Pet Dental Care

Westside Animal Hospital provides dental care for dogs and cats in Colorado Springs. Dental care is commonly overlooked, but pets can develop periodontal disease, which can lead to more serious health problems including heart, lung, and kidney disease.

Veterinary Dental Exams

Oral exams and dental cleanings are two critical components of your pet’s veterinary dental care regimen. We administer an oral exam during your pet’s annual preventive care visit. As your pet ages, we look for anomalies, the accumulation of plaque and tartar, periodontal disease, and oral tumors. Based on the results, a professional dental teeth cleaning may be recommended.

Pet Dental Cleaning

If a professional pet dental cleaning is needed, this procedure can be performed in one day at our animal hospital. A typical dental cleaning for a dog or cat includes:

• Pre-anesthetic exam — For the safety and comfort of your pet, veterinary dental cleanings are performed under anesthesia. Whenever anesthesia is needed, special considerations are taken to help ensure the safety of your pet. We will administer a physical exam and a safety blood work panel.
• Dental radiographs — Radiographs (x-rays) of the teeth are taken in order to completely evaluate your pet’s oral health. X-rays can detect abnormalities that cannot be observed during a physical examination.
• Anesthesia monitoring — During anesthesia, we continually monitor and record your pet’s vital signs.
• Scaling and polishing — During the dental cleaning, we will scale and polish each tooth. Polishing smoothes out any scratches in the tooth’s enamel and protects your pet’s teeth.
• Fluoride/sealants — This helps strengthen and desensitize teeth, as well as decrease future plaque.

We will closely monitor your pet throughout his or her recovery and will contact you when the procedure is completed to arrange a time for discharge.

Home Dental Care

It is important to establish a home dental cleaning regimen for your pet. We offer many home dental care products to assist you, such as special diets and dental chews. We are available to demonstrate proper brushing techniques and assist you with your home dental program.

Your pet’s oral health is very important. Together, we can help your pet live a longer, healthier life. Please contact us to schedule an appointment.