Frequently Asked Questions

YES!! Our team has years of experience in providing quality dental care and oral surgery for our patients. We know that patients will hide significant sources of infection and pain in the mouth often while still eating and not showing outward signs of pain. Dental disease and infection is a huge stress on a pet’s internal organs, immune system, and overall wellbeing. Dental disease significantly affects overall quality of life and should be addressed. Many pets with dental disease are middle aged to elderly so our team is well trained in anesthesia for these special cases and the doctors will discuss any health concerns with you at an exam visit prior to scheduling a dental procedure.

We get it! It is stressful! But, 70% of the disease in the mouth that causes pain and long term infection is under the gumline. You can’t see it, and you can’t fix it with non-anesthetic cleaning. Xrays are required to find this disease, and xrays have to be done under anesthesia in pets. Most anesthetic complications are avoided with careful pre-anesthetic screening and intra-operative monitoring. Our goal is to correct or remove deeper sources of pain and infection so they can heal and live longer lives in comfort. We discuss our plan with you multiple times the day of the procedure so you are informed and comfortable with our approach.

YES!! Our 2 lead doctors have over 50 years of experience handling emergencies! They have extensive training and even lecture at western and eastern universities in emergency stabilization, ultrasound, and surgery.

We reserve “Same Day” spots to do our best to accommodate same day emergencies, and can typically accommodate your needs. We will only rarely say no if our doctors have too many patients to be able to provide the level of care that we require and that you should expect from us. To accommodate seeing patients once the doctors are booked, we will ask you to drop them off so we can facilitate care. We actively monitor our schedule needs and do our best to accommodate both routine scheduled visits and more urgent matters to ensure that your pet has access to care when needed.

This is a common feeling from pet owners. We get it! Please know that we want them to be happy and comfortable just as much as you do! We use safe medications and add alternative therapies like acupuncture injections to immediately relieve stress and calm patients if needed as they arrive. They are just steps away from us at all times and are closely monitored. If we are ever unable to keep them calm and comfortable, we will call you and prioritize an alternate plan.

No, we are not staffed overnight, so your pet will be sent home or transferred to an emergency clinic if needed for night or weekend care. We find that, in most cases, patients can be stabilized then sent home for the evening to actually be able to rest at home, then return in the morning for follow-up if needed. But, we will transfer them to the emergency clinic if they need continued care like oxygen support or seizure management, or if you are simply more comfortable with continued monitoring by a veterinary professional.