It has been severely cold here in the Greater Toronto Area, and we have noticed that people have been inclined to stay indoors. I am originally from South Africa, so I can certainly understand their inclination. I’m sure your animal companions have also preferred staying inside where it’s warm.
Despite the bitter winter cold, we had a great February at the Centre Street Animal Hospital, as many of our families took advantage of Dental Health Month as an opportunity to get a dental exam for their pets.
Getting Focused on Dental Health
In the January blog post, I discussed the importance of getting an annual dental checkup for your pet. I emphasized that your pet’s dental health affects their overall well-being. Many of the families that I spoke with throughout Dental Health Month understood this already, so I was pleased that people have been taking note of these important veterinary health tips.
After the Dental Exam
Both myself and the clinic staff were also pleased to perform dozens of dental examinations and cleanings during Dental Health Month. As I look back on the procedures we did, there are a few important points I would like to share with you.
Conducting the Hard-to-Perform Procedures – I have mentioned before that while your animal is sedated, it’s also a good time to clean ears, trim nails and conduct other hard-to-perform procedures. We were pleased to perform those for our clients, but in a few particular cases, we were especially pleased to catch other issues before they became serious health concerns.
Inflamed Gums – As some of our pet owners found, it is not unusual that the dental cleaning procedure will leave the animal with inflamed gums. As a result, some of the pets needed to be put on an antibiotic course while others may need to be put on a course of painkillers.
If you were one of those pet owners for which we provided a prescription, please don’t worry – it’s a very common reaction for all types of pets and a normal course of action to treat it.
Follow-up Appointments – As part of your pet’s recovery, we always schedule a follow-up exam to make sure that the anesthesia effects are okay. The follow-up appointment is usually 10-14 days after the exam and performed by one of our registered technicians. In addition to doing the inspection, the technician always reviews proper technique for brushing teeth and good dietary practices. Of course, if the pet owner has other questions, the doctor is always available to come in an answer questions.
You can also get a number of follow-up tips from our video:
What happens after the pet dental cleaning
Moving Forward with Dental Health
Dental Health Month is behind us for 2014, but your pet’s dental health is always one of our top priorities.Â
If the winter cold kept you indoors during Dental Health Month, it’s still always a good time to come in for a check-up.
If you book an appointment – either online or by calling the clinic – we will give your pet our full attention and make sure your companion is getting the best treatment. Â
Stay warm.Â