as a protection for the end of a damaged tail. Obviously be careful not to bind it on too tightly and it must be removed immediately when you get home.
• Sterile water. This should be of sufficient quantity for flushing wounds or foreign bodies from the eye.
• Vet wrap bandages. These are good products, being an elasticated bandage that only sticks to itself. This means you can bandage a dog's leg etc without the bandage slipping off itself all the time, especially on a dog's foot. These bandages do still have to be secured at the end with some elastoplast tape.
• Superglue. One of the most common injuries, especially in our area where there's lots of flint in the ground, is a minor cut to the pad of the foot. Unfortunately a dog's pad will bleed quite seriously, and can take weeks to repair if not treated straight away. For minor cuts in the pad I have found superglue to be a very effective treatment. Immediately you notice the dog has cut its pad you should clean the cut thoroughly with sterile water, making sure there is no dirt in the cut whatsoever. Dry the pad with some tissue then apply a small amount of superglue to the cut. With another fairly thick wad of tissue firmly hold the cut together. I've had dogs working in the field that have cut their pad and after this treatment are perfectly happy to continue with the day's work. After examining the dog's foot over the next two or three days I was amazed at the rapid healing process.

Other essential items to include in your kit include; a roll of sticky plaster, lint dressings, wound powder, tissues, tweezers, scissors and disposable gloves.

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