Roundworm-A Serious Zoonosis

Oral Pain In Companion Animals

Finding Help-Restoring a Quality of Life
Conquering Toothaches and Gum Disease
Don DeForge, VMD-Animal Doc AM Multi-Media

“It's the hardest thing in the world to go on being aware of someone else's pain.” 
― Pat Barker

In the last twenty years, modern veterinary dentistry in companion animals has grown from being a "new baby" in the 90's to an actuality with an identity mirroring human oral care in 2012.  

Veterinary dentists are available in most communities.  Please view the Internet for the designation of Fellow of the Academy of Veterinary Dentistry and Diplomate of the American Veterinary Dental College.  These sites will in detail explain the differences between a Fellow and a Diplomate.  It will describe their Mission Statements and the work being done by each group to provide quality and pain free lives to the companions you love by addressing their oral problems.

No pet should live with a toothache or gum disease.  To identify the problem, the pet owner first must be very conscientious in examining their own pet's mouths.  Is there a mouth odor present?  Is there redness or the gums or is pus or blood noted when looking at the area where the gums meet the tooth?  Has your pet stopped eating dry food?  Has your dog stopped playing with their favorite toys?  Is your cat sleeping more or pawing at its mouth?  Does it hurt your dog or cat for you to lift their lips and look at their teeth?  Have your noticed any behavioral changes in your special friend?  Is your pet sleeping more and not interested in the family? Has your pet become aggressive to you or to other family members?  Do you hear teeth grinding or a clicking sound when your pet eats?  Much oral pain is hidden and you must be a good detective to determine if any of the above signs of pain are present in your pet.

During your yearly wellness exam have your veterinarian do a preliminary "look-see" and give you a "run-down" of what the mouth appears to be showing on physical examination.  Ask your doctor if they have oral-x-ray equipment to take tooth x-rays if a problem appears on physical exam to be abnormal.  Without oral radiology, a definitive diagnosis and treatment planning is impossible.  It is not possible for any veterinarian to diagnose an oral problem in an exam room.  Important observations considering the seriousness or advancement of a pathology can be made but the definitive diagnosis of all oral problems is with dental x-ray and sometimes biopsy if oral cancer is suspected.  

We must stop for a moment and discuss pre-anesthetic testing.  No patient should be anesthetized for oral care without a physical exam and a Chemistry Profile and a CBC.  If a patient has heart disease or any other serious medical problem an internal medicine doctor and/or cardiologist should be contacted for a complete review prior to the usage of anesthesia.  

Keep a detailed record of all veterinarians and specialists you have seen in the past and always bring this with you to each and every veterinary consultation appointment that you make. You are your pet's first and foremost advocate.  This information must be in the hand of each and every doctor examining your pet for completion of an updated Problem Oriented Medical Record by your doctor.

After Clearance for Anesthesia is obtained, the safety of the patient under anesthesia is scrutinized by the doctor and a nurse anesthetist technician.  If a patient has an advanced cardiac or pulmonary problem, a veterinary anesthesiologist can be contacted to be part of the health care team during the anesthesia experience.  Other specialists that could be called upon in these extremely ill patients are the Internal Medicine doctor and the Emergency and Critical Care doctor.  The key is to assemble the health care team that is dictated by the condition of the patient on admittal examination and after pre-anesthetic testing is performed.  Never leave a companion in pain.  Seek assistance from your LDVM and with that assistance seek an individual trained in oral care that can remove pain and restore a quality of life.

Listed below are some of the chief oral problems that can produce pain:

• Tooth root abscesses
• Resorptive lesions in cats
• Advanced Periodontal Disease [i.e. gum disease]
• TMJ pathology
• Jaw fractures
• Subluxated and luxated teeth
• Cavities in the crown or root of teeth
• Impacted teeth
• Cat Stomatitis
• Dog Stomatitis
• Fractured teeth from trauma
• Open pulp canals in teeth from fracture or hard chewing
• Cysts and Tumors in the oral cavity
• Pulp Inflammation from trauma

Lastly, all oral care must coupled with excellent pain control.  Pain control begins when the patient is first met and continues until all oral problems are completely treated and resolved.  Remember, animal pain can be hidden.  All of our companions need to be supported so that there is no pain.  This is the responsibility of the veterinary profession coupled with the love of the pet owner as Pain Control Advocates.

Don DeForge, VMD

Animal Doc AM-Multi-Media

Fellow of the Academy of Veterinary Dentistry

Silver Sands Veterinary Center

17 Seemans Lane - Milford, CT. - 06460

203-877-3221

1-800-838-3368

E-Mail DoctorDeForge@yahoo.com

Visit us at www.SilverSandsVeterinary.com

16October2012