what ' s up doc
DR . ADI CHATOW , DVM MEDICINE WITH MSAH , METAIRIE SMALL ANIMAL HOSPITAL
KEEP YOUR PETS SMILING WITH GOOD ORAL HABITS
By Kim Welsh
Passionate about animal rescue , Adi Chatow , DVM , always knew she wanted to help animals . Raised in Israel , she moved to California with her parents when she was in high school . After completing her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree at UC Davis Veterinary School , Dr . Adi and her husband decided to move to New Orleans , which they enjoyed visiting during Jazz Fest and explored further during subsequent trips . Dr . Adi has a female mixed breed dog named Skooner and a newly adopted kitten named Pita . She recently joined the veterinarians at Metairie Small Animal Hospital .
Dr . Adi is a private pilot of a Cesna 172 fourseater airplane and is Operations Coordinator and Pilot for the Amelia Air Animal Rescue organization . Amelia Air has an ambitious goal to save 500 animals every year by moving animals from rural animal shelters ( that don ’ t have the resources to place pets in homes and usually end up euthanizing them ) to no-kill rescue organizations that specialize in finding forever homes for pets .
Dr . Adi reminds us that February is National Pet Dental Health Month ! Dental disease is one of the most common conditions seen by veterinarians . Approximately two-thirds of pets over three years of age have some degree of dental disease . The most common dental problems seen in small pets are caused by periodontal disease , an inflammation or infection of the tissues surrounding the tooth . As the bacteria in the mouth multiplies on the surfaces of the teeth , they form an invisible layer called plaque . Some of this plaque is removed naturally by the pet ’ s tongue and chewing habits . If allowed to remain on the tooth surface , the plaque thickens and
20 Life Unleashed