We get it – hearing that your pet needs to undergo a tooth extraction (or even multiple extractions) can be concerning.
To help set your mind at ease, we’ve compiled a list of reasons as to why dental extractions aren’t something to feel overly stressed about.
We don’t remove teeth unnecessarily
Rest assured that we will only recommend removal of a tooth if it’s already wobbly (in which case, it’s a “no brainer”!), or if we think that your pet will be genuinely better off without it, i.e. the tooth is irreparably damaged and will cause ongoing problems or chronic pain.
We give your pet multi-modal pain relief
Pets undergoing dental extractions receive multi-modal pain relief, which involves the administration of multiple forms of pain relief to help block pain signals in different ways. A common protocol involves opioid pain relief in the pet’s pre-anaesthetic sedative cocktail, numbing local nerve blocks under anaesthesia, and then anti-inflammatory pain relief for them to go home with.
This combined pain relief ensures that any discomfort will be minimised. In fact, owners are often pleasantly surprised at just how quickly their pet recovers after extractions!
Domestic cats and dogs don’t need a full set of teeth
Your pet isn’t a wild animal that needs to capture, kill and dismember prey to survive. Pets fed standard commercial or home-made diets usually eat just fine, even if they end up with very few teeth.
Your pet doesn’t care how they look, only how they feel
Yes, your pet may end up with a bit of a gummier smile. However, the relief from chronic infection and pain that is achieved through appropriate dental care will help to ensure their best comfort and quality of life.
As is often the case, however, prevention is always better than cure. A consistent dental hygiene maintenance routine started early on will reduce or even eliminate the need for extractions in your pet – hooray! For personalised advice on how to maintain your pet’s best dental health, book a dental health assessment with one of our knowledgeable vets.