Dentals at the Vet Station
Before the procedure: Dental pre-op advice
If your pet is due in to see us for a dental, please make sure not to feed them from midnight beforehand, and only allow them access to water until the morning.
Dogs should be walked in the morning to give them a chance to go to the toilet before come in to stay with us. Cats should be kept in overnight in case they do a runner – they always know what's coming!
For the procedure, we will likely need to clip a few patches of fur off for sterility and access purposes. Patients will have a clipped area on one or both of their front legs for intravenous access for pain relief and anaesthetic medications, and possibly on the neck if we take bloods.
We will ask for payment in full on collection. Remember – members of our Fire Plan receive 20% off dental treatments.
If you haven’t yet joined, you can sign up in advance to get the discount. But please remember that it is a 12 month subscription!
If your pet becomes unwell before the procedure please let us know as we may need to reschedule.
You are welcome to bring something from home that will make your pet feel more comfortable during their stay with us, or even their favourite food for after the procedure, although please label anything that you leave with us if you want it returning!
After the procedure: Post-op dental advice
Please remember to give any medications that we may have prescribed and to feed your pet on soft food for a few days as they recover. If there have been extractions, you may need to feed soft feed for up to 10 days. Give us a shout if you have any questions.
Remember to restrict exercise for a few days while your pet recovers from anaesthesia and their gums heal. Exercise can increase blood pressure and cause some bleeding in the mouth if there have been extractions. Please let us know if you have observed any bleeding, although a small amount can be expected if we have removed any teeth.
If they had a pressure bandage on the leg, please make sure that this has been taken off. These can cause a bit of swelling of the paws if left on because they are pressure bandages and are placed to stop bleeding when the intravenous catheter is removed.
By the first evening, patients should be eating, drinking and toileting as normal. Passing faeces can take a few days after anaesthesia though, so don't worry if that has not happened yet.
We recommend tooth brushing, a dental diet or water additives to slow dental disease and tartar build up in the future.
We will see you soon for your post-dental check, – if this isn’t already booked in, we recommend you visit us after a couple of days so that we can ensure everything is healing nicely. Please use PetsApp to book your appointment or give the surgery a call.
Remember – members of our Fire Plan don’t pay for their consultations! Join online today.
In the meantime please do contact us if you have any concerns at all. Remember that we are here to help you and your pet, so no question is too big or too small.