Animal Dental Care

It varies from pet to pet. We check your pet’s teeth at every annual checkup, or twice a year for pets over 6. Some breeds are more prone to dental disease and need cleanings as often as once or twice a year.

Every cleaning is done under general anesthesia, with intubation to protect the airway. It includes pain medication during and after, hand and ultrasonic scaling of tartar, polishing of all tooth surfaces, and a full oral exam with dental charting by the veterinarian.

Three people, every time. One technician does the scaling and polishing. A second monitors anesthesia and stays with your pet through recovery until they can sit up without help. A veterinarian oversees the whole process, performs the oral exam and carries out any procedures that are needed.

Anesthesia is never 100% risk-free, but risks can become minimal with a proper pre-anesthetic evaluation, careful choice of anesthetic drugs and diligent monitoring. The evaluation may include an exam, blood work, chest radiographs or an echocardiogram (a heart ultrasound). A routine cleaning without further procedures also greatly shortens time under anesthesia.

Waiting usually costs more. A cleaning before dental damage begins is considerably less expensive, and the longer we wait, the more likely extractions or permanent damage become.

A few times a year, during Dental Month, Cat Month and Young at Heart Months, you can save on dental procedures. Watch for notices on our app, in emails and on social media.

We’ll discuss the options, explain the process and the approximate costs, and refer you to a Board Certified Veterinary Dentist in the area when needed. Our own dental services are also growing, with Dr. Rapp’s experience in dental surgery.