We know that while a lot of the treatments we offer may be routine for our team, they can be new and intimidating experiences for our clients. That’s why we’re launching our “what to expect when the unexpected happens” series – to give you a bit of knowledge so that if and when your pet needs to come and see us, you feel as comfortable and relaxed as possible. To kick things off, we’re taking a look at dentals, an important part of any pet’s care needs.
Why dentals are important
Dental care is crucial to the overall wellbeing of your pet.
Most pets will hide sore and infected teeth and gums particularly well, even when the pain becomes severe.
This can lead to them becoming down and their appetite and behaviour being affected.
If left unchecked, bacteria in the mouth can enter the bloodstream through the gums, from where it impacts major organs, causes long-term health concerns and can reduce life expectancy.
A sure sign that your pet needs a dental health check is bad breath. You may think that stink is part and parcel of owning a pet, but healthy mouths shouldn’t smell!
The best way to prevent this scenario is through preventative care – keeping your pet’s mouth healthy and nipping problems in the bud as early as possible.
Book an appointment with our team to discuss your pet’s dental health today
What to expect before the treatment
Our nursing team will give you a call the day before your pet’s dental to run through our pre-op advice, answer any questions and reiterate the estimate that you’d have been given during your initial consult with your vet.
We have fixed prices for our dentals which means that the estimate you’ve been provided will remain the price regardless of what we discover during the procedure.
It can be tricky to know exactly if a teeth will need to be extracted until a patient is anaesthetised and our team can fully investigate. But we’ve introduced fixed prices as part of our commitment to being as transparent as possible with our clients, so you can rest assured that our only consideration is always what’s best for your pet.
What happens during the procedure
You’ll bring your pet to us in the morning and our team will go through admitting them into the practice.
First our lovely reception team will weigh your pet, before we take them through to a consult room with our vet. The same vet who is doing the procedure will see you at this point to ensure continuity.
They’ll check that your pet is happy and healthy to undergo anaesthetic as well as checking with you any information that will help us to make their stay in our practice comfortable, such as what they like to have for dinner!
Then it’s over to our nursing team who will get your pet ready for their dental. The nursing team are your pet’s carers for the day, and will prepare their medication, fit catheters and also perform the scale and polish and any x-rays that are required.
After that the vet will investigate your pet’s mouth to decide whether any further treatment is needed, such as extractions – which they will perform at that point if it’s required
Once they’re done, your pet’s dental is over, and they can leave be moved to the kennels to start recovering until they’re ready to impress you with their healthy smile and (hopefully) some lovely fresh breath!
After a dental: How we get your pet happy and home
Your pet will be left monitored in a quiet, comfortable spot in our kennels to come round from their anaesthetic in their own time.
Once they’re awake our nursing team will help to make sure they’re eating, that they’re recovering well and that they’re not suffering any side effects. At this stage we’ll share pictures with you on PetsApp so you know your little friend is safe and sound.
We like to be really thorough at this point because there’s nothing worse for either our patients or their owners than sending a pet home only for them to be feeling sick or particularly out of sorts.
Once we’re happy with their condition a nurse will call you to let you know everything is fine and to get a discharge appointment booked.
In this appointment we’ll give you instructions to help your pet recover, and we’ll also forward everything you need on PetsApp too.
We also give your pet a head to toe health check with you in the room before they leave, so you can have total confidence everything is fine and they’re ready to come home. It’s important that we don’t’ just focus on your pet’s mouth as anaesthetic affects the whole body.
Following this your pet is ready to go home where they can recover in comfort with your loving help.
And remember we’re always here to help, whether that’s a message on PetsApp, a phone call to reception of your local branch, or our out of hours service at Sevenoaks.
