Dental care

Who this is for

Any adult dog or cat, and particularly small breeds, brachycephalic breeds and any pet over seven. If they have noticeably bad breath, it’s worth a look: that smell is usually bacteria, not diet.

Signs worth booking for

• Breath that has changed or worsened

• Eating more slowly, dropping food, or chewing on one side

• Visible tartar, or gums that are red along the tooth line

• Pawing at the mouth or face rubbing

• A tooth that looks discoloured or broken

None of these are emergencies, but none of them improve on their own.

What happens on the day

Dental work in animals requires a general anaesthetic. There is no way to x-ray and clean below the gumline on a conscious patient. Your pet comes in the morning, has a pre-anaesthetic exam and bloodwork, and goes under with a nurse monitoring them continuously.

We take full-mouth x-rays first, because a large share of dental disease sits below the gumline where nothing is visible. Then scaling, polishing, and any extractions that are needed. You’ll get a call before any extraction is done, so there are no surprises on the invoice.

Most pets go home the same afternoon.

How to prepare

No food after 10pm the night before; water is fine until morning. Bring them in between 8:00 and 8:30. Leave a phone number you’ll actually answer, because we’ll call twice: once after the x-rays and once when they’re awake.

Recovery

Grogginess for the rest of the day is normal. Soft food for three to five days if there were extractions. Most owners tell us their pet is brighter within a week, often noticeably so, which is usually the moment they realise how long the animal had been uncomfortable.

Cost

A routine scale and polish at Juniper starts at [price]. Extractions are quoted individually once we’ve seen the x-rays. We’ll always talk you through the number before we proceed.