This Past Year Reflection

I will keep this post short and sweet. Looking back on this past year has been full of ups and luckily only limited downs. I was blessed to have been able to travel so often as well as help expand my family with a new dog! I never thought I would have two dogs in a small apartment. However at the end of the year I bought a house (more on that later). It’s been an incredibly busy year to the point where I have get I have missed full months. I have occasionally over looked to take care of myself as I was busy with the stresses of everyday life. Next year, I will focus more on this new beginning of moving into a house, learning how to budget for it, and figuring out a new exercise routine, all while furthering my education by getting herbal and acupuncture certified. I can’t wait to see what’s in store!

Here’s my month by month recap of 2019:

January - Traveled to Seattle to visit my favorite wine’s vineyard
February - Celebrated Anya’s 3rd adoptiversary by introducing Aurora into the pack
March - Traveled to OK for my friends wedding
April - Fear Free certification
May - Traveled to Jamaica
June - Became a member of another delicious and beautiful winery
July - Traveled Paris for Ryan and Lauren’s engagement
August - Attended an acupuncture CE at the AVMA here in D.C.
September - Traveled to Nashville for the AHVMA conference
October - Celebrated the boyfriends birthday with a getaway to Norfolk
November - Traveled to Peru for my family’s annual trip
December - I bought a house!

I hope everyone has a wonderful and especially happy new year!!

Peru 2019

Our Thanksgiving trip this year was to Peru. None of us had been to South America yet, so we were eager to cross another continent off of travel list, and it did not disappoint! First stop was Lima with a hotel overlooking the city and the beach. We explored the city life and tasted some of the traditional dishes and drinks. We then flew to Cusco, where most of us suffered from altitude sickness and had to take it easy during our detailed city tour. The next day we were off again, but this time by the famous Hiram Bringham train to Machu Picchu! Absolutely breathtaking and better than what you would see in any pictures! There were no words for this impressive landmark. We explored it twice, while doing some hiking around the area. We stayed at the Belmond Sanctuary hotel directly next to Machu Picchu, so we were able to go explore the site first thing in the morning before anyone else was there. Later that evening, we had to head back to Cusco in order to catch a flight the next morning back to Lima. That morning in Lima, we killed some time before the airport, taking in more local cuisine....... guinea pig to be exact. After indulging, we attended a peruvian cooking class. We cooked causa, ceviche, lomo saltado, and picarones. It was then sadly time to head off to the airport and back home.

 Ceviche 

Musco convento San Francisco

Musco de sitio Huaca Pucllana

Local beer 

Coca tea to help with altitude sickness

Cusco overlook

Pisco Sour

Champagne on board the Hiram Bringham

Peru county side view

Alpaca 

Taking in the sites

 First morning views of Machu Picchu

 The impressive Macchu Picchu 

 Hiked part of the Inca trail to this view

Inca bridge trail 

Llamas everywhere

About to start our Peruvian cooking class

Casua 

Ceviche 

And of course, we had to try guinea pig!  (It was delicious!) 

Dental Disease

Dental disease is a disease that the entirety of the veterinary profession deals with. Most animals will develop tartar, gingivitis, and periodontal disease in their lifetime. It's important to know the signs to look for before the damage is irreversible.

Signs To Look For:
-Bad breath/halitosis
-Broken teeth
-Excessive drooling
-Reluctance to eat, especially dry hard food
-Chewing on one side of their mouth
-Pawing or rubbing at their mouth
-Blood in the mouth
-Swollen "bumps" on cheeks near underneath eyes
-Discolored teeth



At Home Care:
Have you ever actually looked in your dog/cat/s mouth? Even those teeth way in the back? Tartar tends to be the heaviest on the teeth in the back of the mouth - the premolars and molars. It's important to check their teeth out weekly so you start to notice any changes.  Fractured teeth can lead to infection and inflammation, so be sure to check each tooth.
Start your pets off young in order to get them use to their mouth being touched/handled. Brushing their teeth 3-4 times a week, if not every day, can help. In most instances, dental disease is genetic and breed specific, so even if you are going any amazing job brushing their teeth, they may still develop tartar. When this happens, then your pet will need their teeth professionally cleaned.

Vet Care
Just like when you go to your dentist, dogs/cats/ferrets/guinea pigs/rabbits/horses sometimes need professional cleanings as well. No, there is not a good way to get rid of your pets' tartar with your pet still awake; they will need sedation. This allows us to get good dental radiographs/x-rays to look at the roots of their teeth and clean all the way in the back of their mouth. If the tartar or gingivitis is severe enough, sometimes extractions need to be made in order to prevent further infection. Your vet may send your pet home with antibiotics and pain medication depending on the severity.  You and your pet will be very happy with the results afterwards! Here is a video made by another vet clinic that shows you the step by step process that most clinics perform: Dental cleaning

Treats
There are many types of "dental" treats out there, such as Greenies, that are said to help teeth, but won't actually do much. You want to look for products that have the VOHC (Veterinary Oral Health Council) seal of approval; here is a list: VOHC Accepted Products.
I personally use OraVet chews for my dogs, but be aware that these chews may cause your dog's poop to be green.

Rabbits and Horses
Yes, even rabbits and horses can develop dental disease. Diet takes a large role in the cause of dental disease in herbivores. Their teeth are constantly growing and periodically need to be filed down.  They can develop ulcers and lesions on their tongue and cheeks if their teeth started to overgrow or become sharp. You will have a harder time looking into your rabbit/s mouth, but you can look for similar signs as listed above.

Paris Surprise

Surprise! We went to Paris this past weekend in order to celebrate the engagement of my brother and his girlfriend - now fiance! Congratulations to the both of them! I'm excited to see what the future holds for them.