(WARNING: The following pictures are graphic.)
The following are pictures that I took with my digital camera of the teeth of Bichons that all came from commercial kennels in Misourri. These pictures are typical and not unusual. I hearby swear and promise that no pictures have been "doctored" or falsified in any manner whatsoever. All rescued kennel dogs receive dental cleaning and if need be, extractions. We have never rescued a Puppy Mill Dog that didn't need it's teeth cleaned before it could be placed in a home.
This is the mouth of a four year old Bichon Frise.
This is the mouth of a 5 year old Bichon Frise. During the dental exam his mouth started to bleed. His teeth were starting to come loose, and there was a raw nerve exposed.
After the bleeding started and the exposed raw nerve was seen, this dog went into dental surgery immediately.
This is the mouth of a seven year old female Bichon.
These are 15 rotten or diseased teeth that were pulled from
the dog's mouth pictured directly above.
These are the teeth of a recently purchased Commercial Kennel Auction Bichon.
These are the teeth of one of our recent commercial kennel rescues. The blue line points to an oral tumor in front of one of his canines, which is being removed and biopsied. The green lines point to broken teeth.:(
The following petition was sent to the USDA asking them to study the practice of using rodent water bottles in the Commercial Kennels
We, the undersigned, respectfully request
the United States Department of Agriculture
study the long-term effect of the use of
'lick-it' type waterers that are used in
commercial dog kennels in America.
These small watering devices were designed
for rodents, such as gerbils, and yet they
are used in commercial kennels throughout
the country.
In our opinion, the use of these waterers
in kennels pose many health threats to the
animals, as well as the people who handle
the animals.
We theorize that these waterers rob the dogs
of a fresh and adequate supply of water and
are a violation of the Animal Welfare Act.
We also theorize that the lack of readily
available supplies of clean, fresh water,
inhibits the dog's ability to keep its mouth
clean and free of bacteria. Since the dog
can not 'rinse' its mouth, bacteria is allowed
to multiply at an incredible rate of speed.
As the bacteria multiplies, other organs
also become infected. As kennel owners repeatedly
treat eye and ear infections with antibiotics,
the bacteria becomes more resistant. This
eventually becomes a public health risk.
We respectfully ask that the Department of
Agriculture look into this potentially dangerous
situation. We ask that experts in the field
of veterinary and dental health be consulted
and that culture and sensitivity reports
be taken on random swabs obtained from commercial
breeding stock.
If our theories prove correct, we ask that
USDA require all lick-it type waterers be
removed from primary housing units of commercial
kennels. This would require no change in
the AWA, as the AWA already provides the
animals the right to adequate amounts of
fresh water.
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