Animal Hospital in Goleta
Provides Pet Dentistry Services

Airport Animal Hospital in Goleta, California is a full service animal vet clinic with highly skilled veterinarians on staff.  Airport Animal Hospital has been serving the Goleta community since we opened our doors in 1968. We understand that a trip to the veterinarian can be tough for some animals, so we cater to each pet, making the visit as easy and comfortable as possible while maintaining the highest standards of service and quality.

One of the specialty services that our Goleta Airport Animal Hospital offers is dental care for your pet. Cleaning dogs’ teeth is vitally important to the overall health of your dog, and the gateway to good health. Pet dentistry is an important part of overall pet care, as both a preventative and restorative treatment.

Goleta Pet Dental Care

Many pet owners don't know that cleaning dogs’ teeth is important because it helps prevent gum disease.  80% of all pets have periodontal disease by the time they are two years old, which is unfortunate because it is an entirely preventable disease. Periodontal disease remains the number one diagnosed disease for pets, and begins quite simply enough with plaque. A buildup of plaque, if not removed by regularly cleaning dogs’ teeth, will lead to inflammation of the gum tissue, which is called gingivitis.

Plaque forms daily and regularly, and is a simple mixture of saliva, bacteria and the sugars present in the food your pet consumes that adhere to the surface of the teeth. If plaque is not removed and goes untreated, it can turn into periodontal disease and the supporting structures of the tooth may be affected. In the worst case scenario, your pet may lose some teeth, and bacteria from periodontal disease can enter the bloodstream through the gums, and lead to more serious physical ailments and diseases, especially of the heart and kidney.

Cleaning a pet’s teeth is something you can do at home, just as you brush your own teeth every day to keep your mouth healthy. But just as you need to visit the dentist regularly for a deeper teeth cleaning, your pets do too. At the Airport Animal Hospital animal vet clinic we recommend that you visit us once a year for cleaning your dog’s teeth as part of the overall health check up for your pet.

Cleaning your dogs teeth is a bit different from your own regular teeth cleaning. Because our veterinary team is not able to communicate verbally with your dog to calm him down and let him know what we are doing, a mild anesthesia may be required to keep your dog from moving during the procedure. Since your pet is sedated during a cleaning, we use this opportunity to perform a complete physical and draw blood to run full tests to determine if your dog is healthy enough for this procedure. This also helps us develop a specific anesthetic profile for your dog that can be used for future visits.

Ultrasonic equipment is used to clean each tooth both above and below the gum line, gently but thoroughly removing plaque and buildup. Your dog’s teeth are then polished, and the final step is to provide a fluoride treatment finish which helps keep tooth enamel strong and reduce the risk of tooth decay.

Our veterinarians are highly skilled and trained, and treat your pet as gently and tenderly as you do. We are a full service animal vet clinic committed to pet care, and offer emergency services, as well as standard procedures like spaying and neutering, as well as pet boarding facilities. We want a visit to the veterinarian to be something enjoyable for your pet. Come visit our friendly Goleta animal vet clinic, and see for yourself why we are a favorite in this community.