Dentistry & Surgery

Your pet’s oral and dental health is very important. Poor dental health causes pain and discomfort, affecting your pet’s quality of life and longevity.

Untreated tooth and gum disease smells bad and it hurts.

It also floods the rest of the body with bacteria and the by-products of inflammation, causing damage to internal organs such as the kidneys, liver and heart. Additionally, it may lead to oral cancer, an often life-threatening issue.

Atlantic Veterinary Hospital is a full-service dental care facility. We strive to find and treat dental disease early to minimize health care problems and associated pain for your pet (and added cost for you).

Like all of our services, dental treatment are tailored to the needs of your pet.

Our oral and dental care services include:

• complete oral assessment
• teeth scaling and polishing, usually under general anesthesia
• digital dental x-rays to assess the health of the tooth roots
• dental extractions (if necessary)
• oral surgery

If additional oral surgical services are needed, we have established relationships with specialists in this field and will make the necessary referral.

Home dental care is a significant part of well care for your pet. We are happy to develop a home dental care plan that fits your pet and your lifestyle, and we stock a supply of dental care products for home use.

Surgical Care

Our doctors perform a variety of surgical procedures. If surgery is recommended, a pre-surgical examination is performed to assess your pet’s health and develop a customized anesthesia and surgery plan. Laboratory diagnostics may be necessary to develop the safest anesthetic regimen.

To provide the best care possible, an intravenous catheter is placed for all surgical procedures lasting longer than 10 minutes. IV catheters are used to administer medications and intravenous fluids during the procedure.

During surgery and recovery, a licensed veterinary nurse will carefully monitor your pet’s comfort, anesthesia level, and vital signs. Pets under anesthesia are placed on a special warming bed to help maintain their core body temperature during the procedure.

We use a multi-modal approach to pain management, providing appropriate analgesic medications before, during and after the procedure, specifically tailored to your pet’s needs and health.

Among the surgical procedures we provide are:

• ovariohysterectomy (spay) for female pets
• neutering for male pets
• tumor and growth biopsy or removal
• wound and abscess treatment and repair
• exploratory surgery and other abdominal procedures
• oral surgery
• medical declaw for cats (polydactyl or diseased claws only)
• ear flushing and surgical care
• minor eyelid corrections

Anesthesia Consent Forms

So that our staff may prepare for your pet’s arrival, please complete and submit the appropriate online form(s) at least 30 minutes before your pet’s scheduled appointment time. Click here for a full list of client forms.

Dental Procedure and Anesthesia Consent

General Anesthesia/Sedation Consent