Woof! Woof! Woof!

Woof! Woof! Woof!

That’s dog for ‘Thank you, UF.’

By Sarah Carey

For the first time, the UF Small Animal Hospital offered free dental screening examinations to service dogs this year, thanks to Amy Stone, D.V.M., Sharon Hoffman, D.V.M., and the American Veterinary Dental College.

Thirteen dogs received the exams at UF on Aug. 23. The American Veterinary Dental College, the board-certifying group for veterinary dentistry, covered the costs of the exams.

“The exams included getting a history of what the dogs eats and chews, what service or therapy the dog provides and any previous oral health issues,” said Hoffman, a board-certified veterinary dentist from Jacksonville who is mentoring Stone in the certification process.

The oral exams looked at things such as facial symmetry, occlusion, whether the animal had fractured, discolored or worn teeth, and whether there was any evidence of periodontal disease or any tumors.

The veterinarians reviewed the findings with the dogs’ owners and made recommendations for further diagnostics and treatment.

The dogs seen during the oral health exams provide a variety of services, from visiting hospital patients or people in assisted living facilities to search and rescue and hearing assistance.