"Scooter" goes to the dentist
27 Jan 2010

For pets, Dental health plays a major roll in their overall wellness.  Let’s take our friend “Scooter” for example… “Scooter” is an elderly fellow who receives excellent care and attention from his loving family.  “Scooter” was brought to us a few days ago to have his bloodwork checked.  His PetParents also mentioned some changes that have recently taken place.   “Scooter’s” has been acting grumpier lately and his mouth has a bad odor.  They informed us that he was still active and his appetite hadn’t changed although he ate much slower than he did in the past. 

One of our excellent dental technicians took a look at “Scooter’s” mouth and found some obvious problems.  There were loose teeth, an abscess, gum recession, and the most obvious… nasty breath!  We needed to get in there and clean up!  And that’s exactly what we did…

 

Since most PetParents don’t know the safety and monitoring precautions we take for dental procedures…. or any surgical procedure for that matter;  we want to lay it all out for you so that you can rest assured knowing your pet is our utmost priority.

First things first… we want to make sure you pet is healthy and able to metabolize the anesthesia properly.  So… we start out with Pre-surgical Blood Work Screening.  This generally consists of a CBC and a chemistry profile.  A CBC would check for anemia and infection.  The chemistry profile checks organ functions, mainly kidneys and liver and it also checks blood sugar levels.  The blood work may identify problems that would otherwise be hidden upon physical exam.  It’s ALWAYS good to know as much about the health of your pet before they undergo anesthesia.  That is why MAVH makes Pre-surgical Blood Work Screening mandatory!

After anesthesia is administered the doctor is able to complete a comprehensive oral exam.  Any loose, broken, or missing teeth are noted as well as any oral tumors, lesions or abnormalities on the gums.  A vet tech will then scale and polish all the teeth.  The doctor will then extract any teeth that are loose or diseased and cannot be saved.  Dental Radiographs play an important role in revealing changes in the bone and root structure. They also help give us an idea of the severity of periodontal disease so we can choose the appropriate treatment plan. 

Throughout the entire procedure your pet will be closely monitored with heart rate and respiration monitors.  IV fluids will be administered to regulate his/her blood pressure and allows easy access for any emergency drugs if needed.  Since anesthetized patients can’t regulate their temperature we use a nifty machine (Bair Hugger) that forces warmed air through a blanket that covers the patient throughout the procedure.   We also have an intensive care unit on site to use if your pet needs extra heat or oxygen during recovery.  Pain Medications and/or Antibiotics are often given after this procedure according to the doctor’s discretion.  At the time of release a technician will go over any questions you might have and provide all pertinent information regarding your pet’s dental evaluation as well as instructions for post-surgical care.         

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