Page 3 - Burlington Reports Newsletter - Fall/Winter 2019

Burlington Reports
Paws and Claws Society, Inc., Thorofare, NJ
www.pacsnj.org
Issue 25, September 2019
Page 3

Partners in Prevention Not Destruction since 1993

Squirty’s Words . . . From The Rainbow Bridge
Question: More and more people are In memory of Squirt, a longtime friend of
going to see Holistic doctors nowadays. Paws and Claws Society who passed away on
Is there a Holistic option for pets? Mother’s Day 2011 at the age of 16½, Burlington

Answer: Yes, there is! Many people, Reports added a new section to remember pets
uneasy when their conventional vets who have passed or to learn more about our
(or their own conventional doctors) animal family members. Ask Squirt a question or
prescribe medications that can be po- share your pet memorial story on our web site
tentially dangerous or come with too (hover over “Newsletter” on our menu). Let Squirt
many unwanted side effects, turn to Squirt answer your questions or meet your pet(s) at the
Holistic medical professionals instead. A Jan. 1995 - May 2011 Rainbow Bridge and escort them to Pet Heaven.
Holistic veterinarian and a conventional
veterinarian both must earn a DVM (doctor of veterinary medicine) degree before entering their professions.
A Holistic veterinarian then may choose to train in any of several specialties including herbal, physical rehabil-
itation, massage, and acupuncture, as well as other therapies.
A Holistic DVM uses an integrative approach to treatment, looking at your pet as
a whole and treating the underlying condition rather than simply treating the
symptoms, and is much less likely to prescribe drugs as a first choice course of
action.

Of course, because a Holistic veterinarian is a doctor of veterinary medicine, he or
she is able to prescribe drugs if necessary. In an emergency or acute situation
where natural methods may not work or may not offer fast enough results, a
Holistic veterinarian may use drugs or other methods that a conventional veterinarian would use.
There are many ways to find a Holistic vet in your area. You can ask other pet owners, speak with someone
at your local pet store, or check the web site for the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association at
ahvma.org/find-a-holistic-veterinarian. (Find the link on Paws and Claws Society’s web site.)

Question: My vet said that my cat has extra teeth. Should I be concerned? Do dogs ever have extra teeth?

Answer: An adult cat has 30 teeth and an adult dog has 42 teeth. Compared to an
adult human’s 32 (or 28 if they’ve had all 4 wisdom teeth removed), dogs are by far
much toothier than cats or people!
Sometimes, however, a cat or dog may have extra
teeth, known as supernumerary teeth, caused by a
condition called hyperdontia. This is actually more
common in dogs than in cats. For both, it occurs more frequently with adult
teeth than with baby teeth.
While supernumerary teeth aren’t necessarily a problem, having extra teeth
can lead to damage to the normal teeth, overcrowding, and periodontal dis-
ease. Sometimes the extra teeth are impacted. Do dogs ever have extra teeth?
Regardless of whether your cat or dog has too many teeth, not enough teeth, or the exact number of teeth
he or she is supposed to have, it is always important to have their teeth checked on a regular basis. Your vet
will let you know if there is any reason for concern and will recommend appro-
To learn about links priate treatment if it is needed.
for additional reading
on topics mentioned in Peace, Love. and Head-Butts,
Burlington Reports,
see “For Fur-Ther Squirt . .
Information” on page one!