senior-pet-care

Caring for Pets in Their Golden Years

As your pet enters the golden years, veterinary visits are more important than ever in supporting longevity, maintaining health, and preserving his or her quality of life. Our veterinary team at TotalBond Veterinary Hospital at Bethel is trained to help keep your senior pet healthy, happy, and comfortable throughout the rest of his or her life. We recommend semi-annual wellness visits along with bloodwork, digital radiography and ultrasound, urinalysis testing, and glaucoma screenings. These comprehensive check-ups will help us stay vigilant in keeping your pet healthy and staying ahead of age-related, and preventable diseases.

Unfortunately, it is easy for age-related conditions to go undetected at home until diseases progress. To help our veterinary team identify concerning health conditions early on, we recommend urinalysis testing, digital radiography, glaucoma screening, and bloodwork for senior pets under our care at TotalBond at Bethel. These diagnostic tests are important to assess vital bodily systems, evaluate organ function, and test for age-related common health issues.

CONSULT

This is the first step in the full arch process. During this appointment, you will meet with your Dr. Kurt O. Bally DMD FICOI to discuss your needs and options for dental implants. The consultation will typically take about an hour. This first and free visit is $525 value.
STEP 1
STEP 2

RECORDS

Your dentist will take a series of records, including dental x-rays, 3D scans, and photographs. These records will be used to create a treatment plan and to fabricate your dental implants.

PRE-SURGICAL CONSULT

This appointment is held before the surgery to discuss the risks and benefits of the procedure, as well as the recovery process. You will also have a chance to ask any questions you may have.
STEP 3
STEP 4

SURGERY

This is the procedure where the implants are placed into your jawbone. The surgery typically takes about 2 hours per jaw and is done safely with oral anesthesia. All patients leave with their new temporary teeth on the day of the surgery and will return within 1-2 weeks to have their first post-op visit and receive their fist implant prototype teeth. It is important to remain on a very soft diet after surgery and before receiving your first prototype.

PROTOTYPES

1-2 weeks after your surgery you will return to check your healing and receive your first set of implant prototype teeth that will be attached directly to your implants. We allow up to 3 versions of teeth during the healing process to ensure the dentist and patient is happy with the look and feel. As your implants heal your dentist will create a series of prototypes for your implant bridge. These prototypes will be used to test the fit and function of the bridge before it is permanently placed.
STEP 5
STEP 6

HEALING

The implants will need to heal for 4-6 months before the next step can be taken. Dr. Bally will also provide a night guard to help prevent excess pressure from going to your implants. As you heal you will remain on a soft diet.

PROTOTYPING AND VERIFICATION

Once the implants have healed, your dentist will create a final prototype of your dental bridge. This prototype will be verified to ensure that it is the correct size, shape, and color. Before authorizing the fabrication of your new zirconia implant smile.
STEP 7
STEP 8

DELIVERY

This is the appointment where your permanent dental bridge is placed. The procedure typically takes about 1 hour. It's a truly rewarding visit for everyone.

POST-DELIVERY CONSULT AND DOCUMENTATION

This appointment is held after your new zirconia implant smile is installed and your final night guard is given and instructions to maintain your smile are discussed. Final pictures, X-rays and video mark the end of your zirconia implant smile journey.
STEP 9
STEP 10

MAINTENANCE

Your zirconia implant smile will need to be maintained on a regular basis to ensure that it continues to function properly. This may include cleaning, adjustments, and checkups.
Bloodwork: Helps identify age-related conditions such as kidney disease, diabetes, liver disease, and also helps to identify general conditions such as anemia and infection.
Digital Radiography: Images of your pet’s internal systems and can highlight health conditions such as cancer and arthritis.
Ultrasound: Allows for more detailed images of the body’s internal organs and can detect things such as masses and inflammation.
Glaucoma Screening: Measuring pressure in each eye, the screening is a quick and painless procedure to identify if your senior pet has any early signs of a very disease.

There’s no question about it, our senior pets hold a special place in our hearts. If your senior pet’s behavior or health changes, we invite you to schedule a visit right away upon noticing these sudden changes. You know your pet better than anyone, and providing timely veterinary care will be essential for their wellbeing so that they may live out their golden years happy and healthy.

If you have a senior pet, here are some tips in managing risks associated with owning a senior pet:

  • Bring your pet in for veterinary check-ups twice a year so that your veterinarian can uncover any problems that will be easy to treat early on.
  • Follow your veterinarian’s recommendations on diet, exercise, and medication to avoid excess weight gain.
  • Keep the living and sleeping areas of your home clean, dry, and warm and see that they receive ample opportunities to eat and drink.
  • Groom your pet regularly and inspect for fleas, ticks, sores, rashes, etc.
  • Check the eyes to identify any redness or unusual cloudiness, check the mouth for any swelling, loose teeth, or reddened gums.
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