"Tails" from Our Clients
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McKenzie is a 10 year, 10 months old Longhaired Dachshund. He had drooling, odor and bleeding from his mouth for 18 months. His mouth hurt and he stopped chewing on bones, toys and had difficulty eating food. McKenzie was treated with antibiotics, steroids, and professional dental cleanings every six months. These treatments only provided short-term relief for McKenzie.
Barbara brought McKenzie to Dr. Hoffman for a second opinion. She diagnosed stomatitis. McKenzie had ulcers and infection on his tongue, palate, gums, and inside his cheeks and lips. Treatment involved surgical extraction of most of McKenzie’s teeth.
The odor was gone and the bleeding stopped. Within a couple days McKenzie perked up and began acting like a puppy. He likes to sit on visitors’ laps and play with other dogs. He eats Iams canned food whenever it is offered to him.
Barbara and McKenzie enjoy walking in the park, looking at the flowers, and gardening. McKenzie chases and catches frogs.
Many of Barbara’s friends advised her not to spend money on McKenzie’s oral surgery. Barbara is thankful that McKenzie had the surgery because he still “has a lot of life in him”.
Alex is a 10 year old Miniature Poodle. Two years ago he began to lick his lips a lot. Several teeth were extracted including the left upper canine tooth. The extraction site did not heal, but instead left a hole from Alex’s mouth into his nose (an oronasal fistula). This caused Alex to sneeze often. Sometimes he had a reverse sneeze. Three additional surgeries were performed in an attempt to close this hole but nothing worked.
Jim and Beth brought Alex to Dr. Hoffman for a second opinion. She found that Alex also had a fistula on the right side beside the canine tooth. The fistula on the right was very large. Dr. Hoffman performed a new surgery procedure in which a cartilage graft was taken from each of Alex’s ears and used to close each fistula. Alex’s fistulas have been repaired and he has healed.
Not all oronasal fistulas require this special surgery. It is best used for large fistulas or those that have had previous surgery that did not help.
Jim and Beth say that Alex seems happier and more loving. His sneezing and reverse sneezing has stopped. Alex enjoys eating Beneful, riding in the car, and camping. He is the “leader of the pack” where he shares a home with four other dogs. Alex likes to sleep in bed with Jim and Beth. He is a very important part of the family.
Beth wishes there were more Veterinary Dental specialists!
Casey is a 5 year old Hound mix. He had his teeth cleaned by his family veterinarian and an x-ray was taken. The x-ray showed that Casey’s lower canine teeth had died. Casey’s chin was very swollen and so painful that he would not let anyone touch it.
Dr. Hoffman found several painful areas in Casey’s mouth. Two upper incisors had large cavities, both lower canines had died, and two lower premolars had abnormal roots. The abnormal premolar roots had caused painful draining wounds in Casey’s lower jaw. Casey needed oral surgery. Dr. Hoffman performed root canal therapy on one of the dead canine teeth and extracted the premolars with the abnormal roots, one canine tooth, and the incisors with large cavities.
Three weeks after surgery, Casey is no longer on his pain medication. The swelling and pain in his lower jaw is gone. He likes his chin rubbed now! Casey is fetching his ball again and goes hiking with his owners, Clyde and Cindy. He likes to eat Bil Jac and chew chicken jerky.
Clyde is thankful that Casey’s pain has been relieved. He had no idea how much pain Casey was in until the pain was taken away. Clyde “appreciates the professionalism and bedside manner” shown to him and Casey by Dr. Hoffman and the staff at Affiliated Veterinary Specialists.
Duke is a 4 year old Hound mix. He broke his large right upper premolar when chewing on a nylon bone. Andy noticed bleeding from the tooth and Duke began to hide. Extraction of the tooth had been recommended and Duke was put on antibiotics. Andy brought Duke to Dr. Hoffman for a second opinion.
Dr. Hoffman found that the same tooth on Duke’s left side was also fractured and the tooth had died. She performed root canal therapy on both of Duke’s fractured premolars.
Duke is no longer hiding, and is back to his normal perky behavior. He likes to play ball, especially at the beach. He also plays tug-of-war with his housemate. Duke eats Iams dry dog food and likes CET Hextra chews. He sleeps anywhere and everywhere, but prefers Andy’s bed.
Honey is a 7-year-old Domestic short hair cat. She was a rescued stray. Honey had a sore mouth for over a year and began to lose weight. When she tried to eat, she would growl and run away from her food dish. Honey never played with cat toys and her coat was dull and sticky. Honey’s teeth had been cleaned a couple times. She was being medicated with Prednisone and pain medication. The prednisone helped to control Honey’s oral pain, but not completely. Juliana, Honey’s rescuer, was referred to Dr. Hoffman by her veterinarian.
Dr. Hoffman found that Honey had gingivostomatitis. This is an extremely painful oral disease in cats. Although there is no definitive cause or treatment for this problem, most cats do well after all premolars and molars, and sometimes all teeth, have been surgically extracted. Honey had her premolars and molars extracted.
Two weeks after the oral surgery, Honey was eating Fancy Feast without pain. She also likes to eat liver and chicken. She began to groom herself and her coat became smooth and shiny. One month after Honey’s surgery, she began to play with a cat toy for the first time. Juliana brushes Honey’s front teeth every day to remove plaque. Six months after the surgery, Honey had gained all the weight she had lost and some additional as well!
Honey likes to sleep on Juliana’s bed or on the papasan chair. She enjoys sitting in Juliana’s lap and watching TV.
Honey teaches us that sometimes we don’t realize just how much oral pain a pet may have until we take that pain away. Then, eating and playing become enjoyable instead of miserable.
Smokey is a 16 year old Poodle. Smokey began to have an odor from his mouth five years ago. He made unusual movements with his mouth when eating and would yelp and drop his food. Jill, Smokey’s “Mom”, had Smokey’s teeth professionally cleaned, but only the tartar was removed from the tooth surfaces. Mouth rinses and tartar removal would control the odor for two days. Smokey would drool, especially at night when he was sleeping.
Jill was referred to Dr. Hoffman by Smokey’s Internal Medicine Specialist. Smokey was being treated for Addison’s disease, chronic kidney disease, and a heart problem. He was taking many medications. Dr. Hoffman diagnosed advanced periodontal disease which needed to be treated to restore Smokey’s oral health and relieve his pain.
Jill was concerned about anesthesia for Smokey because of his medical problems and age. She had all the preliminary testing done to make sure Smokey was as stable as possible prior to his oral surgery.
Dr. Hoffman performed the lengthy procedure and had to extract many of Smokey’s teeth due to infection around the roots and bone loss. Since Smokey’s surgery, Jill says Smokey’s quality of life is a “10” out of ten. He no longer makes unusual mouth movements when he eats his steak, chicken, or grilled hamburger. He no longer drools during his sleep. He sleeps next to Jill in her bed. Jill and Smokey like to snuggle and watch TV together.
For the first time in six years, Smokey likes to visit his dog friend in the backyard bamboo. Recently, Smokey saw his groomer. The groomer told Jill that this was the first time in a long time that she was able to groom Smokey’s face. He had been too sore to allow grooming there before his oral surgery and periodontal care.
Jill recommends that anyone that has a dog with pre-existing health problems and medical needs, do all the tests necessary to assure that their pets are as stable as possible before oral surgery. This helps decrease risk and can allow dental and oral care necessary to relieve oral pain and return quality of life to the high risk patient.
Nathan Repsher is an 11 year old Toy Poodle. Nathan had been sneezing for six months and was diagnosed with chronic nasal disease. He was a very picky eater, not very playful, and seemed to be “slowing down”. Nathan would drag along on his walks.
Nathan was being treated for allergies with antihistamines and steroids. That didn’t help. He was also given antibiotics for infection. That didn’t help either. Ms. Repsher sought a second opinion from an internal medicine specialist who referred her to Dr. Hoffman.
Dr. Hoffman found that Nathan had advanced periodontal disease. The disease had progressed so far that Nathan had developed two oronasal fistulas. These fistulas are holes that go from the mouth into the nose along the root of a tooth. Dr. Hoffman performed oral surgery to remove the involved teeth and close the fistulas.
Since Nathan’s oral surgery, he eats “everything in sight”; including the food of the dogs he lives with! He enjoys his walks and pulls ahead when Mrs. Repsher walks him instead of dragging behind. The sneezing has stopped. Nathan is playing with his stuffed toy again.
Nathan likes to sleep on a green blanket on Ms. Repsher’s bed. He shares his house with two other dogs. Ms. Repsher brushes Nathan’s teeth daily. He likes his poultry flavored toothpaste.
Ms. Repsher had believed that Nathan was slowing down because of his age. Now she says, “Nathan is blooming. He has his youth back.”
Isaac is a seven year old, handsome male, domestic long-haired cat. Isaac had a painful mouth for 1-1/2 years that did not respond to antibiotic or steroid medication. Isaac became lethargic and antisocial. He lost weight and was taking pain medication daily. Isaac’s veterinarian referred Amy and Isaac to Dr. Hoffman for a second opinion.
Isaac had plasma cell stomatitis which was causing the pain. The cause of stomatitis in cats is not fully understood and treatment is not always successful. Currently, the most successful treatment involves removing most or all of the teeth.
Dr. Hoffman removed Isaac's back teeth. Isaac is eating well again and has gained weight. He particularly likes to eat his cat food, ice cream, and tuna. Isaac and Amy watch squirrels and birds in the yard and movies together. He also plays with his brothers, Milo the cat and Dudley the dog.
Amy says, "I have my baby back! This is the cat I had years ago. He's playful, loving and eats. He's back!"
Rocky is a member of the Shah family. He is an eight year old Dachshund. A year ago, Rocky began having bad breath and he seemed to be having difficulty eating. Routine dental cleanings seemed to help at first but then Rocky's mouth became painful and he wouldn't allow his teeth to be brushed.
When Dr. Hoffman saw Rocky, he had lost three pounds. She found infection under Rocky's gums. The infection had caused bone loss, loose teeth, and a deep pocket that went all the way into Rocky's nose. Dr. Hoffman performed oral surgery to close the hole, remove loose teeth, and remove infection from pockets around the teeth.
Rocky now enjoys eating canned food again and whatever his family is eating as well. He has gained back the three pounds he had lost when he was in pain. He plays ball, likes to go to the beach and the dog park. He has his own bed but usually ends up in bed with Mr. and Mrs. Shah.
The Shahs say that Rocky is a totally new dog since his dentistry procedures. He seems happy and playful, and "the difference is like that between night and day."
Brandy is a gentle 7 ½ year old female Weimaraner. Brandy had an open sore in her mouth with some bleeding. Brandy’s owners, Steve and Boni were told that Brandy should have a tooth pulled out. They brought Brandy to see Dr. Hoffman for a second opinion.
Dr. Hoffman found six cavities in four of Brandy’s molars. The decay had caused an ulcer in her mouth where one of the molars was rubbing on the palate. Dr. Hoffman removed the decay and put six fillings in Brandy’s molars. The ulcer healed and none of Brandy’s teeth had to be pulled.
Boni is doing a great job brushing Brandy’s teeth every day. One year after Brandy’s cavities were treated, no new cavities were found. Brandy’s favorite treats are mini raw carrots and red and green peppers. She has her very own La-Z-Boy recliner. Brandy likes to chase chipmunks and squirrels and she catches frogs and toads.
Buddy is a seven-year-old Shepherd mixed breed dog. Ron and Diana had taken Buddy to their Veterinarian for a growth on Buddy’s gum. The Veterinarian performed a biopsy and found that Buddy had a tumor (ameloblastoma). The tumor does not spread to other parts of the body but causes pain in the mouth and can grow very large.
Dr. Hoffman performed a surgery to remove part of Buddy’s lower right jaw in order to remove the entire tumor. Buddy was in less pain four days after the surgery than he was before the surgery! He began playing with his toys in one week and loves to play ball. He easily catches and carries his ball in his mouth.
Buddy lives with three cats, one puppy and a 3 yr old Boxer. He likes to wrestle with the Boxer and with Ron. He especially likes to go for walks in the neighborhood with Ron and Diana. Buddy eats Purina Dog Chow and likes to chew squeaky chewy toys. He is a very gentle pet.
Jaime is a 7-year-old female Havanese. Her owners, Thomas and Judy, found Dr. Hoffman on our Web site. Jaime had advanced gum disease for years and had seven teeth previously extracted. She had an odor in her mouth and her gums were red and swollen. Jaime's owners noticed that she had stopped chewing on her rawhide bones.
Dr. Hoffman cleaned Jaime's teeth above and below the gums. She applied medication below the gums to treat the pocket threatening to cause Jaime to lose another tooth.
Because Jaime's gum disease will progress without home care, Thomas and Judy take time to clean Jaime's teeth twice daily. They are doing such a great job at home that Jaime's gum disease is under control.
Jaime's owners say she is doing "excellent." Her energy level has increased and she seems much happier. She loves to go for walks and play ball. She is fed Hill's Oral Health dog food but loves to eat carrots and grapes.
Ivan is a 3-year-old neutered male German Shepard. His owner, Scott, noticed in August that Ivan had a broken a canine tooth. Ivan appeared to be eating well, but Scott decided to consult Dr. Hoffman.
Dr. Hoffman found that the canine tooth had been fractured and pulp was exposed. A broken tooth with pulp exposure is very painful. Dr. Hoffman performed a root canal on Ivan and made an impression for a crown to be manufactured. Two weeks following the root canal, Ivan had a metal crown placed on his broken canine.
Since his root canal, Scott said Ivan is doing "real good." He loves to run and play Frisbee. He is carefree and naps whenever he likes. He enjoys meat, cheese, and candy corn!
Ivan is the "coolest" dog on his block now that he has his shiny new silver tooth!
Hercules is a 12-year-old male Yorkshire terrier. Over the years, Hercules had significant health issues that he and his owner, Marcia, have battled. Hercules had gum disease leading to the extraction of eight teeth. When Hercules was 9 years old, he fell and hit his face on concrete. He had severe damage to his lower jaw and consequently had surgery to remove it.
When Hercules came to Dr. Hoffman, he was wheezing and made a whistling noise when he breathed. Dr. Hoffman found two large holes in Hercules' upper jaw. The holes connected with Hercules' nasal cavity. These holes predisposed Hercules to pneumonia. Dr. Hoffman repaired the holes in Hercules' upper jaw.
Since his surgery, Marcia says that Hercules is doing "pretty good" and breathes normally. He sleeps in his new basket and loves to watch TV. He really enjoys watching the Browns (of course!). Hercules still needs to eat gruel but his favorites are chip chop ham and roast beef mixed with his dog food. He is eating and drinking better since his surgery, but he will always need to work on gaining weight.
