Non Anesthetic dentals

Now there is one of my favorite topics and it inevitably ruffles some feathers. For the last 2 years, I've had the pleasure of witnessing and participating in numerous non anesthetic dental procedures.

For those of you unfamiliar with them, it's just what it sounds like: your dog or cat has a dental procedure without being put under anesthesia. Now, this is where the controversy comes in.

There are very few qualified individuals in the United States who have been properly trained and can perform non anesthetic dental procedures. As far as my personal experience, I can vouch for Pet Dental Services. No, I'm not being paid or compensated in any manner from them. I just know qualified, professional work when I see and experience it.

The benefits are obvious. You, the client, save money by not having to put your dog or cat under expensive anesthesia. 2. Your fur kid is much safer not having to go under. Granted, anesthesia is far safer than it used to be but there is always a risk (just like there is for humans) when going under.

Many vets do not approve of these procedures. Why? The reasons typically given are that the procedures aren't safe or the individuals haven't been properly trained. The first thing I always think about when I hear someone criticize a procedure is "have you ever seen one performed?
Most vets who voice their opposition have NEVER SEEN A PROCEDURE PERFORMED! This is not unlike someone criticizing a movie without having seen it.

Now factor in the following: Josh states that in ... years of performing these procedures, he has never had a problem. Want to take that with a grain of salt? Fine, let me give you another factoid kibble to gnosh on: In my two years at the hospital, we have had over 700 NADS performed without any issues. Okay, maybe one. My cat Monkey was a bit too ornery to have one performed.

In an effort to cut through the misinformation and ignorance, I received permission to shoot this procedure performed on Buster, a standard poodle.

What gives non anesthetic dental procedures a bad name:
Like anything else that you can think of (car mechanic, engineer, plumber, surgeon), if someone is not properly trained, they are not qualified to perform the task they are stating they can perform. And that is the crux of the problem. There are many people out there who say they can perform non anesthetic dental procedures. The problem? As I mentioned earlier, I can count on one hand how many people can perform these procedures safely.

I can't stress this enough: do your homework, ask questions, check qualifications and you'll minimize your chances of ever having issues!

Keep Wagging!