Keeping your pet’s optimum dental health.
Good Shepherd Pet Hospital has a comprehensive dental program that addresses preventative measures and treatments to care for the oral hygiene of dogs and cats, which prevents issues, such as periodontal disease and other conditions that can compromise your pet’s quality of life. Dental X-rays, combined with routine blood tests, are essential to proper diagnosis of oral problems and treatment planning in pets. Many systemic diseases such as diabetes, immune disorders, and viral disease have manifestations in the mouth.
Dental Surgery
We perform a variety of surgical procedures in the mouth. Dr. Deeb is skilled at addressing difficult extractions, oral tumor removal and oronasal fistulae.
Dental Diagnostics
Whether helping pet owners to learn how to brush their pet’s teeth in the early stages of life or providing treatment to more serious mouth, tooth, or gum issues, we are here to provide the most technically advanced dental care using digital dental radiological diagnostics and a highly-skilled team.
Good Shepherd Pet Hospital offers Dental Radiographs (X-Rays) as part of our dental care services. Dental radiology equipment allows us to view structures that lie below the gum line.
The location of tooth root infections, root fracture, the extent of periodontal bone loss, the identification of bone lysis associated with oral tumors and Jaw fractures can be identified using dental x-rays.
Anesthesia is required for dental x-rays. As a part of our excellence and compassionate care, we use the most safe inhalational anesthetic Sevoflurane for faster, safe and better quality compared with isoflurane. It allows very precise control of a pet’s anesthesia level. Since it leaves the bloodstream very quickly, pets often experience a very quick recovery
WHAT SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS SHOULD YOU LOOK FOR IN YOUR DOG OR CAT’S MOUTH THAT MAY CAUSE CONCERN?
Bad Breath: certain oral conditions may cause bad breath in your dog or cat’s mouth, which may include issues with periodontal disease, plaque and tartar build-up, or an underlying medical condition.
Difficulty with Chewing or Swallowing: Many acute and chronic conditions can cause your pet to demonstrate difficulty with chewing and swallowing food including injury, sores, abscesses, broken teeth, or chronic medical conditions.
Cavities, Fractures, or Broken Teeth: Yes, your dog or cat can develop cavities just like humans. Our highly-advanced digital dental equipment can image the complete dentition of your pet’s mouth, including pinpointing cavities, hairline or more pronounced fractures, and the condition of broken teeth.
Bleeding Gums, Abscesses, Mouth Ulcers, and Sores: Such conditions can cause your dog or cat to experience painful symptoms and can also prohibit your pet from chewing and swallowing properly. A good visual inspection of your pet’s mouth by our veterinary team can determine if such problems are evident so we can treat such issues and make your pet feel more comfortable.
Cuts or Lacerations: Sometimes a pet can injure his or her mouth or gum line by coming in contact with a sharp object, chew toy or rawhide, environmental factors, a fight with another animal, and more. We can address such issues by conducting a thorough examination of the mouth to pinpoint treatment for your pet’s well-being and comfort.
Periodontal Disease: Harmful bacteria in your pet’s mouth can cause onset periodontal disease, which spreads bacteria beneath the gum line that may cause the bone structure and other elements that hold teeth in place to degrade. Routine examinations, and digital dental radiographs can prevent your pet’s oral health from declining.
Other Serious Diseases: Unfortunately, some pets are susceptible to serious mouth and throat conditions, such as oral cancer and other chronic diseases. Having the chance to provide comprehensive preventative care for your pet through routine examinations allows our team to also act proactively with proper diagnostics and treatment when more serious mouth conditions arise such as cancer.
Prevention Is The Best Answer
While the damage caused by periodontal disease is sometimes irreversible, it can be healed with antibiotics and regular cleaning. The wisest solution is to stop the disease before it starts.
- We recommend for your pet an annual dental examination and cleaning. A thorough cleaning removes plaque and tartar both above and below the gum line.
- The best oral home care is daily brushing with a soft toothbrush. There is no better way of removing the disease-causing dental plaque.
If you have questions or concerns about the well-being of your pet’s health including dental-related issues, please call our office to set up an appointment at 813-920-0303.