An elderly Chihuahua who needed to have all of her teeth removed due to severe dental disease is now chewing over a new lease of life thanks to our vets.
In fact, thirteen-year-old Thalula was one of the first patients seen by our recently-opened Dentistry service.
Thalula already had 15 missing teeth when she was referred to us. Unfortunately, her remaining teeth had end stage gum disease, so the decision was made to remove them, which accounted for 27 extractions in total.
Dr James Haseler, who heads up the new Dentistry and Maxillofacial department, said: “A dog can adapt well to living with no teeth as long as appropriate care is provided.
“Indeed, it’s often the case that a dog with no teeth has an improved quality of life compared to a dog who is suffering from severe oral disease. Dogs and cats are able to adapt to life without teeth incredibly quickly and often show a new lease of life following treatment.”
Sadly, toy breed dogs such as Chihuahuas and Yorkshire Terriers are predisposed to dental disease with around 90 per cent having an element of dental disease by the age of 37 weeks old.
Thalula, who had recently been diagnosed with a heart condition and arrhythmia by our Specialist-led Cardiology team, was assessed by both the Cardiology team and Anaesthesia team to make sure she would be as safe as possible under anaesthetic.
She then underwent a professional dental cleaning, before a detailed oral examination was performed and a full set of dental X-rays was taken, which revealed the extent of her severe dental disease and subsequent teeth extractions, from which Thalula recovered well.
Thalula’s owner, Debbie Colley from the West Midlands, said: “We were very worried to start with as the procedure involved an anaesthetic and she has a complex heart condition.
“However, Willows were amazing and the post operative care was also to a very high standard and all her medication was liquid to allow for any discomfort she might have felt after her dentistry.
“Now she’s had the procedure, the difference in Thalula is amazing and her quality of life has dramatically improved.”
Our Dentistry service has a range of diagnosis, treatments and care for a wide range of conditions including fractured and discoloured teeth, complex extractions, tooth luxation or avulsion, malocclusions, periodontal disease and enamel defects.
As well as a Dentistry service, we now provide an Oral and Maxillofacial service for treatment of head trauma cases as well as oral oncological cases. James added: “Our state-of-the-art dental suite ensures the best possible dental and oral care for both feline and canine patients alike.”
