The first appointment is typically a consultation and examination, which is the foundation of safe and effective dental care. During this 1-hour visit, we will review your pet’s medical records & history, the list of their current medications, and any pertinent dental X-rays. We will collect necessary records, so we have all the information needed prior to their visit. Dr. Chris M. Carter & Dr. Hannahbess Thomson-Laing will perform a physical examination from nose to tail with a detailed oral assessment. Client education is very important to us, so all of the different treatment options will be fully discussed and we are happy to answer any questions.
During this time, a treatment plan will be provided. If anesthesia is involved with the recommended treatment, we will discuss age and condition-appropriate pre-anesthetic testing. We work alongside our other specialists in cardiology, internal medicine, and our Board-Certified Veterinary Anesthesiologist™, Dr. Kennedy, when needed, to address any anesthetic concerns. If a procedure is recommended, it can be scheduled at the time of consultation.
Same-Day Consultation and Procedure
Please let us know if your pet requires a more immediate procedure or if you’re traveling a long distance to reach our office, procedures can be arranged for the same day of the consultation. In order to schedule a same-day procedure, we will need to have the complete medical record with age-appropriate pre-anesthetic testing completed, as well as a reasonable explanation of your pet’s oral condition. We will ask for pictures and additional information to determine the best course of action. Lastly, we will schedule a phone call in order to go over expectations and proposed procedure and cost. A deposit for the procedure will be collected to hold the procedure spot. On the day of the appointment, you will arrive with your pet fasted for the consultation, with the procedure to follow.
Day of Procedure and Fasting Instructions
When it comes to scheduling a procedure for your beloved pet, there are a few important things to keep in mind.
Firstly, drop-off times are usually arranged for the morning of the procedure day.
Next, it’s essential to note that your pet should not eat any food (except to give medications) after midnight on the night before the procedure. If your pet is on any scheduled medications, be sure to administer them with 1-2 teaspoons of food on the morning of the procedure, unless instructed otherwise by our team. Medications that should not be given on the day of the anesthetic procedure would be amlodipine or enalapril. Please be certain to give all other medications and advise us of this at admission to avoid any conflicts with general anesthesia. It’s fine to provide them with water until they arrive at Whiskers Animal Dentistry & Oral Surgery, where the procedure will take place.
Lastly, your pet will need to stay with the clinic for the day, and most of the patients go back home on the same day of the procedure in the afternoon. We will be in contact with you multiple times during the day with updates (at anesthetic induction, after imaging and evaluation to update treatment options and costs, and again when they are awake from anesthesia to schedule a pickup time). In the very rare event that your pet needs overnight care, we will arrange for this at a nearby facility. At pickup, we will go over discharge instructions, schedule a no-charge recheck in 2 weeks to assess the healing, go over home-care instructions, and schedule the next maintenance cleaning. If you have any questions before the recheck appointment, please give us a call and we are happy to assist you.