Here we go! Today is the day of my dental cleaning. Before it all starts, I get to hang out in this private kennel, with a comfy bed, a mat on the floor so my precious toes don’t have to touch any cold metal, fresh water and a clean litterbox, and a privacy towel sprayed with special kitty pheromones. Not too shabby, if I do say so myself.
Now I’m just hanging out while the techs run my pre-surgical bloodwork. This is important, because it checks to make sure that my organs are all healthy enough for anesthesia. Of course, I know my insides are perfect, but if it makes them feel better, I guess I’m ok with it.
Before I can have any medication, the techs have to check my vitals. Here Bretton, one of our CVTs, checks my gums, to make sure I’ve got healthy blood flow.
Now she is checking my pulse.
Next they listen to my heart beat. I tried to make a joke about how they make my heart race, but I don’t think they got it. Must’ve been the language barrier.
Snuggle break!
After the techs check my vitals, the doctor comes in to perform my pre-surgical exam. First she feels my lymph nodes to make sure they aren’t swollen or tender, as this could be a sign of illness. She said I had the best lymph nodes she had ever felt! She really said that! I swear!
Dr Yip listened to my heart too. These ladies just can’t get enough of listening to my heart!
The techs just gave me a shot of sedative, and I feel just fiiiiiiiiine!
Now that I am all relaxed from my sedative, the techs start the slightly more complex procedures. Here Ally feels my trachea to make sure that they chose the right size intubation tube. This is very important. If they use one that’s too small, all the tartar that they remove from my teeth could travel back down my trachea and into my lungs. I want all that yucky stuff OUT, not back IN!
Here Ally is holding me while Bretton places my IV catheter. As you can probably see, I am too busy enjoying this warming mat underneath me to care at all about a little needle! That’s some good sedative they gave me!
And here is the injection that makes me sleep. Timmmmmmmmber! Watch out below, I’m going down!
Now that I’m sound asleep, they place the intubation tube, which helps pumps oxygen and medication into my system. They also wrap me in the warming mat to keep me nice and toasty for the whole procedure. Which I’m sure I would appreciate if I was awake! MOL!
This is a little embarrassing, but here is the before picture of my teeth. I swear I didn’t know they were that yellow! It must be all the coffee I drink.
Ally is getting her cleaning tools ready, while Bretton monitors my heart rate. Bretton’s only job is to monitor my vitals continuously the entire time I’m under anesthesia. She’s so lucky to get to spend all that time up close and personal with me!
And now we start with the cleaning! Ally scales and scrapes my teeth to remove all the built up plaque and tartar. And don’t look, but Bretton is down there taking my temperature. I can’t believe they took a picture of that! The indignity!
While Ally works on my teeth, Bretton continues to monitor my vitals. She records every reading, so they know immediately if something changes. It’s like Bretton is my biographer. I feel so special.
No tartar will hide! Not even under the gums! Ha!
After Ally finishes chiseling all the yuck off, Dr Yip comes in to examine my teeth, to decide if we need to x-ray any of them. Apparently I had a “suspicious” tooth. I have no idea how it snuck past me!
Bretton is monitoring my blood pressure. Man, she is really obsessed with me and every little thing I do!
Polish! Polish! Polish! I want my smile to be blinding!
Tah-da! With the cleaning done, my teeth are so white and shiny! Now on to the x-rays!
Isn’t our x-ray machine so fancy? We have digital x-rays, just like your dentist!
Just look at the crisp quality x-ray! What a pretty toofer.
One of my teeth turned out to be more than just “suspicious”, so out it comes! The doctor performs all extractions.
Look at that handiwork! Dr Yip is an artist! These tiny stitches will dissolve in a few days. In the meantime, they will protect my little tooth-hole from getting filled with gunky food.
After I woke up, the techs bundled me up in towels and blankets to keep me warm and comfy. A gal could really get used to this kind of treatment! I think I’m going to demand a warming pad in my bed every night from now on!
Now the fun part starts! I get to eat canned food for a whole WEEK! Woohoo! Dentals for everyone!
