What do I need to know about the dental cleaning & extraction/s procedure my pet went through?

We appreciate your commitment to your pet’s health. Regular dental cleaning is a preventive measure against infections, gingivitis, and periodontal disease, a common and potentially life-threatening gum disease. In case your pet was suffering from a fractured tooth, tooth decay, and other similar problems, tooth extraction may have also been recommended. 

What did my pet’s dental procedure include?

• Your pet received thorough routine dental care which includes full mouth x-rays, subgingival (below the gum line) scaling, ultrasonic cleaning, and polishing. 
• Depending on the needs of your pet, the veterinarian may have also recommended other advanced periodontal treatments.
• Lastly, the veterinarian may have extracted a problematic tooth/teeth.

What can I expect when I bring my pet home tonight?

• Since your pet had general anesthesia today they may be slightly unstable and groggy. Allow your pet to recover in a quiet room at home, away from other pets.
• Some drooling can also be expected. 
• If tooth extractions were performed, it can be normal to see some blood-tinged saliva. The amount of blood should decrease with time. If at any time it is worsening or excessive, please call us.
• Some pets are not quite themselves for up to 24-48 hours following anesthesia. Signs such as pacing, panting, whimpering, mild lethargy, and/or restlessness may be noticed. 
• There may also be some degree of discomfort and swelling around the mouth, especially if extractions were performed.
• A small tube was placed down his/her throat and this can sometimes lead to irritation for a day or two. If you observe persistent coughing for more than two days, please let us know.
• Your pet was placed on its back for the dental procedure. This means they may experience some temporary nasal congestion and/or sneezing. Please let us know if these symptoms do not resolve within a few days.

Special Feeding & Care instructions

• With absorbable sutures in the mouth, it is important to feed your pet a very soft diet (this can be canned/wet food or dry food soaked in water until very soft) until they return for their recheck or otherwise directed. This also means no hard toys, treats, etc that may interfere with the healing of the extraction sites. 
• Tonight, gradually feed your pet only 1⁄4 to 1⁄2 the normal amount as pets may feel nauseous after anesthesia and vomit if given large amounts of water or food. 
• Your pet may not want to eat at all tonight. If your pet is still not eating the day after the procedure, please let us know. It is possible that your pet is in pain from extractions and the pain is preventing your pet from eating. You can give one dose of pain medication without food (if they will not eat) to see if this helps. If not, please let us know. 
• Tomorrow, you may continue food and water amounts as usual (as long as the food is still soft). 
• Please refrain from offering any hard toys, rope toys, bones or treats until their recheck to allow the gum tenderness to fade and the extraction sites to fully heal.
• At-home dental care (brushing, chews, water additives) may only be resumed once the extraction sites are deemed to be healed at their recheck. 

Recheck

• In case a recheck appointment wasn’t already scheduled when you picked up your pet, please schedule one in 10 - 14 days after the procedure. Please feel free to have your recheck done sooner if you have any concerns. 

Should there be an emergency when our hospital is closed (our hours are from 10 am - 10 pm), please bring your pet to one of the following emergency hospitals to be evaluated: 

• Wheat Ridge Animal Hospital (Call Wheat Ridge)
• Veterinary Emergency Group Denver (Call VEG Denver)

Thank you for trusting us with your pet’s health, and for being the BEST pet parent to your furry baby!