What is Veterinary Dental Surgery?
Veterinary dental surgery is any surgical procedure that addresses oral health issues experienced by your pet.
Routine dental health care, both at home and at annual appointments is the best way to ensure your dog or cat maintains good oral health, but sometimes surgery will be the only way to help your animal companion heal.
Our expert staff recommends surgery only when it is the best option for your pet's wellbeing. When needed, our vets will confidently offer their surgical services in order to treat a full gamut of oral health complications, from tooth decay to gum disease.
Common Dental Conditions
Some common health issues which may require dental surgery to treat are as follows:
- Cracked or broken teeth
- Tooth decay
- Severe gum disease (periodontitis)
- Feline stomatitis
Dental Surgery FAQs
- What happens during the surgical consultation?
During the surgical consultation, our vets will perform a physical examination of your pet and conduct tests, including blood work, in order to determine the nature of their condition.
Diagnostics may include x-rays or biopsies. Once the results are back, a plan for surgery is developed and discussed with you.
- Will the surgery and consultation happen on the same day?
A consultation appointment is required for testing and examination to determine the nature of your pet’s health problem. Once any diagnostic test results have come back from our lab, we will need to set the surgery for another day.
- How long will the surgery take?
Dental surgeries will often last between 2 and 4 hours, with some difference depending on the kind of surgery being performed and on your pet's condition.
- Does my pet have to stay at the hospital overnight either before or after the surgery?
No. As long as there are no complications or other health issues, dental surgery patients are able to go home by 5 pm on the same day.
Home Care After a Dental Surgery
After dental surgery has been completed and your vet has decided they don't require any further in-hospital monitoring, it will be time for your pet to come home.
Depending on the kind of dental surgery your pet underwent, they will have different needs. First and foremost, you should follow the post-operative care instructions provided to you by your vet. If you cannot remember, you can always contact them to ask.
Your pet may require pain relief and anti-inflammatory medications and will also need plenty of rest. As a rule, try and prevent your pet from undertaking too much physical activity for 48 hours after their procedure.
And since dental surgery may make your pet's mouth sensitive and prone to injury or infection while it heals, it is important to follow your vet's instructions closely when it comes to feeding and watering your companion.
If your pet is not eating, is rubbing its mouth, or is showing signs of infection like swelling or bleeding, contact your Mill Plain Veterinary Clinic staff as soon as possible.
