In this episode of All My Children Wear Fur Coats, we had the pleasure of speaking to Dr. Wendy Hauser. Dr. Hauser is the President of Peak Veterinary Consulting and Chief Veterinary Consultant for OraStipdx.

Dr. Hauser is raising awareness of the dangers of Periodontal Disease and educating pet parents about the importance of pet dental care. It is the most common disease in pets around the world and it often goes undetected causing health and behavioral issues down the line. OraStripdx can help this issue.

Periodontal disease begins when a plaque biofilm, comprised of bacteria, attaches itself to the gum. As time passes, the bacteria make its way into the space between the tooth and the gums. Since the gums are an ideal space for anerobic bacteria, they begin to thrive and reproduce. These bacteria power their metabolism by producing a chemical called thiols. Thiols are toxic to the gum tissue and the gums begin to break down. These bacteria can then go into the blood stream and cause damage to the organs.

Early Periodontal disease is incredibly difficult to detect in animals that are not anesthetized and is usually only spotted when pets are receiving dental cleaning. Dr. Hauser states that less than 80% of all pets receive some sort of vet dental care in their lifetime. For this reason, it continues to go undetected by vets and pet parents alike.

To avoid any damage, the priority should be catching Periodontal disease to treat it before it does any damage to the teeth, gums, or organs. As of now there is only one screening test to detect the early stages of Periodontal disease, OraStripdx.

OraStripdx is the only screening test that can be used on pets that are not under anesthesia. A simple swab lets the user know whether Thiols have been detected. From there the pet parent should begin to take preventative action.

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