Oral health plays a starring role in our pet’s health! Oral health is not just an issue of bad breath; oral health is linked to many organ systems including the kidneys, liver, and heart. In order to keep those “pearly whites” both pearly and white, you may be advised to schedule a professional cleaning or “dental”.
This process typically involves a thorough oral exam and prophylaxis (scale, polish, and fluoride treatment) which usually requires some level of anesthesia. Many pet parents feel nervous about the process which is very understandable. Let’s talk about what happens during a typical dental. You might find it’s not as mysterious or scary.
If your pet has not been examined at Riversong in more than a year, we will set up an exam prior to the dental so that we are prepared for your pet’s particular case. If your pet has underlying health issues or is 8 years or older, we will run a pre-operative blood test. This provides us with basic information about how your pet will respond to the anesthesia. This blood test will be run at least a few days prior to the procedure.
During a dental procedure, pets spend most of the day at Riversong. We typically perform dentals on Mondays and Wednesdays of each week. Pet parents will be advised to not feed or water their pet after midnight prior to the dental. On the day of the procedure, you will have a scheduled drop-off time and a few moments with our staff to address any remaining concerns. After an initial examination, the pet is sedated under general anesthesia, then the teeth are scaled and polished using specialized equipment. Other medical items, such as a fractured tooth or a tooth requiring extraction, will be address as well. Throughout the procedure, the pet is monitored closely including temperature, pulse, oxygen level. After the procedure the pet recovers in a quiet, warm environment but is closely observed. If your pet is older, we will likely take special measures to ease their recovery, such as giving warm fluids via IV or specialized medications.
Once the pet is into recovery, our staff will call you with an update as well as a pickup time. Pickup times are typically between 2:00-5:00pm but will depend on your pet’s needs. Your pet’s health is our priority. Please plan on spending a few minutes with the doctor when picking up your pet to address any questions or concerns you have as well as reviewing instructions from the doctor.
If you have additional questions, please chat with our staff.
Dental Pricing:
Feline starting point: $175*
Canine starting point: $250*
*Please remember this is a rough estimate for a basic dental. Pricing can be affected by infection, age & weight of the pet, number of extractions needed, etc. We can provide a more accurate estimate of cost once we have examined the pet.