What to Expect
WHAT TO EXPECT AT YOUR PET'S DENTAL APPOINTMENT
At Dogwood Veterinary Dental, we understand that if you don’t know what to expect, bringing your dog or cat in for a dental appointment can be a little nerve-wracking—and it may even keep you from scheduling their appointment! That’s why we created a detailed list of what to expect during a dental visit. From patient history and physical exam, to the full-mouth x-rays, we’ll make sure your pet’s teeth are healthy and strong. We’re committed to providing pets with the best dental care possible, and we’re here to answer any questions you may have!
What to expect:
Pre-Anesthetic Blood Work: We’ll start by drawing a blood sample for pre-anesthetic tests. This helps ensure your pet’s safety during the procedure and is processed using our advanced IDEXX in-house analyzers.
Procedure Start Notification: We will send you a text message when we are getting started on your pet’s procedure and you can expect a phone call from the veterinarian about 60 minutes after receiving that message.
Before we start the dental procedure, we’ll take a look at your pet’s medical history and give them a physical exam. We’ll also do an initial check of their teeth to get an idea of what we’re working with.
Your pet will receive a sedative injection prior to having their IV Catheter placed.
An IV Catheter is placed so that we can give your pet fluids while they are under and to have access to a vein to give injectable anesthesia and life-saving drugs (if needed).
To ensure your pet’s comfort and safety, we’ll put them under general gas anesthesia and monitor them closely throughout the procedure.
Time to tackle those pesky tartar build-ups! We’ll remove any visible tartar above the gum line and then move on to any hidden tartar below the gum line.
We’ll carefully examine each tooth, noting any issues such as abnormal pockets or problems. We’ll also create a detailed dental chart.
To ensure a thorough assessment of your pet’s oral health, we’ll perform full-mouth dental X-rays. Dental X-rays allow us to see what’s beneath the gumline where many dental problems hide.
We’ll finish off by giving your pet’s teeth a shiny polish.
If your pet needs it, we’ll provide pain medication to keep them comfortable.
Once the procedure is finished, we’ll make a treatment plan and give you a call to discuss our recommendations.
We’ll perform the approved treatment plan and give you some tips on how to take care of your pet’s teeth at home.
Overall, keeping your pet’s teeth healthy is crucial for their overall well-being and longevity, and regular dental check-ups with a veterinarian whose sole focus is dentistry is the best way to accomplish this.
We’d love to be your pet’s dentist of choice! Our team serves both dogs and cats and we would love to meet you and your furry best friend. It’s easy to schedule an appointment – just give us a call at (360) 859-3790, send us a text message at (360) 776-6648, or email us at info@dogwoodveterinarydental.com and our one of our amazing team members will take care of you.
