Best-in-class dental care is available at Fox Run Animal Hospital
Do you love your pet but not their bad breath? Brace yourself because there IS something you can do about it! February is National Pet Dental Health Month and dental care for your pet is easier than ever!
Periodontal disease is the most diagnosed medical condition in dogs and cats. By two years of age, at least 80% of dogs and 70% of cats have developed some sort of dental disease. Periodontal disease is painful and progressive. If left unchecked, it can have negative effects on the heart, liver, and kidneys. In addition, it can be scary, expensive, and difficult to find good dental medicine.
Fox Run Animal Hospital solves the issue of finding quality care as Dr. Feliciano, our dental practitioner, has a special interest in dental care and ONLY does dental work. She has thousands of procedures under her wing, and provides unmatched diagnosis, treatment, and after-care.
Let’s look at some of the most common misconceptions about dental care, and how Fox Run Animal Hospital goes above and beyond for your pet.
My Pet is Too Young
Just think, as humans we brush our teeth twice daily, get cleanings every six months, and x-rays annually. By the time your pet is one or two years of age, they’ve accumulated plenty of plaque and tarter on their teeth. In addition, many dental abnormalities are only seen below the gumline, which means they are only visible with x-rays
Our Comprehensive Oral Exam and Treatment includes a complete exam of your pet’s mouth and a full set of x-rays under anesthesia. Our veterinarian reviews these x-rays immediately to determine if there is any disease or any abnormalities present and we can treat most findings (like extractions) the same day. Your pet’s teeth will be scaled to remove the tarter and plaque and then polished. By providing exam, diagnosis, and treatment in one visit, Fox Run saves you time and money. One visit and one round of anesthesia is also less stressful for your pet! Ideally, this exam should be repeated yearly to ensure your pet’s best health.
Speaking of Anesthesia
It’s scary to think about putting your fur baby under anesthesia. We know, and we understand. However, can you imagine how dangerous it would be to try and clean your dog or cat’s teeth with them awake! Envision trying to hold your pet still while someone pokes around with a lot of metal instruments near their face. Dental exams under anesthesia are a much safer and complete way to approach dental health.
Anesthesia gives us the time to do everything properly like charting EVERY tooth during the exam and measuring the depths of any periodontal pockets that are present. Anesthesia also allows us to get all the plaque and tarter off your pet’s teeth, even the nasty stuff hiding below the gumline.
During anesthesia, Fox Run provides your pet with fluids via an IV catheter to help maintain blood pressure, organ function, and body temperature. We also have a Veterinary Technician dedicated to monitoring your pet’s vitals during the procedure and throughout the recovery process. If there are no extractions, the entire dental exam lasts only 25 to 40 minutes, depending on the size of the pet.
You may have seen other offices offering “anesthetic-free” dental procedures, but beware! There are no scientific studies that show any benefits of anesthetic-free dentistry. There are no board-certified veterinary dentists that approve of this procedure. This “treatment” will not include a full oral exam, dental x-rays, charting or any necessary extractions, and it will basically just make the teeth LOOK better by removing superficial tartar. Anesthetic-free dentistry does not address issues below the gumline (where most bacteria and abnormalities lie). It does not document or create a baseline for future reference. It will not improve your pet’s actual dental health. Simply put, we do not recommend anesthetic-free dentistry. It is a waste of your money and dangerous for your pet.
My Pet is Too Old
The last misconception we often hear is that your pet is too old. Old age is not a disease and does not dramatically increase anesthetic risk. Dogs and cats are living longer lives. It is not uncommon now for dogs and cats to reach 15-20 years of age. Poor oral health significantly affects their quality of life and removing infected or diseased teeth can prevent the infection from spreading to other areas of the body.
Regardless of a pet’s age, Fox Run requires a full physical exam and pre-anesthetic blood panel prior to any Comprehensive Oral Exam and Treatment. This ensures that your pet’s health DOES support an anesthetic procedure, and that we can safely perform the dental treatment.
However, even with the best doctors, the cost of dental issues can add up if left untreated. That is why it is important to do everything possible now to prevent and correct periodontal disease before it impacts your pet’s health. The key to your pet’s best dental health is to start a dental program early and stick with it throughout their life.
Contact Fox Run Animal Hospital at 810-678-8738 to schedule an exam for your pet today. For more information on Dr. Feliciano, please visit our website at www.foxrunanimalhospital.com.
Our mission statement at Fox Run Animal Hospital is:
YOUR PET’S HEALTH IS OUR TOP PRIORITY
3390 S. Lapeer Road ~ Metamora, MI 48455 ~ (810) 678-8738