Doggy Braces

ANCHOR LEAD IN:
Source:ASPCA.ORG
AMERICANS SPEND BETWEEN EIGHT AND 15-HUNDRED DOLLARS A YEAR ON THEIR
DOGS. NOW THERE'S SOMETHING NEW THAT COULD END UP TAKING AN EVEN
BIGGER BITE OF A DOG OWNER'S WALLET. DOES YOUR POOCH NEED IT? THAT'S TODAY'S HEADS UP!

TRACK ONE Length: 09
PRANCER IS AN A-K-C REGISTERED STANDARD POODLE…WHICH MEANS SHE'S LITERALLY A TOP DOG. BUT AT ONLY A YEAR OLD, SHE'S ALREADY HAD TO HAVE HER TEETH FIXED!

SOT
KEY @ : 10 Ed Swan, Owner of Prancer
"About 10 months ago when we adopted Prancer, she had an under-bite."

TRACK TWO Length: 06
VANITY? UH-UH. PRANCER'S DOGGY ORTHODONTIA WASN'T ABOUT A WINNING
SMILE…SHE NEEDED BRACES TO EAT.

SOT
KEY @ : 22 Ed Swan, Owner of Prancer
"Her two fang teeth, or canine teeth were actually pointing inward, poking holes in the palate of her mouth."

SOT
KEY @ : 29 Dr. Daniel T. Carmichael, Veterinary Dentist
"Why would we put braces on a dog? Not to make the dog feel better, but to solve
problems that would be otherwise traumatic for the dog."

TRACK THREE Length: 08
Sources: Dr. Daniel Carmichael and Dr. Marty Becker
Client Note: please see source information
SERIOUS DENTAL PROBLEMS ARE LEADING MORE PET OWNERS TO CONSIDER BRACES- BUT THEY CAN ADD UP TO SERIOUS BUCKS COSTING UP TO TWO THOUSAND DOLLARS.

SOT
KEY @ : 44 Ed Swan, Owner of Prancer
"I believe the cost was somewhere around $1200 for her treatment."

TRACK FOUR Length: 07
NOT THAT LONG AGO, NO ONE HAD EVEN HEARD OF DOGGY BRACES…SO WHY
ARE SO MANY MORE PET OWNERS GIVING THEIR DOGS 'METAL MOUTHS'?

SOT
NO KEY
"It's only been recently I think, when we, as veterinarians, have realized that orthodontic problems can be treated."

TRACK FIVE Length: 05
CARMICHAEL SAYS NEW RESEARCH AND PEOPLE'S PREFERENCE FOR PUREBREDS ARE FUELING THE HEAVY METAL MOVEMENT…

SOT
KEY @ : 1:09 Dr. Daniel Carmichael, Veterinary Dentist
"Of the 160 breeds of dogs that the AKC recognizes, about half of those dogs normally have something that we would call a malocclusion or not a perfect bite."

TRACK SIX Length: 08
OF COURSE, NOT ALL OF THOSE IMPERFECTIONS REQUIRE DENTAL WORK…BUT PRANCER'S PROBLEMS DID…AND HER PROUD DAD SAYS IT WAS WORTH EVERY PENNY.

SOT
NO KEY
"The treatment was absolutely worth the cost. She can eat normally, she can play just like any other one year old puppy."

ANCHOR TAG:
DOCTOR CARMICHAEL SAYS SOME BITE PROBLEMS CAN BE CORRECTED BY
HAVING THE DOG CHEW REGULARLY ON A RUBBER BALL! COST? FIVE DOLLARS!
SO IT PAYS TO ASK YOUR VET ABOUT OTHER OPTIONS BEFORE ORTHODONTICS. IF YOUR DOG DOES HAVE TO HAVE ORTHODONTICS, THE GOOD NEWS IS USUALLY THE PROCEDURES ARE COMPLETED IN FOUR TO SIX WEEKS…

SOURCE INFORMATION
FOR CLIENT-STATION USE ONLY
The information provided below is for client-station use only. It is provided to help you obtain answers to any additional questions you may have and to help you localize a story. This private contact information, including phone numbers, addresses and email addresses, cannot be given to viewers nor posted on your Website. It is for internal station use only. Any exceptions to this will be clearly noted. Thank you.

Daniel T. Carmichael, DVM, AVDC
The Animal Medical Center
510 East 62nd St.
New York, NY, 10021
Phone: 212 838 8100 x 8773

State University of New York, Albany, NY: B.S. - 1985
Cornell University, Ithica, NY: D.V.M. - 1990

Dr. Carmichael is a veterinary Dentist at The Animal Medical Center, New York, NY. He
performs canine orthodontics.

SOURCE INFORMATION FOR TRACK THREE:
Average cost of canine orthodontics:
* Gum resection: $1,000
* Orthodontic appliance: $1,500
* Camouflage orthodontics: $1,500

NOT ON CAMERA:

Dr. Marty Becker, DVM
PO Box 2775, (mailing)
Twin Falls, ID 83303
2188 Addison Ave East (shipping)
Twin Falls, ID 83301
(208) 733-5405 Fax

Dr. Marty Becker is the popular veterinary contributor to ABC- TV's Good Morning
America. His highly regarded weekly newspaper column, 'The Bond,' is distributed
internationally by Knight Ridder Tribune Services. Dr. Becker is also a contributing editor for Dog Fancy and Cat Fancy magazines, and is the chief veterinary correspondent for Amazon.com. He is the author of The Healing Power of Pets and co-author of Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover's Soul and Chicken Soup for the Cat & Dog Lover's Soul. Dr. Becker lives in Bonners Ferry, Idaho.
Both Dr. Becker and Dr. Carmichael say these prices are average.