SEPTEMBER 2008: PEPPER

Although “routine” dental procedures are not the norm, it is refreshing to perform a procedure that does not include extensive pathology or multiple extractions. It is very common to find at least one or two resorptive lesions in cats and gingival recession and periodontal pocketing in dogs. Crown loss in cats and tooth fracture in dogs is a common finding.

Case in point: “Pepper” is a 14 year old, spayed female domestic medium hair cat in chronic renal failure. She was recently presented for a dental prophylaxis including full mouth radiographs. Her pre-anesthetic bloodwork compared favorably to the senior panel that was done in early April with no change in her renal values. Clinically she was doing well at home. Her vitals proved to be normal with her blood pressure averaging at around 150 systolic pressure. Pepper’s owner made sure that she came in annually for an oral evaluation and received her dental procedures throughout her life as advised. Daily brushing was attempted but not always accomplished depending on Pepper’s compliance. A water additive was used along with a dry kibble diet. Last year, 3 incisors were extracted and a bonded sealant was applied to 3 canine teeth due to crown tip fractures.

An intravenous catheter was placed; “Pepper” was sedated and placed on Isoflurane for the duration of the procedure. The anesthetized oral exam revealed normal gingiva with no sign of periodontal pocketing or coronal abnormalities. A full mouth radiographic series was done to assess the dentition for any abnormalities such as periodontal disease and replacement resorption. No pathology was detected. A prophylaxis was performed, her mouth was flushed copiously and an oral rinse was applied. Her recovery was uneventful and she remained on intravenous fluids until her release late in the afternoon. “Pepper continued to do well at home and at her last phone call was doing just fine. So, it is safe to say that sometimes a routine dental cleaning can really be “routine”, even in a senior patient.

The radiographs and photographs included show normal dental structure and a healthy mouth.