Surgery

Like humans, dental care is an important aspect of an animal’s life. Daily brushing of teeth and yearly dentals or checkups can be very beneficial for your pet. Routine dental care can prevent disease and keep your pet happy and healthy for a better future. Our pets use their mouths for a variety of activities such as defence, eating, playing, and hunting. From this your cat is exposed to many materials and bacteria that can lead to the development of dental disease.

What is involved in a dental cleaning?

Dental cleanings are performed by a veterinary technician, while the patient is under full anesthetic. This is to ensure the safety of the patient and staff and allows the technician to complete an oral health assessment. All patients are provided with full anesthetic monitoring and proper pain management. All teeth are scaled to remove any tartar or plaque buildup and are then checked for root exposures or loose teeth that may need to be removed. The teeth are then polished to give them a better look and shine. If an extraction of a broken or painful tooth is required, this would be performed by a veterinarian.

What are the signs of dental problems?

Our pets can be very good at hiding their pain, often times signs of dental disease may include:

• Sensitivity around the mouth
• Difficulty eating or lack of appetite; which can lead to weight loss
• Bad breath
• Pawing at their face
• Lack of playfulness or activity
• Missing teeth or noticing that some are loose

Are some breeds more susceptible than others?

Yes, some breeds such as Persians, or French Bulldog, are more susceptible because their jaws are not as developed, meaning their teeth may become overcrowded and can lead to misaligning of teeth.

What is tooth resorption?

Tooth resorption is the breakdown of the tooth enamel, and is usually seen where the tooth meets the gum line. In some cases, it may look like a hole is forming into the tooth. There is no known cause or reason for why it occurs. Resorption can play a big role in your pet’s dental health because it can be very painful if not treated properly, in which the treatment is to extract the tooth. Unfortunately, many pets may be exposed to tooth resorption at least once in their lifetime. However, daily brushing, oral checkups, and water additives can help your pet have a happier and healthier life.

Spays and neuters are some of the most common procedures our veterinary staff performs, and there are numerous benefits which support why we recommend these procedures.

What is spaying or neutering?

The spay or neuter procedure means removing your pet’s reproductive organs, preventing them from being able to reproduce and reducing the risk of health issues. In females spaying involves removing both of the ovaries and the uterus. When a male is neutered, both testicles are removed.

Why should I spay/neuter my animal?

There are many reasons to have your pet spayed or neutered including aiding in the control of overwhelming over population, multiple long term health benefits, and reducing veterinary costs. Spaying or neutering your pet is the most cost-effective decision for long-term health care. Pets who are not altered have an increased risk of developing health issues such as mammary cancer, infections within the uterine tract, prostate and urinary disease.

What is the procedure to spay/neuter my pet?

To undergo these surgeries, pets are sedated before they are put under anesthesia and incubated with an endotracheal tube. Throughout the surgery, your pet’s heart rate and oxygen levels are monitored with a pulse-ox machine and observed by a veterinary technician.

Feline neuters are relatively quick procedures and take approximately fifteen minutes. During the procedure, your veterinarian will make a small incision on the scrotal sack and remove both testicles. Since this is a minimally invasive procedure and cats heal quickly, sutures are not required. Post-surgery, a veterinary technician will monitor your cat until they wake up from the anesthetic.

Feline spays take approximately twenty-five minutes to carry out. During this procedure, your veterinarian will make an abdominal incision and remove both ovaries and the uterus. It is important to remove the ovaries alongside the uterus, as they produce the hormones that would cause the female cat to go into estrus. After removal, sutures will be placed to close the incision. For cats, we use dissolvable sutures so that you do not have to return and have them removed, as we recognize this can be stressful for cats.

In dogs, a neuter is about half an hour, in which they will be fully anesthetized and monitored. This procedure involves dissolvable sutures so that they do not need to be removed.

In female dogs, the spay can take roughly an hour to perform and involves the removal of both ovaries and the uterus. For dogs, sutures may need to be removed and this will be booked after the surgery to ensure that healing is occurring properly.

Often times, our surgeries are performed in the morning, so that your pet has all day to recover and be monitored in-hospital by our staff. While your cat will be fully awake by the time they are ready to be discharged, don’t be alarmed if they spend the rest of the afternoon and evening sleeping; they will likely take advantage of the familiar environment to recharge.