[BassetMixUp]

I have another thread titled "Oh no. Broken canine." I wanted to start a new thread for more exposure, I hope that's ok.

My dog is a mixed breed Heinz 57 who weighs 34 pounds and has a basset like body type. He broke his canine tooth pretty bad and I have decided that having it extracted is the best choice for him.

He is my first dog, this is our first injury. So when we were at the vet on Friday, I just didn't know what to ask.

Can anyone please help me by suggesting what questions I should ask her? We didn't talk about surgery AT ALL because she wanted to just file the tooth so it's smooth. At the time (possibly less than 24 hours after it broke) I reported he didn't seem to be in any pain but two days later, I can see that he is.

What do I ask her? I don't know how long they keep him, recovery plan, nothing. And I'd like some help forming questions that may be important to me that I just don't know to ask yet.

Thank you in advance for your help!

 

[luv2byte]

Our dog had a canine pulled (and 3other teeth), surgery & recovery were not bad. Just make sure you are clear on dietary & snack restrictions.

 

[BassetMixUp]

Thank you

 

[luv2byte]

It's not much different from us having a tooth pulled, except the sedation - depending of the vet uses a lighter sedation than for major surgeries so pups are not as drugged when you pick them up.

 

[spotted nikes]

If there is anything esle he needs like neutering, you might do that at the same time. If you have never had a complete blood workup done on him, you might want to do that before surgery to make sure there won't be any unexpected problems.

 

[GottaLuvMutts]

Yes, ask about sedation. What drug will they use, and what drug (if any) will be used to reverse it. Ask how long he will be groggy.

 

[BassetMixUp]

Yes, ask about sedation. What drug will they use, and what drug (if any) will be used to reverse it. Ask how long he will be groggy.

I know nothing about the drugs and from what I have researched, they are WAY too complicated for me to feel like I would be able to make a better decision than my vet. Is there a specific drug or something I should be concerned about?

He was neutered at the shelter just before we adopted him in the beginning of December with no complications. He was pretty sick at that point and is perfectly healthy now and a perfect weight, per the vet. (10 pounds heavier than when we adopted him!) Should we still have bloodwork done?

 

[AConklin03]

I believe most vets require bloodwork before any surgery to ensure that there won't be any complications with the sedation and to ensure they're healthy enough for the surgery.

My dog went in for tooth extractions last year and she was fine afterwards, a little sleepy after the anesthesia first wore off and she had some trouble walking because she was so out of it, but after she went home and finished sleeping it off she was fine, as if nothing happened.

 

[hanksimon]

A good Vet can explain the drugs in layman terms. Usually, you want a gas anesthetic, but I'm not sure for dental surgery. My Vet uses human quality gas, which is fairly gentle, quick, and allows the dog to wake up quickly and not groggy. You can ask if the anesthesia is the same as used for neutering.
Ask the Vet about bloodwork - then tend to be conservative, but reasonable.

Ask about pain meds and how to give them (with a handful of food?), how often, and side effects.

Ask about exercise, limitations, food concerns after the surgery, a follow-up visit, potential complications.

And, ask about costs...

Usually the surgery is much more painful and nerve wracking for the owner... than for the dog


Let us know...

 

[Hambonez]

I'd ask about running pre-operative blood work and EKG. You might want to see if your dog needs a dental cleaning or anything else done while under anesthesia.

 

[luv2byte]

I'd ask about running pre-operative blood work and EKG. You might want to see if your dog needs a dental cleaning or anything else done while under anesthesia.

I like having at least one, ideally two, blood work ups in their chart. If they become ill then the vet has a proven baseline to work from or if anything happens during the procedure then they can rule out certain things based off the lab work.

I would also have the, check all of his teeth closely.