Case Studies

Max is a 6-year-old, neutered male German Shepherd Dog that presented for a routine wellness exam. Max’s owner had no concerns but thought his vision was declining.

Bailey is an incredibly sweet, 9 ½ year old, spayed female, color point domestic shorthair cat who was presented for a wellness exam. We immediately noticed her eyes looked a bit different. Bailey is very healthy and happy and has no idea her eyes look this way. Her owner reports that the eyes suddenly appeared this way many years ago while living in the Virgin Islands and the condition has never progressed or seemed painful.

Nico is the world’s nicest 3-year and 9-month-old Greater Swiss Mountain Dog that was presented for a wellness exam and vaccines. Upon examining his eyes we noticed something that shouldn’t be there.

Zoe is a 3 1/3 year old, spayed female, shorthaired barn cat that was presented for her annual vaccines and wellness exam. Upon examining her mouth we noticed unusually severe periodontal disease considering her young age. Zoe ended up coming back for a COHAT (comprehensive oral health assessment and treatment) and the following pictures and radiographs were obtained.

Punkin is a very nice 9 ½ year old spayed female Domestic Shorthair Cat. She was presented to us for a routine wellness exam and was seen to have moderate tartar accumulation. A dental hygiene procedure was recommended so Punkin was brought in for this.

Punkin’s pre-anesthetic labwork and exam were unremarkable. After cleaning all the way around every tooth, above and below the gumline, performing a thorough magnified dental exam, and taking full mouth radiographs, one problem was discovered.

Oscar is the world’s sweetest 8 month old, neutered male Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. He was presented to us because the owner noticed his baby teeth did not fall out like they should have. The following picture is what his teeth looked like upon presentation.

Klaus is a 6½-year-old neutered male Wirehaired Pointing Griffon. He is the goofiest dog on earth and is Dr. Green’s personal dog and best buddy. This is a series of dental radiographs taken over a period of 1½ years showing the progression of tooth resorption.

Luna is a very sweet 1 ½ year old spayed female Labrador. She was presented for a routine wellness exam and was noticed to have a “chipped” tooth.

Fractured teeth are the #1 most common dental pathology we see in young large dogs. These “chipped” teeth are often brushed off as insignificant but can harbor significant disease. Luna’s owner is a wonderful owner and promptly brought her in for assessment of this tooth. The following is the dental x-ray of this tooth obtained a week later during a COHAT (comprehensive oral health assessment and treatment).

Dante is a 3 ½ yr old intact male Great Pyranees that came to us for a dental hygiene procedure due to difficulty eating. Pre-anesthetic labwork and examination were unremarkable so we proceeded with his anesthetic induction. When Dante was having his breathing tube placed the technician immediately noticed something very wrong. His tongue was unable to be extended past his incisors.

This is a very sweet adult neutered male yellow Labrador retriever that came to see us for a swollen right face of several weeks duration. He was still eating normally and seemed happy despite the draining wound on his face. Upon examining his teeth we noticed wear/fractures to his top right and top left carnassial teeth.

Considering having your beloved companion anesthetized can create many different worries and second thoughts in most people. This is very understandable. Many people may have heard a story of someone’s pet dying while under anesthesia for a routine procedure. Many of those cases happened a long time ago, thankfully, and modern anesthetic techniques have drastically improved patient safety.