For Pet's Sake Column

I TALKED ABOUT my “feline’s fang fiasco” in a column awhile back, where I lamented about the fact that two of my cat’s teeth literally popped out of her mouth like popcorn during a routine veterinary exam. Ouch! Pretty unusual, I thought, especially when you consider that Miss Bella isn’t quite four years old (her birthday is tomorrow, in case you’d like to send gifts).

So last week, I wrestled poor Miss B. into the dreaded cat carrier for another trip to the veterinary clinic; this time for a thorough dental cleaning under anesthesia. The hardest part for me was withholding breakfast from my famished feline, who is usually tapping her toes next to my head around 6:30 every morning (truth be told, she could stand to skip a couple of meals). After taking a quick shower and, I confess, slipping my cranky cat a couple of treats to appease her appetite, we were off to the vet’s office, where I whispered reassuring words and promised that I’d have a yummy dish of tuna (packed in spring water, no oil or salt) waiting for her when she got home.

To make a long story short: Miss Bella’s teeth are rotting faster than a bunch of bananas left in the sun too long. I came home that afternoon with a groggy kitty and three more of her teeth in a plastic baggie. Sigh! We’re keeping the “fang fairy” busy these days.

Our veterinarian reminded me that Miss Bella shouldn’t eat dry food (I wasn’t feeding her any, I swear!) which, contrary to popular belief, tends to get stuck in a cat’s teeth and gums, causing bacterial build-up, gingivitis, and tooth decay. She also suggested that I go online and purchase a product called OxyFresh. This safe, non-toxic liquid can be added to pets’ drinking water and is supposed to banish bacteria from their mouths and help them live longer, healthier lives by slowing the progression of periodontal disease.

According to the OxyFresh.com Web site, “periodontal disease has been called the ‘silent killer of pets,’ and proper oral health care may actually extend the life of your pet by 2 to 5 years. It's estimated that 80% of dogs and 70% of cats over the age of 3 suffer from periodontal disease, a serious deterioration of the gums and supporting bones of the teeth. Left unchecked, resulting bacteria can enter your pet’s bloodstream, causing infection or damage to vital organs such as kidneys, lungs, heart, or liver.”

I ordered a bottle of OxyFresh and will keep you posted on how this product works out for us.

TIPS ON TOSSING THE TRASH. After my column about “sacking plastic bags for the planet’s sake,” Kathie wrote: “Good suggestions for the biodegradable dog waste bags, but you didn’t address the issue of trash bag liners. What do you suggest for an alternative? Thanks for the encouragement to go to the next step.”

I responded with this tip: I use Seventh Generation products (available at most health food stores or on the company's Web site, which states: “Seventh Generation Tall Kitchen Trash Bags are made with 100% recycled plastic with 70% post consumer content. If every household in the U.S. replaced just one package of 15 count large trash bags made from virgin plastic with 100% recycled ones, we could save: 93,000 barrels of oil, enough to heat and cool 5,300 U.S. homes for a year: 1.7 million cubic feet of landfill space, equal to 2,500 full garbage trucks and: avoid 34,600 tons of pollution!”

Seventh Generation doesn’t manufacture bags for small trash cans, so I use “food waste” bags from BioBag, which are 100% biodegradable and 100% compostable. The company also makes dog waste bags and cat pan liners. BioBags are available at health food stores or on the company's Web site.

Bonnie wrote in to ask about using plastic bags for her recycling. I told her that I throw all my recycling items into a Rubbermaid trash can that’s in the kitchen and then every couple of days, I dump the contents of the small can into my large recycling can. Nice and neat and no plastic bags needed!

SIZZLING IN THE SAND. In response to my column last week about protecting our dogs’ feet during hot weather, Virginia sent this email message: “I thought of another way to protect dogs from hot surfaces [such as asphalt and metal] that might be pertinent to the way we live here in Southern California. I remember from my youth how painful it was to walk on the hot, dry sand at the top of the beach where the water never reached.” Virginia, thanks for pointing out that hot sand can be painful to our pups’ pads!

AND A NOTE FROM ROBIN ABOUT HOT DOGS: “You wrote a great article about not leaving pets in cars, but I suspect it falls on deaf ears for those who really should be reading it. I would love a follow-up article on suggested ways to approach a situation where an owner is clearly unaware of how hot it is outside and inside the car for his dog.

Here was my response to Robin: I carry several “Park Your Pet at Home” flyers in my glove compartment and I don’t hesitate to put them on cars that have a dog inside. That way I don’t get into a confrontation with the dog’s guardian, which never seems to go well, no matter how nice I am about it. People think I’m accusing them of being a bad pet parent (which they are) and they accuse me of being paranoid (which I’m not). Order a set of 100 flyers for $22.00 from the American Humane Association, 63 Inverness Drive East, Englewood, CO 80112, (303) 792-9900, or on the organization's Web site.