What to do if Your Pet Needs Dental Surgery

Pet dental health is so important for all! At My Pet Nutritionist, we love to educate owners on all aspects of pet health and husbandry. Many pet owners come to us when their pet’s oral health needs improvement; dental surgery is often required, but what do you do if your pet needs dental surgery? This blog post aims to help you understand why a pet may need dental surgery, what to do before surgery, after surgery, and ongoing to reduce the risk of needing further dental surgery.

Why Might Your Pet Need Dental Surgery?

There are many reasons a dog or cat may need dental surgery. Some mild conditions or cases of dirty teeth may be resolved at home, but many pets require professional help to avoid severe health complications caused by very poor oral health. Here’s some of the most common reasons a pet may need dental surgery:

• Periodontal Disease: pets with periodontal disease often end up going undiagnosed for a long time, causing the disease to develop. There are various symptoms of periodontal disease including bleeding gums, bad breath, receding gums, tooth loss, pus around the teeth, tooth discolouration and formation of epulis. If left untreated, periodontal disease can be life threatening, as bacteria emanating from the mouth enters the gut via the bloodstream. Organs commonly affected by periodontal disease are the kidneys, liver and heart. If your pet has diabetes, you may also find blood sugar regulation more difficult.
• Fractured Teeth/Jaw: if your pet manages to fracture their jaw or teeth, this will require dental surgery. Generally speaking, fractured teeth will be removed; some cases may be offered root canal surgery, but it is usually easier to have the tooth removed. Fractured jaws can require more extensive surgery, and come with a longer recovery process.
• Retained Juvenile Teeth: some young dogs require tooth removal surgery due to retained juvenile teeth. This is when the adult teeth have grown in front of, behind, or next to the puppy teeth, but the puppy teeth have not detached from the gumline, leaving two sets of teeth. Most puppies won’t require this intervention, but some may.
• Oral Tumours: while rare, oral tumours can happen in dogs at any age, but particularly in older dogs, or dogs with poor dental hygiene in general. Dental surgery is usually recommended to remove the tumour, and surrounding tissues if the margin is available. Some oral tumours will require removal of parts of the jaw.
• Cleft Palate: in rare cases, a pet may suffer with a cleft palate, which is a congenital defect whereby the roof of the mouth has failed to form properly. This lack of closure results in an opening being left between the mouth and the nasal cavity. Dog breeds most susceptible to this are the brachycephalic breeds (pugs, French bulldogs, English bulldogs, Boston terriers), and cat breeds most prone to this condition are the Siamese, Persian and Savannah cats.

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Should I See A Specialist?

We recommend seeking help from a veterinary dental specialist! While traditional vets are amazing people, worth their weight in gold, when your dog is undergoing dental surgery we recommend seeking help from a veterinary dental surgeon. The tissues in the mouth are very delicate, and while traditional veterinarians learn about oral health, veterinary dental surgeons are highly skilled in their specialist area, with far more in-depth knowledge when it comes to oral health and disease.

Post Diagnosis Preparation

Once you have received a diagnosis for your pet’s dental issue, and are awaiting a date for their dental surgery, your veterinarian will most likely give you a short list of things to do between diagnosis and surgery. This list may include some of the following:

• Feed a softer food: while waiting for surgery, your pet is likely to require a soft food. Softer foods will put less strain on the gums and teeth themselves, which will therefore decrease the risk of pain in these diseased or damaged areas. Many pets lose their appetite when their mouth is painful, which may also create a negative association with food. Some pet owners choose to feed a soft, high quality, high meat content wet food, others may choose to feed a cooked food with added bone broth to soften it.
• Avoid chews: as chews are generally hard or chewy in texture, allowing your pet access to these may cause pain or further aggravate the affected area.
• Remove unsuitable toys: some of the toys your vet may recommend removing from your pet’s reach include knotted toys, tug toys, solid toys and balls. Avoiding use of these toys will help reduce discomfort for your pet, and reduce the risk of further damage prior to surgery. Keep these toys out of reach until oral wounds are healed.
• Antibiotics: depending on your pet’s diagnosis, your vet may recommend a course of oral antibiotics to reduce risk of infection in the affected area, or to treat infection that may already be present. As with any course of antibiotics, it is important to finish the whole course prescribed, unless advised otherwise by your veterinarian.
• Painkillers: as dental health problems usually cause discomfort or pain, your vet is likely to prescribe painkillers in the time between diagnosis and surgery. Ensure your pet is given these, and look out for any changes in behaviour which may suggest worsening of pain.
• Practice crate training/calmness: some pets my require a complete rest period after surgery, depending on the procedure required. As activity increases blood flow to the gums, you will most likely need to keep your pet calm following surgery to allow the surgical site to heal. Ensuring your pet is both comfortable in a crate, and able to relax without being overstimulated by normal household life is incredibly beneficial to their post operative period. The more comfortable they are in these scenarios before their surgery, the more relaxed they will be during recovery, which aids the speed of recovery.

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Preparation for the Night Before/Morning of Surgery

If your pet is known to be nervous in a veterinary setting, they may require a light sedative; your vet will prescribe this if necessary. Follow your vet’s instructions on when to give this!

Your pet will likely need to be nil by mouth for a period before the surgery to reduce the risk of aspiration pneumonia. When a dog or cat undergoes surgery with food in their stomach, the food can enter the lungs when under anaesthesia; this can then lead to pneumonia infection.

Depending on your dog’s breed and medical history, your veterinarian may recommend a Proton Pump Inhibitor (PPI) to reduce stomach acid during surgery. This is particularly common in brachycephalic breeds such as French bulldogs, bulldogs, and pugs, Persian cats, British or exotic shorthair cats and other brachycephalic cats and dogs. If your pet is having dental implants, your vet is unlikely to suggest a PPI due to studies suggesting a link between PPI administration and failure of dental implants.#

If your pet is a cat, it is wise to act as normal the day before surgery, hiding their carrier. When they return home (if they roam outside in the day), ensure you lock the cat flap and any exits to the house. Cats often have instincts, and many like to evade capture on the day of surgery!

Keep your pet as calm as possible the evening before and the morning of surgery. Our calming supplement, Calm Complex, may be a great option for dogs and cats in the run up to surgery! Keeping the pet calm enables for a smoother pre-operation experience for both the pet, and the veterinary staff.

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Bringing Your Pet Home

When you bring your pet home following their operation, they may be tired due to the anaesthetic. Many will be able to be collected on the same day as the surgery itself! Once home, it is imperative you allow your pet to rest. If your vet has recommended crate rest, pop them in their new recovery den. If your pet is more active than expected, it is wise to confine them to a small area, or keep them on a lead; especially after dental surgery! We need to allow blood time to clot in the mouth, and activity increases blood flow to the gums, which will reduce blood clotting in the surgical site.

Your pet will have eaten at the vet, but will need food in the evening once home. This food should be soft in texture so as to not aggravate any oral wounds. Most pets would require an easily digestible, bland meal. Our recommendation would be poached or boiled chicken or white fish and a little cooked sweet potato or tinned pumpkin. This meal is highly digestible, and high in fibre which will help gut motility following the anaesthetic. This meal may be required for a few days. Many veterinarians recommend feeding rice and chicken, but this is not something we would recommend. You can find out why we don’t recommend it here!

Dental surgery can be painful, so giving any prescribed painkillers is essential. Antibiotics may also be recommended to keep any infection at bay.

Another consideration following dental surgery, as with any surgery, is to provide a gut health supplement, as anaesthesia can affect the health of your pet’s gut, as can any pain or antibiotic medications given. Our Gut Guardian supplement may be the perfect supplement for your cat or dog following dental surgery!

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Ongoing Dental Care

Once your pet’s wounds are healed, it is important to keep on top of their oral hygiene. Here’s our top tips and tricks!

• Regular brushing: once healed, it is wise to include teeth cleaning in your pet’s husbandry routine. Using a natural toothpaste (a 50:50 mix of bicarbonate of soda and coconut oil is an easy one to make at home!) on a soft toothbrush or piece of clean gauze on your finger, gently rub the surface of your dog or cat’s teeth. Carry this out at least 3 times a week! Ultrasonic tooth brush systems for pets are becoming increasingly popular as an easy and effective way of keeping your pet’s teeth clean!
• Consider a dietary plaque softening supplement: there are a number of natural options on the market these days, which are simply put in the pet’s meal, which aim to soften the plaque, making it easier to scrape off when brushing, or when the pet is chewing/eating. Most of these supplements are seaweed based so may not be suitable for those with thyroid issues due to the naturally high iodine content in seaweeds. Homeopathic Fragaria is a popular option too.
• Feed fresh: the food you feed your pet can have a huge affect on your pet’s oral health. Feeding a fresh diet is our top choice as fresh food is low carbohydrate, and it’s texture means it doesn’t get stuck in or around the teeth. Dry foods are high in carbohydrates which turn to sugar, and often get stuck in and around the teeth which increases the risk of decay and tartar build up.
• Offer natural chews: offering your pet natural chews such as Raw Meaty Bones (a great option for both dogs and cats!) or air dried pure meat treats (this option is mainly directed at dogs) can benefit dental health as they act as ‘nature’s toothbrush’. The chewing action mechanically aids the removal of plaque from teeth and gums. Avoid ‘dental stick’ type chews from supermarkets and pet shops, unless they are 100% meat, or meat with added herbs only! Many of the popular ‘big brand’ options on the market contain sugars, cereals, derivatives and other undesirable ingredients which are often carcinogenic such as Iron Oxide, Smoke flavour, BHA, BHT (often simply labelled as ‘preservatives’, and others.
• Avoid antlers: while offering natural, air dried chews is great, there are some that are to be avoided – the main culprit being antlers! Antlers are so incredibly rock solid, they are one of the top causers of fractures in dog teeth. Aggressive chewers should avoid any other rock solid chews too, and aim for chews than can be flexed slightly, or dented with one’s fingernail.
• Frequent dental check ups: as with us humans, frequent dental checkups are important. These can be carried out once or twice a year at your vet practice, to ensure your dog’s oral health is in tip top shape, especially in those with a history of dental problems.

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You can read more of our top oral health tips in our blog here!

If your pet requires dental surgery, try not to panic – follow the guidance in this blog and be prepared. Your pet will be so much healthier and pain free following their essential surgery. Our team would love to hear from you if you feel your pet would benefit from help with their diet or wellness following dental surgery, and to reduce the need for future dental procedures.

Team MPN x