Our Pet Dental FAQ
You might have lots of questions about your pet’s dental health and care. Check out our FAQ below for more information! And if you still have pressing questions, don’t hesitate to call us at (832) 702-7599 today.
You won't know. A lot of problems reside between teeth and in the roots. You can only find that with radiographs and proper examination!
Maintaining a clean and comfortable oral cavity is necessary to maximize your pet's comfort, health, and longevity!
Absolutely! A pet’s instinct to survive will compel them to eat regardless of the oral pain they endure. If a pet is skipping meals, becoming a finicky eater, or “preferring” human or canned food, these are all indications that they may be suffering from oral pain.
The heavy chewing habits of juvenile pets, especially large breed dogs, can lead to unseen damage. Deer antlers, for example, are known to commonly cause tooth fractures as they are too hard. That’s right, dogs and cats can suffer painful fractured teeth that are perfectly clean! Cavities can also go completely undetected unless X-rays are taken safely under anesthesia to assess all teeth.
The initial consultation is complimentary! It only takes about 10 minutes of your time. We will then prepare a customized treatment plan for your pet and set up the actual dental cleaning and assessment.
Absolutely, two-thirds of the tooth remains hidden below the gums. Radiographs can only be safely performed under anesthesia to assess those roots. Not taking radiographs has been proven to miss important diseases below the gum line, essentially leaving painful conditions untreated. Having clean teeth is important but overlooking underlying disease leaves pets suffering.
Please call us at (832) 702-7599 or email us at info@houstonpetdentals.com to schedule your initial exam. We are open Tuesday to Friday.
Pet’s don't brush their teeth or floss like us humans do. Instead, they eat grass and bugs, lick their fur, and chew on numerous other traumatizing materials that can result in gingivitis and other painful conditions. All of that trauma and lack of oral hygiene leads to large amounts of bacteria hiding around the gums creating an odor you can’t ignore and is uncomfortable for the pet. That same odor then gets spread all over their body if they suffer from allergies. This “smearing” of oral stench can create an unpleasant odor for the entire home.
$479.00! This includes preoperative exam and lab work, preoperative pain/anxiety medications, IV catheter and fluid administration, gas anesthesia, endotracheal tube placement, blood pressure, heart rate, EKG monitoring, professional cleaning, scaling charting, and polishing.
More frequent, shorter anesthetic procedures are safer for our patients compared to longer anesthesia events in older patients. Preoperative lab work and safe anesthesia monitoring are incorporated to provide a safe professional dental cleaning.
Yes, all patients will have lab work performed before their procedure. This will help us avoid any potential complications. For pets over 8 years of age, more extensive lab work is HIGHLY recommended. This advanced panel is optional however highly recommended.
If your pet has significant health conditions or abnormal lab values, their dental cleaning may be denied by the doctor. Some patients may need further diagnostics by their regular veterinarian to ensure they have the safest outcome.
Depending on the size of your pet and the degree of dental disease, anesthesia time ranges from 30 minutes to 60 minutes on average for a routine cleaning and assessment.
No, all patients will be discharged in the afternoon. Houston Pet Dental will contact you after the procedure is completed to set up a dismissal time.
Most pets make a quick recovery after a routine cleaning as it’s not invasive or lengthy! If your pet is older, has concurrent health conditions, is overweight, etc., the recovery phase may be longer as the anesthesia is eliminated more slowly.
Rabies and Bordetella vaccinations are required for all patients entering the hospital for their safety and others. If proof of vaccination is not provided, Houston Pet Dental will administer the required vaccines.
If your pet has been diagnosed with a fractured tooth or painful condition warranting extraction, we can provide appropriate cost estimates for the additional needs. It is equally important to clean and assess all other teeth while under anesthesia to provide the healthiest most comfortable smile.
Overcrowded “baby teeth” can lead to premature pain and tooth loss. Removing those extra teeth will allow adult teeth to grow in a healthy fashion.
There are numerous factors to consider when answering this question correctly.
We have our teeth professionally cleaned before obvious tartar has accumulated. Routinely removing the microscopic plaque biofilm protects the gum line and is the first defense for maintaining a healthy mouth.
Some patients may need cleanings every 6-12 months. Some patients may need only 2-3 cleanings a lifetime. A veterinarian will best be able to help guide the frequency of such cleanings based on physical exam findings, radiographic signs of bone loss, inflammation, etc.
If your pet's teeth are loose, falling out, or fractured, they need more than a cleaning! After careful assessment, a doctor will give recommendations to best suit your pet's needs. Sometimes that may mean surgical extraction to maintain a pain-free quality of life.
At this point additional discount pricing is not offered.
Nail trims: Most nail trims are unpleasant for pets. Doing them under anesthesia takes the “bad experience” out of the equation.
Expressing anal glands: Often a routine problem for some dogs, and an even better option is to have it done while they are resting comfortably under anesthesia.
We can also do ear flushing and ear hair plucking.