What to Expect

Prior to your appt, we will collect information regarding your pet and your veterinarian. Our goal is to receive your pet’s updated medical information including blood work, chest x-rays, dental x-rays, and any other pertinent information. If your pet is seeing a specialist for a complicated medical issue, please let us know so we can obtain those records as well. It is our preference that prior to your appt, our technician and our doctor review your pet’s chart to become familiar with any existing medical condition and to review any specific diagnostics relating to oral surgery. We will make multiple requests for these records from your veterinarian prior to your appt.

The day of the appt, our technician will obtain a medical history on your pet that will help us make sure we have all the information that we need. During the history, we will ask several questions so that we have a thorough understanding of your pet’s health. After the technician and the veterinarian have had a chance to review this information, our veterinarian will perform an oral exam and thoracic auscultation. Then they will discuss their findings, discuss treatment options, and answer your questions.

One of the big anxieties many pet owner’s face is the cost associated with treatment. Our goal is to give you the best estimation that we can following an awake oral exam. We cannot fully evaluate your pet’s mouth until they are under anesthesia, dental radiographs and/or cone-beam CT are performed, and the doctor has assessed and probed all the teeth; this is performed the day of surgery. During the final part of the consultation, the technician will present you with various treatment options based on your discussion with the veterinarian. For example, if a canine tooth (fang tooth) is broken and the tooth is dead, you may have the option for a tooth extraction or root canal. Once we understand your preference, we can provide a treatment plan that includes that therapy, along with the specific medications your pet needs. However, we cannot finalize the recommendations until the day of surgery. For this reason, we prefer to meet you, and your pet, and discuss your options prior to the day of surgery.

If the primary pet caretaker is unable to attend the consultation, we ask that you review the questions below, and send the answers with the person who will be bringing your pet to the appt.

Questions for the primary caretaker:

1. What medications is your pet currently taking? (Even if we have your pet’s medical records, we need to verify exactly what medications they are receiving.)
2. Does your pet have any chronic health conditions?
3. Has your pet had any recent blood work or radiographs performed?
4. How is your pet’s appetite? (If it is low, what % of normal? Are they eating 50% of their normal kibble?)
5. To your knowledge, has your pet’s weight changed?
6. Does your pet have any concerning new (or old) symptoms that we should be aware of?

Today is your pet’s big day! You can review the photos on our website to see where your pet will receive care on the big day.

In general, we prefer to admit patients between 7:45-8:15 am in the morning. You will receive a call when your pet is pre-medicated for surgery so that you know, within an hour or so, you will receive a mid-procedure call with an update on the findings from the oral exam and imaging (x-rays +/- CBCT). Determining the line-up for surgery is based on patient health. In general, any patients with cardiac disease will be earlier in the surgery line-up so that we have an extended opportunity to monitor them post-op. Some pet’s need to go sooner or later depending on medications they receive, the need for fluid therapy prior to the procedure, or if an emergency arrives. We often have clients driving extended distances including Oklahoma and Louisiana, and this will be taken into consideration as well. Every single patient is important to us, and their individual needs will be considered. During their time with us, they will be walked and monitored by several members of our team. After surgery, they will be released when they are ready to go home. We will do our best to give you time for them to be discharged, but ultimately, our pets determine when they are ready to go home. Most of our patients are released by 5:30pm.

If we feel your pet needs extended or overnight care, we will discuss this with you. The Dentistry and Oral Surgery Department is an outpatient service. If we feel that your pet would benefit from overnight monitoring, we will transfer them to the Flower Mound Veterinary Emergency and Specialty Center. They provide 24-hour care with a veterinarian on staff and are located across the parking lot. Alternatively, we can transfer them to your local or preferred emergency clinic.

The majority of our patients will need to return 1-2 weeks after surgery for a follow up examination. There is no charge for this appt. One of our dental team technicians will obtain an updated weight and find out how your pet is doing since surgery. They will evaluate the mouth for healing. If they have any concerns, they will speak to one of the dental doctors who will also evaluate your pet and provide recommendations. This is the best time to discuss options for home care. The gold standard to prevent periodontal disease is to brush your pet’s teeth daily. If that is not feasible, we can discuss other options. We can also recommend appropriate chew toys. For more information on home care products and chews, we recommend visiting this website: http://vohc.org/ (Veterinary Oral Health Council).