Surgery | Dental | More Information
Maintaining your pet’s dental health with regular care and professional cleanings is essential to prevent serious diseases and improve their overall quality of life.
Surgery
Making the decision to put your pet under anesthesia can be concerning however; Dr. Bumgardner provides excellent surgical care protocols to help make the process smoother. If your pet needs surgery, we will customize care for them starting by scheduling a complementary pre-surgical consultation.
At that time you and your pet can meet the Doctor, go over a surgical plan with costs, and discuss any concerns you may have, after which we can schedule the surgical procedure for your pet.
Dental Care and Cleaning
Of all the preventative health measures you can take, perhaps nothing is more important than maintaining your pet’s dental health. Tartar and gum disease produces more than just ‘bad breath’, it can also lead to disease of the heart, liver, lungs and kidneys. Over time, plaque hardens into calculus (covering the teeth in billions of bacteria) which can cause loose teeth, bad breath, gum inflammation, resorptive lesions, gum recession, and systemic disease (which hurts the heart, liver, and kidneys). With recent advances in veterinary medicine, it has become increasingly obvious that good dental care is perhaps the single most important thing you can do to add years and quality to your pet’s life.
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Dental Routines at Home
We recommend routine dental home care started at a young age to prevent your dog or cat from getting periodontal disease. The best thing you can do for your dog or cat’s teeth is brush them with a pet toothpaste (NO fluoride) at least three times a week. Don’t think your dog or cat will let you brush their teeth? We also have a dental water additive, dental treats, Purina Dental Health food, pet oral rinse, and vegetable or beef dental rawhides.
Calculus Buildup
If your dog or cat already has calculus buildup, he or she may need a dental cleaning. Dr. Bumgardner evaluates all patients every 6 months to determine if he or she is a candidate for a Dental Prophylaxis (dental cleaning).
Anesthesia
While the equipment we use to perform the actual cleaning and polishing is the same type of equipment your dentist uses, there are often several additional steps involved in the practice of veterinary dentistry. The biggest difference between human and veterinary dentistry is our routine use of General Anesthesia. Since a pet will not ‘open wide’, the only way to do a thorough dental prophylaxis is to use anesthesia.
Contact Us
We will get back with you within 24 hours (Monday–Friday). For a faster response, contact us at (979) 776-3736. Doctor’s hours by appointment only.