Dentistry

DENTAL CLEANINGS & ANESTHETIC
Dogs and cats require proper dental care, which consists of regular dental cleaning under a general anesthetic. A dental cleaning is much more than a cosmetic treatment. In addition to the scaling and polishing of your pet’s teeth they are examined and X-rayed. Detailed notes are recorded so changes can be trended over time.
ORAL HEALTH CARE
We recommend that dental cleanings be performed annually after the age of three in cats, small and medium sized dogs, and in some older pets biannually. Regular dental cleaning protects teeth from periodontal disease, which is inflammation and infection that weaken the attachment of the tooth. Regular cleaning can reverse early dental disease and allows the gums to heal around the tooth. It also greatly improves the overall health of your pet. Daily proper tooth brushing and dental diets can extend the duration between regular dental cleanings.
FOLLOW UP EXTRACTIONS
Occasionally, a follow-up visit for extractions is required 2 to 4 weeks after the dental cleaning. Extractions are indicated if a tooth is loose, fractured, dead or resorbing. It is also required if there are retained baby teeth, retained roots or severe crowding or malocclusion. Dental x-rays are often the only way to see these tooth problems. During this visit your pet will also be under general anesthetic and local nerve blocks are performed to decrease the amount of gas anesthetic required and to keep your pet pain free after the procedure. The gum will be sutured with absorbable sutures and we follow up with a free recheck visit 10 to 14 days later to confirm that the gums have healed well..

Laser Therapy

Laser therapy is used at Selkirk Veterinary Hospital for pain management, to speed wound healing, to reduce inflammation, and for rehabilitation in dogs, cats, and exotic animals. It can be used for ear infections, after orthopedic surgery, for bladder, skin, and gum infections, and for arthritis and joint pain in general. Laser therapy provides a drug free, noninvasive method to alleviate pain and restore mobility and quality of life to many debilitated pets. Laser therapy works by increasing energy production in the cells being targeted, and by increasing circulation, thus assisting replication and repair of cells to take place more rapidly.
Selkirk Veterinary Hospital uses a Class lV type laser that is safe for both the handler and the pet. This type of laser allows for deeper penetration into tissues than the earlier Class lll lasers.

Digital Radiology

At Selkirk Veterinary Hospital we are proud to provide Digital Radiology for both full body Xrays and dental Xrays. Digital Radiology allows us to look inside the body and create images of the body organs and limbs to diagnose illness and injury.
It is our goal to provide your pet with quality medical care, and this is just one of the many ways we achieve that.   

Orthopedic Surgery

We offer a range of orthopedic surgical services including cruciate ligament repair (ACL) by TTA, patellar luxation surgery, FHO and fracture stabilization. Every patient gets a tailored pain relief and after care plan. Post-operative rehabilitation is so important for your pet to have the best outcome after surgery. We offer laser therapy and ongoing support after every procedure.
Tibial Tuberosity Advancement (TTA)
Tibial tuberosity advancement is a technique similar to the TPLO method for cruciate repair of the stifle. It was developed in 2001, by Dr.Slobodan Tepic at the University of Zurich, Switzerland. His research showed that by advancing the patellar tendon it stabilizes a cruciate deficient stifle. He developed a tension band plate and spacer to achieve this goal.
TTA has a similar success rate as the TPLO but has a faster return to function. The TTA implants are made of biocompatible titanium and can also be used to treat combined ACL rupture and patella luxation.
There are some specific conformational conditions that will prevent some dogs from getting TTA. Dogs that have a steep tibial slope, low patellar tendon insertion point and/or very large dogs are not good candidates for the TTA.