Dentistry
Periodontal disease in cats and dogs develops in stages. When diagnosed and treated in the earliest stages, permanent damage to your pet’s teeth and gums can be minimised or avoided. In later stages, periodontal disease may lead to bone and tissue loss, as well as infection.
The dental services at Ellerslie Vet Clinic include Comprehensive Oral Health Assessment & Treatment (COHAT), commonly known as a “dental” or “dental cleaning”. COHAT is performed under anaesthesia for your pets’ comfort and safety. We use the same strict safety and pain-management protocols for COHAT that we insist to use for all surgical procedures.
COHAT at Ellerslie Vets involves:
a complete pre-anaesthetic exam
presurgical blood test (if recent lab results are not available)
a pre-anaesthetic sedation and once this is taking effect, an intravenous catheter will be placed for iv fluid therapy to maintain a normal blood pressure and to keep your pet well hydrated
thereafter the patient is anaesthetised and a tube is placed in the airway and a gas anaesthesia is given via the breathing tube; your pet is continuously monitored during the whole anaesthesia
a complete oral exam is performed and every tooth is evaluated thoroughly
in cats, we routinely obtain full mouth radiographs and in dogs, dental radiographs are performed if there are any concerns during the oral exam
a professional cleaning will be performed including scaling and polishing to help prevent new plaque and tartar from forming (this includes removing plaque and tartar from under the gum line)
after reviewing the dental x-rays and results from the oral exam, work may need to be performed, such as extractions
medications will be used tailored to your pet’s needs before, during and after the procedure
we will contact you when the procedure is finished to discuss when your pet can be discharged from the hospital
