West Hollywood, California (November 23, 2009) – When discussing the means of keeping a pet healthy with pet owners, I always emphasize the value of a thorough physical exam. The physical exam gives the examining veterinarian the opportunity to discover and readily resolve abnormalities.
Recently, I was called upon to perform an emergency exam on a dog that incurred trauma after being hit by a car.
During this exam, I made a surprising discovery that may have otherwise gone unnoticed until more serious, secondary complications arose.
While overzealously playing with a canine companion, Demi, a female Puggle, found herself in the middle of a busy street and was hit by a car. Her concerned owner immediately brought Demi in for me to evaluate her injuries.
Demi exhibited obvious swelling to her right eye, but otherwise appeared relatively unscathed considering the high potential for injury often associated with hit by car trauma.
Dogs sustaining head trauma often manifest oral cavity injuries, such as damaged teeth, fractured bones, or gingival avulsion (gum tissue ripped away from underlying bone).
As I opened Demi’s mouth I expected to find such abnormalities. Fortunately for Demi, I found a relatively healthy mouth but for an unusual foreign body imbedded in her gingival tissue.
Demi had a rusty, opened, safety pin wedged between her third and fourth premolar in her right lower (mandibular) arcade of teeth. The gingival tissue at the site appeared inflamed, devitalized, and infected.
Bacteria from the mouth easily pass through unhealthy gum tissue into the bloodstream and seed the internal organs with their toxic products.
Oral cavity bacteria are potentially harmful to the heart, kidneys, and liver, and other organs.
Additionally, chronic bacterial infection can lead to suppression of the immune system (see Improve your pet’s periodontal health during October’s National Pet Wellness Month).
As Puggle mouths are small and cramped with irregularly arranged teeth, my plan to remove the safety pin was not readily apparent. Initially, I thought I would have to sedate Demi to the degree that she would permit removal of the safety pin.
Considering the complete picture of Demi’s trauma was not yet determined, immediately seating her to remove the object was likely not in her best interest.
Fortunately, my skilled technicians were able to comfortably restrain Demi in a position safely permitting access to the foreign body. With the further aid of good lighting and the appropriate instrument, Demi’s safety pin was quickly extracted.
Demi had a rusty, opened, safety pin wedged between her third and fourth premolar in her right lower (mandibular) arcade of teeth. The gingival tissue at the site appeared inflamed, devitalized, and infected.WeHo News. |
Further diagnostics revealed that Demi had not incurred major trauma to her internal organs. With the appropriate medications and rest, Demi’s healing and return to her normal dog life was likely.
As I conveyed this information to Demi’s owner, I had a “but wait, there’s more” moment. The owner was certainly surprised to learn of my discovery in Demi’s mouth, as no such object was known to have been inappropriately consumed.
Additionally, no abnormal oral cavity malodor had (yet) been noted. Demi had been eating and otherwise behaving normally. Had Demi’s hit by car incident not occurred, it may have been weeks, months, or longer before the foreign body was discovered.
I wish Demi never had to incur the discomfort associated with being hit by a car, yet the incident permitted the discovery of a problem that may have potentially lead to many serious consequences.
A thorough physical exam is integral to keeping your pet healthy. Take measures to protect your pet’s overall health and well being by scheduling a wellness examination with a veterinarian on a twice yearly basis.
Patrick Mahaney VMD, CVA founded California Pet Acupuncture & Wellness (CPAW), Inc.
(CPAW), Inc. offers conventional Western and Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine (TCVM) on a house call basis.
See him www.californiapaw.com or write him californiapaw@me.com.
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