By Vancouver Vets :  Healthy Cat Series

Cats have the same five senses as people do but to very different degree. Some senses are much better developed than in people.

Sight

Cats have keen vision, they can see much more detail than Dogs. Concentrated in the center of the retina of the eye, a specific type of cell called a cone gives cats excellent visual acuity and binocular vision. This allows them to judge speed and distance very well, an ability that help them survive as hunters.
However, although the cone cells are also responsible for color vision, it is uncertain whether cats can see colors. Like dogs, cats also have a lot of the retinal cells called rods, which are good at collecting dim light. In fact, cats can see six time better In dim light than people, giving rise to the myth that cats can see in the dark.
Cats also have a reflective layer called the tapetum lucidum, which magnifies incoming light and lands characteristic blue or greenish glint to their eyes at night.
A unique feature of both canine and feline eyes is the nictitating membrane, which is also called the third eyelid. This additional eyelid is a whitish pink color and is found under the other eyelids in the inside corner (near the nose) of the eye. The third eyelid extends up when needed to protect the eyeball...

Vancouver Animal Hospital: Dog Dental Care

Dog Dental Disease

Signs of dog dental problems :
The range of signs of dental disease varies greatly from dog to dog as each has a different response to discomfort and pain. Any of the following symptoms may indicate the presence of dental disease:

• Bad dog breath (halitosis)
• Drooling from the mouth (excess salivation)
• Facial swelling between the nose and the eye, below the eye, under the chin or along the lower jawbone
• Nasal discharge
• Conjunctivitis
• Difficulty with eating
• Chewing on one side
• Refusing biscuits but eating soft food
• Loosing food from the mouth whilst eating
• Refusing to play with chews or other toys
• Unwillingness to pick up or carry things
• Gradual change in nature quieter than normal, not interested in playing or going for walks
• Unable to settle
• More irritable than normal
• Dislike of being patted on the head

Thus the signs can be very varied and many of the changes are so insidious in onset and so non-specific tha they often go unnoticed. Hence it is very important for the dog’s teeth to be examined frequently by owners and at least once or twice a year at a veterinary hospital by a veterinary surgeon. In our Vancouver Animal Hospital