About Penny DiLoreto Expertise As a certified veterinary assistant and a dog breeder, with over 16 years of hands on experience, I am qualified to answer questions in the following categories; General pet health issues, dog grooming, puppy socialization, dog breeding, and basic dog training
Experience In accordance with the Veterinary Assistant program requirmements, I completed 200 hours of intern work under the supervision of a licensed Doctor of Veterinarian Medicine, and volunteered the Escondido Humane Society.
Organizations AKC, ACA, and ABA
Publications I have several articles related to; dog grooming, dog behavior issues, and medical topics, printed on various computer websites and free article content sites. If you would like to preview my articles, links to those sites, and articles, are posted on my website located at www.puppies-dot-com.com
Education/Credentials I have a Certificate of Competency from the San Diego Country Regional Occupational Veterinary Assistant Program, and attained Occupational Competencies in the following categories: Animal Handling and Restraint, Vaccines and Injections, Health and safety, Veterinary Laws/Ethics/Industry Data, Biohazard Waste Disposal Laws, Medicating and Grooming Procedures, Medical Math, Breed Identification, and Parasitological studies.
Awards and Honors I received an Outstanding Student Award for my accomplishments in these studies from the ROP program.
Past/Present Clients A partial listing of my past and current clients can be viewed on my website www.puppies-dot-com.com by clicking on the Testimonial Page.
Expert: Penny DiLoreto Date: 5/5/2008 Subject: bad breath Jack Russell
Question Hello, My 2 year old Jack Russell Terrier has horrible breath. I was wondering if this could be a sign of something unhealthy. I have looked at his teeth and gums and they are a bit dirty and his gum are a bit red around the edges, if I brush his teeth myself would that be enough or does he need his teeth professionally cleaned? Could his bad breath be a sign of another problem?
Thank You,
Sara
Answer Hi Sara. Your dog's bad breath can be caused by a number of things such as; Gum diseases, tarter build-up on the teeth, food that has gone bad, etc. If any of these causes are left untreated they can lead to more serious health problems.
Having your Jack Russell's teeth professionally cleaned, will be a great start to getting his teeth/gums healthy again. Going forward from there, you can help keep his teeth/gums healthy and his breath fresh by brushing his teeth.
Most people don't brush their dog's teeth after each meal, but once per week goes a long way in reducing tooth decay and saving you money in costly dental work. Their are lots of products on the market for dog dental care, but the one I like most is made of a medium soft plastic/rubber and fits on the tip of your finger. This allows you to run your finger along the teeth and gums fairly easy.
If you make is a habit of massaging your dog's feet, ears, and touching his gums each day - when you are playing or just holding him and watching TV together - he will get use to the feeling of you touching these areas and he will be less resistive when it comes time to trim his nails, cleans his ears, bush his teeth etc.
Good luck, and please do not hesitate to contact me if you have additional questions. Sincerely, Penny D.
