Cats and Dogs with the Mouth of a Sailor

Interning at the Southampton Animal Shelter: Observing Spays and Neuters - October 26th, November 25th, and November 26th

During the time I was interning at the Southampton Animal Shelter, I observed many dental procedures that are performed on dogs and cats regularly to promote strong and healthy teeth. I was surprised at the poor condition certain animals teeth were in, and until now, I never realized how important it is to help your animal maintain healthy teeth.

This dog has severe periodontal disease, and his were probably the most unhealthy teeth I saw in all of my time of working there. Unfortunately, this patient's owners did not request a dental procedure to be done, despite the fact that his teeth were in such poor condition and required treatment.

I also observed another dental procedure on an older canine patient who appeared to be dealing with stage 3 periodontal disease, which is when the tartar buildup in the animal's teeth is so extreme that it causes the gum-line to recede. This created pockets between his teeth causing them to be loose, and discomfort for the animal. Due to this discomfort, he refused to eat, which can be very dangerous for an older dog. My mentor, Dr. Mirante, not only did a full dental cleaning procedure on this patient, but was also forced to remove a significant amount of teeth, which had been causing the patient discomfort.

Also, I observed dentals being performed on many feral cats. This is done in order to improve their quality of life as they continue to live in the wild. To my surprise, the majority of feral cats we brought in to be spayed or neutered, did not need a dental because their teeth were in relatively healthy condition.

This cat had a build up of tartar. However, while it needed attention, it was not to the point where any extractions had to be performed. Dr. Mirante used scalers to remove any tartar build up, then she brushed the teeth, and flushed out the mouth with water. This procedure is a routine procedure for dentals performed on both canine and feline patients.

It was interesting to observe these dental procedures being performed on both canine and feline patients. I also gained a deeper understanding of the similarities and differences in their oral anatomies. I enjoyed learning about a topic that I never realized was so routine amongst a majority of veterinary surgeons.