Dental Surgery

All You Need to Know

Did you know most dogs and cats over the age of three have dental disease?

By three years of age, most dogs and cats have some level of periodontal disease. Not always apparent to pet owners, dental disease can cause oral pain, infection, inflammation, and other health problems, decreasing the quality of life for your pets. Left untreated, dental disease can lead to more serious health complications that may extend beyond your pet’s teeth.

5 Reasons Why Routine Dental Care is Essential for Your Pets

Dental Disease is painful for pets.
Our stoic little creatures are good at hiding pain and discomfort. For this reason, many pet owners are oblivious to their pet’s active dental disease. Keep an eye on your pet’s dental health by simply lifting their mouth to see those teeth. Always look for signs that may indicate your pet is in pain. (see what are the signs of periodontal disease below)

Prevent bad breath (halitosis).
If a whiff of your pet’s breath makes you nearly pass out, it is time you give us a call. When your pet has a healthy mouth and healthy teeth, the bad breath will be a thing of the past.

Dental Disease can lead to other health problems.
Bacteria in plaque can enter the bloodstream and spread to the heart, kidneys, and liver. This spread of bacteria can potentially cause serious illness. Poor oral health can shorten a pet’s life span by three to five years.

Prevent tooth loss.
Your pet’s teeth can fall out if not given proper care, which can be painful and lead to other health problems as mentioned. Good pet dental care will ensure that those teeth stay healthy and keep in place.

Prevent worsening dental disease.
Because so many pets have dental disease by the time they are 3 years old, it can be difficult to prevent it from developing in the first place. However, good routine dental care and proper monitoring can prevent dental disease from becoming severe and causing problems throughout your pet’s body.

What is periodontal disease?

Periodontal disease is an infection of the periodontium (tissues surrounding the teeth) that progresses in stages. Periodontal disease begins with the formation of a bacterial film on the teeth known as plaque. If left untreated the plaque will spread and will lead to inflammation of the gums, causing them to get red, swollen, and to bleed easily, a condition known as gingivitis.

What are the signs of periodontal disease?

Inflamed and red gums
Visible tartar on the teeth
Broken or missing teeth
Bad breath
Decreased appetite or trouble eating
Unusual discharge from the mouth
Swelling of any area near the mouth
Abnormal chewing or excessive drooling
Painful when touched near mouth

If you notice your pet having any of these symptoms give us a call to set up a dental consult.

How do we treat periodontal disease?

The treatment will be based on the severity of your pet’s dental disease. For most pets, a full dental procedure (full scaling and polishing under anesthesia) will be recommended. Other pets will require extractions (removing diseased teeth) in addition to their cleaning. The removal of an affected tooth will provide some much-needed relief for your fur baby. After a proper dental procedure, many pet owners report the emergence of a “brand new pet”—one who is happier and more active. By providing home dental care in addition to regular professional cleaning, you can help prevent periodontal disease from recurring.

Why would my pet need dental extractions?

In dogs and cats, we remove teeth for several reasons including:

If your pet still has baby teeth
Teeth are dead and causing pain and infection
If teeth have an abscess or pocket of infection at the root
Teeth are fractured (example: from chewing something too hard like rocks or hooves)
Teeth are loose and uncomfortable

How often should my pet have a professional dental cleaning?

For most pets, we recommend dental cleanings every 1-3 years, depending on age, breed, and other circumstances such as diet and individual chemistry in the mouth. During dental cleanings, we will take full mouth x-rays, remove tartar from the teeth and under the gum lines, which will prevent infection and bone loss. Keeping teeth clean and gums healthy is the best way to ensure your pet keeps those teeth as long as possible. It also helps prevent other health issues, such as heart, kidney, and liver infections, down the road.

Why do we need dental x-rays?

Because 60% of the tooth lies under the gums, we perform dental x-rays for every patient to ensure the health of the entire tooth. X-rays are the only way for us to know if your pet has a serious dental problem that can be treated, relieving discomfort. Dental x-rays can reveal things like abscesses, bone loss, unerupted teeth, and more.

What about extractions of baby teeth in my young pet?

We can remove those if your pet is in for another procedure such as a spay or neuter for only $20 per tooth. If your pet just needs baby teeth removed it is $100 for a brief exam, sedation, and anesthesia monitoring plus $20 per tooth.

What do I need to know to prepare for my pet’s dental procedure?

A referral from your primary veterinarian is NOT required. We do require a pre-surgical exam ($60) prior to the day of the procedure. At this consultation, we will run bloodwork ($105) to check your pet’s organ functions making sure there are no underlying conditions, our veterinarian will address any questions you may have and discuss the procedure in more detail. A deposit of $100 is required to reserve the dental cleaning appointment. The deposit will be taken at the time of scheduling and will be applied towards the cost of services. The night before surgery, we ask that you refrain from feeding your pet past midnight and no breakfast the day of surgery, but water is ok. Please let us know if your pet is on any medications or supplements, as well as if any known allergies, drug, or vaccine reactions have occurred.

At the time of your scheduled drop-off, a team member will meet with you and take time to make sure to answer any additional questions or concerns you may have.

A team member will call you and go over the dental procedure when your pet is out of surgery and in recovery. You will be sent home with a dental chart describing your pet’s mouth and any needed medications as well as aftercare.

Please ensure your pet does not have any of the following symptoms before the pre-surgical consult or surgery appointment; no vomiting, diarrhea, coughing, sneezing, lethargy, loss of appetite, or anything that appears as odd or not normal behavior for your pet.

We require ALL pets to be up to date on their Rabies vaccination. Dogs are required to be up to date on the Distemper (DA2PP) combo and cats are required to be up to date on the FVRCP combo vaccination. Please note, proof of these vaccinations from a qualified veterinarian will need to be provided at your pre-surgical consult. If your pet is not up to date on these vaccinations, they will receive them the day of surgery. Bloodwork is required for all dental procedures, with the exception of baby teeth removal.

All cats must be in a sturdy appropriate size carrier and all dogs must be on leashes.

Please note we accept cash, CareCredit, Scratchpay, VetBilling, and most major credit cards (no American Express or Checks) Full payment is due when your pet is ready to pick up.

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