Dental procedures are a common occurrence in veterinary practices, but most people are not aware of what happens after their pet is admitted for the day. This article will outline what you can expect for your pet when they have a dental cleaning performed at Raritan Animal Hospital.

    Patients are admitted to our hospital between 8AM and 9AM, having been fasted since the night before. Our receptionists will check in your pet, discuss the procedure that has been scheduled for the day, and have you sign all necessary documents and consent forms. All patients scheduled for dental procedures require blood work prior to anesthesia. In most cases lab samples are drawn prior to the procedure date. If this is not the case, our receptionists will discuss what lab tests will be run that morning, prior to your pet's treatment. They will also ask you about Oravet, a weekly dental sealant that can be applied in hospital and at home to help prevent tartar accumulation. This sealant works by creating a barrier against bacteria and plaque, helping to maintain clean teeth and fresh breath. Once all your questions have been addressed, one of our surgical technicians will escort your pet to a kennel in the surgical area.

     All patients receive a full examination prior to their dental procedure, including a weight check, and a review of all pertinent blood work. Once your pet has been cleared for anesthesia he/she will receive a mild sedative, which includes a pain-reliever, prior to induction. All patients are placed on intravenous fluids and anesthesia is induced and maintained with a gas anesthetic and oxygen.Patients’ parameters such as heart rate, oxygenation, and blood pressure are monitored throughout the procedure.

     The dental begins with a full oral examination, which includes checking the gingiva, roof of the mouth, and under the tongue. The teeth are then scaled with an ultrasonic scaler and probed to check for evidence of pockets along the gum line. Pocket formation below the gum line is indicative of destruction of the normal periodontal ligament. Fractured teeth are examined for vitality and root exposure to determine if extraction is necessary. Loose or mobile teeth are always extracted when discovered during a dental procedure. Once the teeth have been evaluated, cleaned, and any diseased teeth removed, those remaining are polished and a fluoride treatment is applied. If requested Oravet sealant is applied to the mouth at this time. A chart reflecting the current health status of all remaining teeth is entered into your pet's medical record. Once this is complete your pet will be taken off anesthesia to awaken and recover in an area furnished with soft bedding and heat support.

      Once your pet's procedure is complete, and they are fully awake, our doctors will call you for a progress report and set up a pick-up appointment for your pet in the late afternoon or early evening. Antibiotics and pain relievers will be sent home following the procedure. Please note that oftentimes patients are groggy for up to 24 hours after sedation. Remember to offer only a small meal that evening, as anesthesia can make some patients nauseous. If your pet had teeth extracted, you may be advised to feed soft food for 3-7 days after the procedure.

     Dental health is very important to us at Raritan Animal Hospital. The addition of dental prescription diets, dental treats, and the Oravet sealant home kit can help to prolong the results of your pet's dental cleaning. Scheduling regular cleaning procedures for your pet will help to prevent the need for future tooth extractions. Most importantly a healthy mouth is directly linked to your pet's overall health.

     Microchipping has increasingly become a standard in the veterinary and pet community. Rescue organizations typically will microchip pets before they are adopted out and some breeders may do the same before puppies go to their homes. It has also become commonplace for many countries to require that a pet be microchipped before entering the country whether it be for a visit or permanent relocation.
      For a period of time there was a difference between the types of microchips used in Europe compared to those placed here in the US. This difference was in the scanner frequency needed to activate and read the microchips. Until recently most US microchips were read at a frequency of 125 or 128 kHz while the chips used overseas, known as ISO microchips, are activated and read at 134.2 kHz. ISO refers to International Organization for Standardization. This organization has set the global standard for microchip frequencies at 134.2 kHz. Having a global standard allows for there to be consistency worldwide in pet identification. While it is not mandatory for the US to use ISO frequency microchips, it is becoming more common.
     Within the past year Raritan Animal Hospital has switched over to the ISO microchip as several of our clients do travel overseas with their pets. Also by having a standard microchip, the scanners used to read microchips can be universal and not limited by brand or variance in activating frequency. By making these changes we hope to increase the security provided by microchipping our patients as well as improve upon the ability for recovery of lost pets.
Be sure to talk to our veterinarians today as microchipping is a service that can be provided to a pet at any age and can be done during an office visit or in conjunction with a surgical procedure such as a spay, neuter, or even a dental cleaning!

Watch Our Short Video On How Quick & Easy Microchip Placement Is!

    As veterinary medicine evolves, new technologies are developed to better treat animal patients with chronic disease. Osteoarthritis is a common condition affecting many senior and geriatric patients. Osteoarthritis is the degeneration of normal joint cartilage with resultant abnormal bone formation, leading to lameness and joint pain. Osteoarthritis may affect as many as 1 in every 5 dogs. Stem cell technology is now an option for long term management of this painful condition.

     Stem cells are undifferentiated cells that can mature to become cartilage, bone, or other body tissues. In stem cell therapy for osteoarthritis, regenerative cells are extracted from the animal’s own adipose tissue (fat) and sent to an outside laboratory for purification and amplification. They are then returned to the veterinarian where they are injected directly into the site of osteoarthritis, such the joint, or can be injected intravenously.

    Many patients find improved mobility and a decreased need for exogenous pain medication. Please speak to one of our veterinarians if you are interested in this technology for your dog!

Congratulations to the winners of our "Show Us Your Smile" Dental Month Photo Contest. We would like to thank all our contestants for their photo submissions and helping to celebrate the importance of good dental health for pets!

     This fall The Raritan Animal Hospital Group is happy to welcome some new members to our staff. Dr Lisa Fink joins our practice after completing a year long internship at the Animal Medical Center in Manhattan. We are also joined by Dr Shauna Glynn a recent graduate of Ross University. We would also like to welcome some new members to our team of veterinary assistants Divya Ramnath and Ariana Morris. Last we would like to congratulate two of our veterinary assistants Julie Lee and Stella Chu for their acceptance to the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine. We are very proud of them!

If you are interested in becoming a member of our team click below!