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Preserving Your Pet's Pearly Whites With Veterinary Dentistry

Your pet needs strong, healthy teeth to eat, play, and live their life to the fullest. Like their owners, cats and dogs enjoy a better quality of life when their teeth and gums are in good shape. Pets of Newberry, Jonesville, Tioga, and Gainesville, FL can all benefit from our comprehensive pet dental care that helps to prevent dental disease and maintain their pearly whites.

Dental disease is common in dogs and cats and can develop in pets as young as three years old. *Good oral veterinary care is about more than keeping your pet’s teeth pearly white. Periodontal disease can be very painful and deter your pet’s health and lifespan, so our veterinarians take it very seriously. With routine dental exams, cleanings, and at-home care, we look forward to helping pets enjoy greater longevity and happier smiles.

*American Veterinary Dental College (AVDC)

Veterinary Services to Treat and Prevent Dental Disease

Dental disease can have a harmful effect on your pet's overall health. In addition to chronic pain, your pet may also be prone to infection and disease of the heart, liver, or kidneys. To confront this problem, our veterinary clinic provides various veterinary dentistry services to diagnose, treat, and prevent dental disease.

  • Pre-anesthetic exam: We perform a complete physical pet health exam on the day of the procedure. Our veterinarians also require that your pet has had recent blood work evaluated. The goal of the exam and blood work is to make sure that your pet is healthy and can be anesthetized safely.
  • IV catheter fluids and multimodal anesthetic monitoring: As with surgery, our veterinary team follows strict protocols to ensure that your pet remains safe and comfortable during their dental procedure. A dedicated veterinary technician stays at your pet's side to monitor all vital organs via state-of-the-art monitoring equipment and provides attentive nursing care for them afterward to help them awaken safely from the anesthesia.
  • Full dental X-rays and exam: When your pet is under anesthesia, we will be able to conduct a thorough dental exam. This includes full-mouth X-rays to evaluate the condition of your pet's teeth and see below the gum line for signs of disease. We also examine the pockets around the teeth to check for infection.
  • Full dental cleaning: We scale each tooth above and below the gum line to remove accumulated plaque and tartar. The teeth are then polished smooth to discourage future buildup. Without the benefit of anesthesia, proper evaluation, cleaning and treatment cannot be performed.
  • Dental extraction: Dental X-rays help us see if tooth extractions will be needed. Removing loose, broken, or infected teeth will reduce your pet's discomfort and make eating enjoyable again. All pets undergoing extractions receive pain relief medication tailored to their age and size. We may also use nerve blocks for more extensive surgical extractions.

Why is Dental Disease a Concern?

Dental disease is an inflammatory condition that affects the teeth and gums. As tartar builds up on your pet's teeth, it may start spreading under the gum line. When this happens, bacteria are deposited into the surrounding tissues and may eventually find its way into the bloodstream. This results in swollen, painful gums, loose teeth, and possible heart, liver, or kidney disease. Our animal hospital’s goal is to prevent these later stages from ever occurring in your pet. If we can detect dental disease early, thanks to regular appointments and annual visits to your veterinarian, we can also recommend steps to prevent its progression. Common signs of gum disease include loose teeth, bad breath, inflamed gums, and excessive drooling.

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Complete Your Pet's Dental Care At Home

While our pet hospital strongly believes that professional veterinary dentistry can make a big difference in your pet's oral health, at-home dental care is also essential. As your pet's primary caregiver, it's up to you to maintain a routine and teach your pet to be receptive to daily treatments. Following your pet's dental cleaning we'll send you home with copies of their dental X-rays, along with a small dental care kit. Our veterinarians aim to show pet owners that at-home pet dental care is not only possible but also a way for pets and people to bond.

Our veterinary clinic’s main pet dental care products for home use include toothpaste, toothbrushes, dental chews, Hill's tartar control diet, and special dental treats for cats. If brushing isn't an option for your pet, we can always get creative! Let us know if you need help, and we'll be glad to offer suggestions and walk you through the steps. Just give the pet hospital a call at (352) 331-7050!

Our pet clinic is happy to help your pet with whatever phase they’re in of their oral health journey. Whether you are coming to us from Jonesville, Newberry, Gainesville, Tioga, or elsewhere across Alachua County, Florida, our veterinary team is here to polish their smiles and keep them healthy from the inside out.

I could not love a place of business any more than I do Jonesville Animal Hospital. Both veterinarians are incredibly knowledgeable, patient, and loving towards the animals. The staff has some of the friendliest people I've met, and their professionalism is top-notch. The facility is large, clean, and modern, and the extended hours are fantastic for working professionals. Thank you for being so great to our dog, Charlie!

- Amy

Dr. Vliet and Dr. Lerman are awesome! When one of my dogs was afraid of going to the vet, they worked with me to make her visits as stress-free as possible. They go out of their way to make every visit great and the facility is clean and inviting. They know me by name when I come to buy dog food and always offer to bring it to the car for me if I have my two young daughters with me.

- Christopher

I have had the privilege of having Dr. Lerman taking care of our animals for over 20 years.  The compassion, knowledge and attention to detail displayed in the variety of situations we have experienced is truly amazing and appreciated. It is so evident that everyone associated with Jonesville Animal Hospital has a true love of providing quality care for animals.

- Bob

The staff at Jonesville Animal Hospital is always exceptional! Our beloved Border Collie, Mysti, was a patient there for 10 years, and we always felt as if they loved her as much as we did. Even after her passing they sent our family the most heart felt, loving message to console us. We think the world of the entire team! Now our new puppy, Boo, will enjoy their loving care too.

- Gina

The Doctors and Staff at Jonesville Animal Hospital are top-notch. They stayed late, performed emergency surgeries after "normal" business hours, and made sure to call and update me of their status even though it was 9PM at night. I feel like they treat each pet as if it were their own, and always have the best interest of the pet in mind.

- Heather

Jonesville Animal Hospital is simply the best! Our dogs have been patients at Jonesville Animal Hospital ever since it was first opened by Dr. Vliet and Dr. Lerman. They have cared for our whippet and our two greyhounds. The expert care, knowledge, and compassion shown to us by Drs. Vliet and Lerman and their entire team is outstanding. It is obvious that they love our dogs. 

- Rita

I have entrusted the care of my three dogs to Drs. Vliet and Lerman for about 10 years and am so pleased with their practice.  I like that I've never had to deal with a waiting room full of animals; they check every patient in quickly and get them into exam rooms to avoid any "doggy personality differences!" Their support staff always make my dogs feel welcomed, non-threatened and their favorite patients of all time! 

- Sherri

The wonderful care provided to our three cats, at Jonesville Animal Hospital, makes me wish that they were my health care providers! Dr. Vliet and Dr. Lerman have given our cats exceptional care at every visit. They've helped us navigate behavior issues and patiently saw us to a resolution. These fine vets have put together an incredible staff, all of whom adore animals! I cannot say enough about JAH, and highly recommend them!

- Shirley

I recently moved to the Gainesville area, and I was thrilled to discover Jonesville Animal Hospital. My 10-year-old Lab suffers from a few health problems and I wanted to find a top-notch local vet for her. Jonesville Animal Hospital has more than exceeded my expectations. This is by far the best service I've ever received from a veterinary hospital.

- Amy