Rory is a gorgeous chihuahua with SEVERE vet anxiety.  Yes, we know that your pet might have it too, but not like Rory.  Rory gets so anxious that he actually has a seizure every time he is brought into the clinic.  It’s great he has a homecare vet for routine things, but that’s impossible for dental care.  After trying a few times at her regular clinic without success, she called Veterinary Dental Specialties after hearing of our “no sedate and wait” policy. 

Here at VDS, we believe in personalized care for every patient.  When you schedule a surgical appointment with us, your pet is not just another case. They are scheduled for a specific time, and you present them right at surgery.  After a pre-anaesthesia physical exam, we will pre-medicate your pet either with you or bring them quickly to the back and then bring them back to you in our client lounge or exam room. Let your pet relax.  This depends a bit on location and individual pet, but with an anxious one, we will always let the pre-medications take effect with you.

 At VDS, your pet’s safety is our top priority. We will take your pet and place them immediately under anaesthesia to perform the examination and imaging.  Once the veterinarian has developed a plan, you will be invited into the operatory to review the findings.  If you do not wish to see your pet under anaesthesia, we will be happy to review pictures and imaging with you.  Following the discussion, we will perform all necessary therapy.  As soon as your pet is sufficiently recovered, they will go back into your arms.  Most pets never go in a cage.  When the doctor is comfortable with your pet going home, you will be discharged.  Most visits are around 3 hours total. 

This is beneficial for clients, especially those who come from a distance, as it eliminates the need for two trips.  This also allows you to make informed decisions for your pet’s oral health.

For Rory, we took this even a step further.  First of all, we enlisted one of our anaesthesiologists (Dr. Stephanie Hon) to perform direct monitoring.  This means that she provided anaesthesia every step of the way.  This service is available in San Diego, Irvine, and Dublin regularly.

First, she created the anaesthesia protocol, and most importantly, the pre-surgical sedation to reduce his initial anxiety.  Next, we went out to the car to give him his premedications so that they could take the greatest effect.  Then we brought him in and placed him immediately under anaesthesia.  Because of the delay in dental care, he did need several extractions, but the anaesthesia and surgery were routine. He recovered well and went home without any complications.