It may have all started one day when your cat or dog jumped on your lap and stuck their face lovingly in yours and there you have it, a big whiff of smelly breath. You may have been able to ignore it for a while but you started smelling it even if they weren’t on your lap. That was the time you thought it may be time for a dental.
Of course smelly breath is only part of the story, dental disease can mean your pet is at higher risk of heart, kidney, and liver disease.
What do you do? First step is to book a consultation with your vet. At Doyalson we offer free 5 minute dental checks where your pet’s mouth is accessed and graded and a full estimate is given on your pet’s dental surgery.
Your pet’s surgery is then booked in and pre surgery instructions are given. On the day you will see a vet for a health check before they are admitted to hospital.
We understand it is a stressful time for both you and your pet so are happy to answer any questions you may have and you are always welcome to call us during the day to check on your pet.
We care for your pet as we would our own so they get plenty of cuddles and reassurance through the day. We may take your pets blood to run a pre-anaesthetic blood test, this is recommended for all surgeries and may show up any issues not obvious on a physical examination.
Your pet is then given a pre-medication to help them feel sleepy and relax before their surgery.
Once they have been attached to fluids and anesthetised the vet checks with their anaesthetic nurse they are happy for them to begin. We keep your pet warm during their surgery with a heated blanket and a nurse monitors them closely recording their vitals every 5 minutes.
Firstly a full examination of your pet’s mouth checking for any abnormalities and any missing teeth are marked off on a teeth chart. Next the vet uses a scalar and runs around the gum line checking for cavities and evidence of gingivitis.
If teeth need to be removed this happens next, some will come out easily and others such as the carnassials will often need to be cut in half and removed in two pieces by hand. These can be extremely tricky and time consuming. Stitches may be needed to keep the gum together while healing.
Next the teeth are carefully scaled using the scaling probe, this is an important part of the dental as will remove all the plaque from the teeth. Followed by a big minty polish so your pet’s mouth is as clean and fresh as it can possibly be.
Unfortunately there can be some blood with dental work and we always try to remove any stains from your pet just before they wake up.
A nurse stays with your pet as they wake up and until they are settled and sleeping soundly in recovery all snuggled up under a hot blanket.
Depending on the level of dental disease and surgery needed your vet will have special after care instructions for you usually including soft food only and no chew or pull toys for a 5 days. It is important to always follow the after care and come back in for your free check up.
It is now up to you to keep up with your pet’s dental care, this could include using a specially designed dental food, dental chews such as Oravet, cleaning your pet’s teeth with special toothpaste & finger toothbrush or a combination of all or some of the above.
It’s a fact that certain breeds and in fact certain dogs or cats seem to be more prone to dental disease and may need to have a scale and polish even if you are doing all the right things.
If you would like to book your pet in for a free 5 minute dental check call us on 4399 2129.
