Pets commonly suffer from tooth and gum disease, which if left untreated can cause bad breath, infection, pain and may shorten your pet’s life. 

Cats and dogs diagnosed with dental disease will often need to have a dental procedure performed under general anaesthetic, to improve their dental health and general wellbeing.

At Southern Tablelands Veterinary Hospital we regularly perform dental procedures on dogs and cats, many of which are elderly. We have an advanced dental unit, a broad range of dental instruments, and modern anaesthetic monitoring equipment and fluid pumps to provide intravenous support.

Under general anaesthetic, your pet’s teeth will be assessed and any infected or damaged teeth that cannot be saved will be removed. The remaining teeth are then cleaned by an ultrasonic scaler, and polished.

Your pet will receive pain relief and antibiotics as needed. Intravenous fluids will often be given throughout the anaesthetic, especially in older patients.

At discharge, advice on what should be fed immediately after the dental will be given. Plans for follow up dental care to reduce the need for more procedures will also be discussed. We check any extraction sites (sockets) free of charge 3-7 days after the procedure to make sure everything is healing well. We often recommend a 6 month check after the dental in animals with very bad dental disease or if the breed or tooth arrangement warrants.

There are simple measures that may help prevent dental disease, including the use of dental diets, dental chews, teeth brushing, and the use of food and water additives that reduce plaque. 

Please contact the hospital on 02 4821 1966 if you think your pet may need dental treatment.