Time for a dental cleaning!
PK is Dr. McDermott's sister's cat. Recently, he had been preferring his wet food over his dry food, and then he slowed down his eating altogether. This is very out of character for PK, and so warranted an exam. It was seen upon exam that PK was having mouth pain
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PK's leg is shaved and lidocaine applied in preparation for a pain-free catheter placement. His blood pressure is also taken while the lidocaine is given time to numb the area.
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Dr. McDermott cleans the area, then places the catheter. She then wraps it, securing it in place.
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Good job OPK! You did great for your catheter placement!
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PK has been given a light sedative and pain medication and is ready to go under anesthesia. He is pre-oxygenated before Emily gives injectable anesthesia, intubates PK and then places him on anesthetic gas. Monitoring equipment is placed so we can keep track of his heart rate and rythm (ECG), his temperature, how well he is oxygenating his blood (SpO2), the amount of CO2 she is breathing out (capnography), and her blood pressure.
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PK is under anesthesia and we are ready to start his dental cleaning. He has mild calculus, gingivitis, and dental staining.
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We start by cleaning each individual tooth with an ultrasonic scaler to remove the tarter and calculus.
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Once the scaling and evaluation is complete, all teeth are polished using a fluoride containing paste that smooths the surface of each tooth.
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Digital dental radiographs (X-rays) are taken in order to evaluate the roots of each tooth and ensure there are no problems below the gumline that cannot be otherwise seen.
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PK's teeth are clean and polished, and his breath already smells better! He should also soon be feeling much better, able to eat normally, and much happier with a pain-free mouth!
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Monitoring continues as PK wakes up ensuring a safe transition out of anesthesia. Once awake, he is transferred to a safe place to recover until he is ready to go home.
Good job today PK! |
