Dental Care

Dental care is vital to the overall health of any pet. Dental disease can lead to health issues with the heart, liver, and kidneys and has the potential to seep into your pet’s bloodstream. In fact, 80 percent of dogs and 70 percent of cats over three years of age suffer from some form of dental disease, making it the most common pet health issue among our pet population.

• Your pet will need to be fasted – no food or water the morning of surgery and no food after dinner the night before.
• You will drop your pet off between 8:00-8:30 am. There will be a couple of forms for you to sign when you get here – you can fill out one of the forms on our website.
• After your pet is dropped off, the doctor who will be supervising your pet’s dental will do a pre-surgical physical exam and if they find any concerns on the exam, they will contact you.
• A blood sample will then be collected, and bloodwork will be done to check their CBC, liver, kidney, and blood glucose levels. If the doctor finds any concerns about their bloodwork, they will contact you.
• If everything is found to be normal with your pet’s exam and bloodwork, we will proceed with the dental work. They will be given medications to help relax them and prepare them for sedation. Once they are relaxed, we will place an IV catheter in their leg and administer the anesthesia. An endotracheal tube will be placed, and they will be maintained on gas anesthetics for the dental procedure. Your pet will also receive IV fluids during surgery to help with blood pressure and to keep them hydrated after fasting.
• While your pet is getting the dental work done, they are being closely monitored by a surgical assistant and with high-end monitoring equipment.
• Radiographs will be taken of each tooth to assess overall health of the tooth, the roots, and the jawbone.
• After radiographs, each tooth will be individually examined for pockets, mobility, or other concerns affecting the tooth’s health.
• If extractions are deemed necessary, your pet will receive a local anesthetic to numb the area – just as you would receive at the dentist.
• After any problem teeth are removed, or if your pet did not need extractions, they will be scaled to remove any plaque and tartar on the tooth. We will scale all sides of the crown of the tooth, as well underneath the gumline.
• After cleaning, the teeth will then be polished.
• Once the dental work is done, the surgery assistant will stay with your pet until they wake up from anesthesia.
• When your pet is done with their procedure, we will call you and let you know how everything went and when they will be ready to go home.

If you have any questions about the dental procedure or the process, please don’t hesitate to reach out and ask us. You can call or text with any questions you have at (801) 509-5638