What to expect

In the lead up to coming in to see us, we would prefer you have seen your regular vet and received a referral for your pets’ dental problem. This ensures your regular vet can run any pre-anaesthetic checks including bloods, if required, prior to your visit and that way we are more likely to be able to proceed with treatment on the day of your appointment. 

Your pets should not have anything to eat after midnight the night before the consultation.  Access to water is fine overnight and in the morning.   

If your pet is on medication, please discuss this when you are booking in and you will be advised whether you should give the medication in the lead up or the morning of the consultation.  

If you have been advised to give your pet medication the morning of a consultation, you are able to feed in a small “meatball” of soft food up until 7am.

On the morning of your appointment we will see you and your pet at one of our locations, and here we will examine your pet and discuss your concerns. We pride ourselves on our commitment to keeping you informed from the start to finish of your interaction with our team, and will spend time explaining what we have found and plans to rectify the problem, if there is one.

For many animals, we are able to perform the required treatments on the same day as their consultation with us. If we are able to do this we will discuss with you how the day will run, what will be done and prepare for sending your pet home that afternoon. Most pets only require a day procedure, whilst some of the more advanced treatments do require a night in hospital to aid their recovery.

When your pet initially comes home they may still be quiet and sleepy. The older your pet is the longer they may take to return to their normal activity levels. 

Your pet will receive pain relief throughout their procedure which should keep them comfortable. 

If your pet has been sent home with anti-inflammatory medication make sure you follow the directions on the label – for dogs it usually commences the evening after the procedure. 

In some pets, anti-inflammatory medication can cause a sore tummy. If your pet has any vomiting or diarrhoea whilst on the medication, please contact us directly or your regular vet and seek advice. 

It can be normal for a pet to have soft stools in the first 24 hours after an anaesthetic, like humans, pets are individual and can process medications differently. This should self resolve within 48 hours. 

It is common to think that your pet will need soft food after a dental procedure but this is not the case! Unlike humans who chew their food, dogs and cats use their teeth to make the food small enough for them to swallow. In domestic environments, we already provide this to our pets with dry food. 

After some procedures we will recommend that your pet only eat dry food or chunks of meat, like cooked chicken), to reduce the chance of wound breakdown. If your pet is usually fed mince or wet food we like you to avoid this for at least 5 days post procedure as these foods can become retained in healing wounds or sutures and play and big factor in wound breakdown. 

If your pet has had extractions or oral surgery performed, it is not uncommon to notice some facial swelling for several days post procedure. This is normal whilst your pet is commencing a healing process and sometimes appears worse before it gets better. 

It is also common to notice bloody saliva on toys or bedding after a procedure and sometimes your pet’s stools are darker than normal due to them swallowing some of the blood from their healing wounds.  

If you have any concerns with your pet after a procedure, you are welcome to contact us during business hours or alternatively contact your regular vet who will be have been sent a summary of the visit. In the unlikely event that you have urgent concerns overnight, please contact your closest 24 hour emergency centre.