For Pet Owners

We are committed to providing the absolute highest standard of care for you and your pet. We achieve this through a caring, systemic and organised approach to diagnosis and treatment planning for each and every pet that we see.

It can be pretty daunting being referred for advanced dental and oral surgery. New Zealand Veterinary Dentistry endeavours to provide excellent, efficient communication with our clients throughout their time with us, as we truly believe that this is key to keeping everyone less stressed, informed and prepared for the day. Please read below so that you know what to expect for your dear pet on the day of surgery.

PREPARING YOUR PET FOR SURGERY

When we book your pet for surgery under a general anaesthetic, we will send detailed pre-surgical advice via email to prepare you for the day. It is recommended that your pet had pre-anaesthetic blood tests done with your veterinary within a week prior to surgery in order to have diagnostic information available regarding your pet's organ function prior to anaesthesia.

If you have any questions or concerns prior to the day of surgery, please contact us at any time on 027-256-5652 or on referrals@nzvetdentistry.com. We will endeavour to answer all queries as soon as possible.

Your pet may have a full dinner prior to 8pm latest the night before surgery. It is important to ensure that water is offered through the night. We recommend that no breakfast is given on the morning of surgery. If your pet requires oral medications, please give these at the usual time and note that they have been given on the consent form. If the medications require food, a small amount (e.g. tablespoon or two) of food may be administered along with the medication but no more.

THE ADMISSION PROCESS

New Zealand Veterinary Dentistry Ltd. operates out of multiple locations in the Waikato, and endeavours to keep the high standard of care and service consistent in every premise that we operate in. We want the absolute best quality care for your pet whilst at the same time minimising anaesthetic risk by performing a thorough, detailed pre-anaesthetic evaluation and by using tailored individual anaesthetic protocols based on the assessment of your pet's overall clinical health.

The admission consultation into hospital will be performed by a nurse with prior approval by Dr. Crystal Loh, or with Dr. Crystal herself in the event that you may have any questions on the day. This will be arranged at the time of booking. You are more than welcome to send through questions to us at any time prior to your pet's procedure.

During the admission consultation, we will go over the treatment plan for the day and will require the signing of an anaesthetic consent form. Please ensure you are contactable on the day of surgery to discuss findings on the preliminary oral health assessment that is performed once your pet is under general anaesthetic and the dental chart and full mouth radiographs are performed, prior to treatment. As many lesions may be hidden under the gumline, additional pathology may be diagnosed following full mouth radiographs which may alter treatment decisions at the time. If this occurs you will be contacted at the time to discuss options for your pet's treatment.

WHAT TO EXPECT DURING SURGERY

During the procedure your pet will have a tube placed into his/her throat to administer inhalant gas anaesthetic. We administer fluids to all of our surgical patients to provide optimal hemodynamic support during the procedure. A dedicated veterinary nurse will monitor your pet throughout the procedure from induction to recovery, and all vital statistics such as blood pressure, heart rate, oxygen saturation, etc. will be assessed with multiparameter monitors.

We provide thermal support for all of our patients to actively prevent hypothermia whilst under anaesthetic.

All patients with painful procedures will have local nerve blocks placed as part of a tailored multi-modal analgesic protocol. This will assist with the post-operative recovery period.

Following the procedure your pet will be monitored closely during the recovery period. Once your pet has recovered from anaesthetic a small amount of food will be offered in hospital. If your pet requires a special diet please let us know at the time of admission.

CARING FOR YOUR PET AFTER SURGERY

The post-operative care period after your pet's surgery is a crucial part of the recovery process. We aim to ensure that your pet's recovery is smooth and uneventful.

You will receive tailored post-operative instructions the evening of your pet's surgery which will detail care for the recovery period. If you have any questions at all during this time please let us know immediately. We would rather you contacted us straightaway than be concerned and wait.

The evening after surgery we recommend keeping your pet in a quiet area of the house and offering a small meal initially, and then the rest later on. Your pet may still feel the effects of anaesthesia that evening, but most of the time will return to normal behaviour by the morning.

Depending on the procedure that was performed, we may have instructions on how to feed your pet appropriately over the recovery period (e.g. soft food only etc.).

At 10-14 days we will organise for a revisit consultation with your vet or with ourselves. This will be at no extra charge as it is included in the cost of the initial surgery.

For cases where procedures are staged or long term follow up is required, do rest assured that we will be in touch along the way!

Long-term Strategies for Your Pet's Dental Care

Starting your pet on dental homecare, especially daily toothbrushing, can be daunting. We have some fantastic tips and tricks to get you on your way and make this less of a stressful experience and more of a bonding one for you and your pet.

NZ Veterinary Dentistry is also able to make recommendations on effective veterinary homecare products that will help maintain your pet's periodontal health.

We are looking forward to being able to provide an excellent, compassionate, and caring service for you and your pet!