Hector’s Dental Adventure

Hi. I am Hector, a 3 year old Golden Retriever. A few weeks ago my mom who works at Mission Ridge Animal Hospital told me that I have pretty stinky breath and that I should have my teeth cleaned. She also said that I have some tartar and gingivitis, whatever that means!  Last week the girls at Mission Ridge took my blood to make sure I could handle the anesthetic and once the doctors told my mom that I was perfectly healthy she booked my dental cleaning!

I knew something was up when I didn’t get my delicious breakfast. My mom seemed a little nervous last Wednesday but I was brave. My Mom put an IV catheter into my leg and gave me some fluids to hydrate me before my anesthetic.  Michelle and Debra gave me some medications that they called ‘pre-med’ and I don’t really remember what happened after that but my mom filled me in afterwards. Once I was sleeping a tube was put in my throat to secure my airway and to deliver the oxygen and anesthetic gas. Michelle and Dr. Matenchuk started cleaning my teeth with the scaler to remove plaque and tartar. I was attached to some monitoring equipment and Debra kept a very close eye on me. Once the scaling was done Dr. Matenchuk had a close look in my mouth and she didn’t see any abnormalities. The girls took some dental x-rays to ensure my tooth roots were healthy and when they discovered that they were it was time to polish. Mom says the scaling process can leave imperfections and grooves in teeth so it is important to use an abrasive polish to smooth them out. After the polishing was done it was fluoride time – they used the raspberry flavour. YUMMY!

I don’t remember much from the rest of the day, but I was quite sleepy that afternoon. The girls kept me warm with heat discs and blankets and checked on me frequently. My mom sure was happy to take me home with a nice clean mouth. Since my dental cleaning Mom has been brushing my teeth every day, which I don’t mind at all because I get to enjoy a CET Dental Chew after! I hear that with routine home dental care I might not need to have any teeth extracted so that is our goal.