Harry's dental scale and polish - a day at the vet

Harry is a 2 year old domestic short hair who visited us for his booster vaccinations. During a routine physical examination our veterinarian noticed plaque on Harry's teeth and inflamed gums. Harry was suffering with bad gingivitis and plaque, that left untreated would only worsen. Over time he would eventually develop cavities in the teeth, gingival recession, and loose teeth.. oh and it would probably be pretty painful too.

Harry was booked in for a day procedure to have his teeth cleaned and polished (a dental prophylaxis). Unlike humans who are mostly happy to sit in the dentist chair and open wide, pets need to be fully anaethetised for dental procedures.

On the day of the procedure, Harry was admitted first thing in the morning after an overnight fast from food. Learn about his day at the veterinarian below...

Pre-anaesthetic blood testingWe recommend all pets have a pre-anaesthetic blood test. After Harry has settled in hospital we take a small amount of blood from his jugular vein. This vein is chosen because it allows our veterinarian to take a sample quickly and easily. This is important in obtaining a quality blood sample as it minimises trauma to the red blood cells and prevents the blood from clotting.Previous Image 1/11 Next