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What are the different types of dog heartworm prevention? - Summer Creek Animal Clinic

The big categories to think of are the monthly oral preventions, such as a chew or tablet that you give monthly. There are a couple of topical options that you put on with a little liquid directly on the skin that get absorbed systemically to act as heartworm prevention. Then, there is one injectable heartworm prevention that's given under the skin that lasts for six or 12 months, depending on which product it is.

Contributed by Dr. Shawn McCorkle DVM from

If my dog needs extractions, will he be given pain medication? - Summer Creek Animal Clinic

Yeah, absolutely. Anything we do in the mouth that is going to cause discomfort, we always treat with pain meds. Even the basic cleaning is going to be somewhat uncomfortable, so we give them pain meds during the procedure. But anything postoperatively that's going to be painful, so for example, with extractions, we numb everything in the mouth before we do anything so they wake up comfortable and we can keep them on less anesthesia. Then, they're going to go home with anti-inflammatories at a minimum and sometimes additional pain medications because pain control is extremely important.

Contributed by Dr. Shawn McCorkle DVM from

How long does a dog dental cleaning appointment take? - Summer Creek Animal Clinic

It really varies based on the level of disease, as the dental procedure is based on being able to evaluate and treat any disease present. In general, a good dental procedure—including anesthesia, the dental x-rays, a thorough oral exam under anesthesia with probing, and then a thorough cleaning—is going to take 45 minutes to an hour. But whenever there's additional work that needs to be done or extractions if there's significant disease, that time can vary. The anesthetic part is vital to be able to provide a really high level of anesthesia with tight monitoring to ensure that we minimize any sort of risks or complications. We always make sure to minimize any risks, and we can discuss that in more detail.

Contributed by Dr. Shawn McCorkle DVM from

Will my dog be getting dental x-rays? - Summer Creek Animal Clinic

Yes—when we do a dental procedure, which is generally going to be something we recommend annually after about the age of three, and that varies depending on the situation, but dental x-rays are a critical component of us evaluating the mouth. We cannot see under the gum line unless we have dental x-rays, and most of the disease is under the gum line. It’s critical to be able to address any infection, inflammation, or pain in your dog's mouth. We can't do that thoroughly without the x-rays, and I wouldn't recommend doing a dental procedure without dental x-rays. You're going to leave disease behind, and therefore, potentially infection and pain behind in your pet's mouth that you can't see or are unaware of because it's all under the gum line.

Contributed by Dr. Shawn McCorkle DVM from

How often does my dog need a dental exam? - Summer Creek Animal Clinic

The general recommendation for dogs is biannual or twice-a-year exams, and that's typically what we're going to recommend for wellness visits. Having your dog's mouth evaluated twice a year is usually a good place to start unless they're prone to breaking their teeth or something like that; if we can't control their chewing. But generally twice a year is going to be a good start.

Contributed by Dr. Shawn McCorkle DVM from
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