How important is it to take care of your pet’s dental health?
By age three, 80% of dogs and 70% of cats have evidence of periodontal disease, which can cause mouth pain, tooth loss and make eating more difficult. At advanced stages, bacteria from the mouth can enter the bloodstream and cause heart, liver and kidney complications.
At Family VetCare, we believe in preventing disease before it becomes a bigger—and more expensive—problem. This is why our veterinarians regularly check your pet’s teeth during an exam, and may strongly recommend a dental cleaning.
We also believe in providing safe and exceptional care for your pets, so when we schedule a dental procedure, we’ll always perform pre-anesthetic blood screening to ensure your pet is a safe anesthetic candidate. This screening provides valuable information to know prior to anesthesia, and we’ll use that information to customize anesthetic protocols for your pet because safety is our highest priority!
Case Study: Meet Scout
Scout, an adorable 12-year old Dachshund, suddenly seemed less active and had a decreased appetite according to her owners. Her family thought that her old age may be to blame for these recent changes in activity and appetite. However, upon her oral exam at Family VetCare, our veterinarians identified some interesting—and likely painful—findings.
Scout had significant tartar (mineralized bacteria) and gingivitis (inflammation of her gums) which we believed to be the cause of her sudden changes. While under anesthesia, we gave Scout a thorough oral and dental exam where we were able to fully assess the tartar, gingivitis and even some gum loss throughout her mouth. To everyone’s surprise, we also identified a tumor growing under her tongue!
The Aftermath
Our veterinarians carefully examined the tumor and its attachments to the underside of her tongue. We utilized a surgical laser to remove the tumor in its entirety and to prevent bleeding during the procedure. We also scaled and polished her teeth, and these before and after photos show a cancer-free mouth that is now fresh and clean, with sparkling pearly whites!
A week after the procedure, Scout’s family gave us a call to update us on her condition—she was acting and feeling like a much younger version of herself, which we were thrilled to hear!
At Family VetCare, we LOVE stories like these, because they fuel our passion to provide the medical care that our patients need and deserve, and we are thankful to play a role in keeping them happy and healthy. By bringing Scout in for annual oral and dental exams, her family added many healthy years of happiness to Scout’s life!
We are very thankful to know and serve Scout and her family, and we take great pride in helping to strengthen and extend the human-animal bond that exists in her home!
We love you Scout—cheers to a happy and healthy future!