Home care brushing does not require anesthesia, and is definitely a part of good oral health for your pet. In addition to home care, your vet may recommend a professional cleaning if your pet has bad breath or related problems. Learn what is involved with a veterinary dental and why general anesthesia is usually necessary in this FAQ.
A professional veterinary dental cleaning nearly always involves general anesthesia.
Animals, no matter how well-trained they may be, do not open up their mouth and put up with the noise and possible discomfort involved with a full dental cleaning.
Animals, no matter how well-trained they may be, do not open up their mouth and put up with the noise and possible discomfort involved with a full dental cleaning.
Not only is the bad breath a problem, but an infected mouth teeth, gums can result in other, ‘larger’ problems, such as tooth loss, bone infection, as well as heart and liver infection from the overload of bacteria in the infected tooth socket and gums.
Most veterinarians recommend a pre-anesthesia blood panel to make sure there are no underlying health issues minimize risk of anesthetic problems. If not, ask about making bloodwork part of your pet’s pre-dental work up. In some cases, antibiotics are given a few daysprior toa dental to minimize the swelling and tissue inflammation during the dental work and to reduce the risk of serious infection.
If you have concerns about your pet’s comfort level or post-dental care at home, please speak to your veterinarian.