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Pre-Surgical Information
Spaying or neutering your pet is a big step! There is a lot to consider
when we are planning your pet’s surgery. Here is some information to help
you make wise decisions.
Click here . . .
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Special LibraryOur Special Library
is a collection of informative articles on a variety of health topics.
Click here . . .
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Discharge InstructionsClick here for
information on how to care for your pet at home.
Click here . . .
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 Oral
Surgery
Probably the most common bit of oral surgery done in
humans is wisdom tooth removal. I mention this
only because many of us can either remember having our
own wisdom teeth out, or at least know somebody who has.
For those of you who have not had their wisdom teeth
removed, and do not know somebody who has, let me just
point out that most people find that wisdom tooth
removal is not fun in the short run.
And so it is with most forms of oral surgery.
Although we do a good job of pain management, there is
nonetheless a definite recovery period during which most
patients experience some discomfort. This
discomfort may be evidenced by drooling, poor appetite,
lethargy, etc. If your patient seems quite
uncomfortable, please let us know. We provide pain
medication suitable to the patient and the procedure
being done, and usually this controls their pain well.
However, each patient is different, and some may need
more medication. Please contact us if you have
concerns.
Your pet has stitches in his or her mouth.
Veterinary dentists use sutures more than human
dentists. The reason for this is that veterinary
dentists often remove more teeth at a time than human
dentists do, and our veterinary patients are not able to
understand directions to not chew on the extraction
side, and rinse four times a day with salt water.
The sutures will dissolve in time, and do not need to be
removed. However, they do need to be protected.
Opening your pet's mouth, or handling his or her lips
can put tension on the sutures and may cause them to
tear out. Please avoid the temptation of looking
at our work for at least two weeks. When
medicating your pet, liquid medications will be
dispensed where possible. Poke the tip of the
dropper or syringe gently into the mouth without
handling the lips.
During the recovery period, it is important to feed only
soft food. This is to protect the incision and
sutures. If your pet has lost a lot of teeth, it
may be necessary to feed only soft food from now on.
How to tell if there are problems during recovery:
Since you won't be opening up your pet's mouth to look
for problems, it can be hard to tell if things are going
well during recovery. If your pet doesn't eat well
after a few days, drools excessively, or if there is a
bad odor coming from your pet's mouth, we need to
examine things as soon as possible.
Your pet will thank you for providing the care he or she
needed! |
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