Dental care for your pet...

   Dougherty Veterinary Clinic offers complete dentistry care. Statistics say that over 85% of dogs and cats over age 1 have some degree of periodontal disease.  Signs that owners notice are bad breath, crusty tartar, red swollen gums, decreased appetite or loose and missing teeth.

   Starting early caring for your pets teeth is essential. Our clinic offers a number of products to help owners care for their pet’s teeth. Daily brushing is the best way to care for your pets teeth.

   Dougherty Veterinary Clinic offers C.E.T. tooth paste in poultry and malt flavors to encourage your pet to enjoy having their teeth brushed. C.E.T. Oral Hygiene Chews are available for cats and in petite to large sizes for dogs. There are also rinses available that help fight plaque. Orovet is a dental sealant that can be used post dental to help decrease plaque accumulation.

   Other recommendations would be to use diets formulated to help teeth such as Hill’s T/D, Hills and Science Diet Oral Care.

   Your pet may need a dental cleaning to keep healthy. All pets are put under general anesthesia with IV catheter and pre-dental lab work to ensure health status. An oral examination is performed by the veterinarian, who charts all of the pets teeth. Dental radiographs are taken if needed. Calculus is removed with an ultrasonic scaler. The teeth are polished and irrigated with Chlorhexadine rinse. Orovet (a dental sealant) is applied topically to the teeth. If there is severe dental disease pets may be sent home on antibiotics. Our dental procedures are sent home the afternoon of their teeth cleaning. Two weeks post cleaning we offer a complimentary dental re-check to discuss what post dental care will work for you and your pet.