Frequently Asked Questions

We have many years of experience to create a calming environment for our pet patients using relaxing music and aromatherapy. We give your dog time to acclimate to our environment and with our staff. We find a comfortable position for your dog, and use a variety of animal behavioral techniques, gentle proprietary holds, and massage to keep your pet comfortable and calm.  We then gradually and gently introduce them to the teeth cleaning procedure. For some dogs, if needed, we can give them a break during the cleaning process. Most pets easily achieve a peaceful state and are quite comfortable. If your dog typically needs pre-visit sedation or anti-anxiety medication for veterinary visits, please call our clinic to discuss recommendations for your pet.

Our dental instruments are the same used in other veterinarian facilities, such as dental hand scalers and dental polishers. We regularly sterilize our instruments.

Effective August 5, 2023 we have moved to a consistent cost for teeth cleaning of $300 per pet, regardless of size, weight or number of teeth. (This includes a veterinarian exam, the removal of tartar and teeth polishing). We have a very high success rate with our canine patients. If only the exam was completed, the fee is $65.

Every 6 months is recommended. Some dogs may only need a cleaning once a year. We follow up with our clients every 6 months.

Everyday is ideal, but at least every other day makes a positive difference by removing plaque before it has the chance to mineralize into tartar that requires professional removal. We offer a variety of products to help you care for your dog’s teeth at home, including toothbrushes, toothpaste, dental sprays, dentals gels, dental chews and related products. We are always happy to discuss home care techniques and best practices with pet parents.

We recommend annual veterinary examinations to evaluate dental health along with the rest of your dog’s preventative healthcare. We see some patients as early as 1-2 years old.  If there is tartar buildup, especially near the gum line, we recommend cleaning. The longer your pet goes without teeth cleaning, the higher the risk dental tartar can build up allowing bacteria-laden plaque to migrate under the gum line leading to irreversible periodontal disease.

It is important that your pet connects with and focuses on their veterinary hygienist, therefore we ask that you not be present during the cleaning. Your presence can be distracting for your pet, and potentially cause a safety hazard for our staff and your pet.

Between 45 minutes to 2 hours.  A member of our team will call you with a pickup time.  We take pride in our work and want to take as much time as needed to make it a safe and comfortable experience for all our patients.  This gives them time to settle in or take a break during the cleaning if needed.

We are currently updating our online scheduling platform. Please call us at 888.508.9904. Due to the popularity of our Saturday clinics, beginning in October, our new Clinic days will be Wednesday through Saturday.

We are continually evaluating our pricing structure with a goal to balance the highest quality and service with an affordable price, compared to typical anesthesia-based practices. We currently offer new client discounts and will continue to evaluate other discounts in the future.

We accept all digital wallet payment types (ApplePay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay, PayPal, Venmo, etc) as well as debit and credit cards. We no longer accept cash or checks. NOTE: As of 2021, California as a state has not successfully passed legislation requiring businesses to accept cash as a form of payment. However, some California cities, like San Francisco, have passed their own legislation requiring businesses to accept cash as a form of payment.

Please call us at 888.508.9904. We would prefer to reschedule your appointment with a minimum of 48 hours advanced notice. However, if you are rescheduling 3 or more pets together, 72 hours advanced notice is required. If you still wish to cancel your appointment within the specified advance notice timeframes listed above, we will fully refund your deposit to the debit or credit card used at the time the appointment was made. Failure to adhere to this policy within the timeframes shown will result in forfeiture of the deposit(s).

Our veterinarians will complete an exam to determine if your dog is a good candidate.  This includes evaluation of your pet’s general health, oral health and temperament. The majority of dogs we see benefit from a non-anesthetic dental cleaning, however there are some instances where it will not be appropriate, such as severe gingivitis, advanced periodontal disease, and/or loose teeth.

Effective August 5, 2023 we are no longer accepting patients without proof of current rabies vaccination.  If your dog is not up to date with their rabies vaccination, we can update it during their scheduled teeth cleaning appointment. For dogs that cannot receive the rabies vaccine for any reason, unfortunately we will no longer be able to see your pet.

Our primary concern has been and will be the safety of our staff and other patients. Effective September 18, 2023, we will accept unaltered dogs as patients that meet the following criteria: 1. Female dogs cannot be in heat. 2. Male or Female dogs cannot be aggressive towards other dogs. 3. Male or Female dogs cannot be aggressive towards any people. If you are confident your dog meets this criteria, we are happy to schedule an appointment!

We believe that having your dog vaccinated and protected from highly contagious or even fatal diseases is a positive step in your pet’s overall healthcare plan. Therefore, we follow the protocol used by many daycare and boarding facilities, some grooming facilities, and as outlined in the UC Davis Veterinary Medicine Vaccination Guidelines for Dogs (See below). We require your dog to be fully vaccinated for rabies*, parvovirus**, distemper**, hepatitis** and Bordetella***, and strongly recommend vaccinations for leptospirosis** and canine influenza H3N2*** and H3N8***. If your dog has had a serious reaction to receiving any of these vaccinations, please have your primary veterinarian document these findings and provide to us for evaluation. Our veterinarian will review and, on a case by case basis, determine if we can see your pet. Proactive communication and full medical history about your dog helps us better determine the care we can provide. Other vaccinations such as Rattlesnake**** or Lyme**** are not required. *Mandatory in California. **Core (required) vaccinations. *** Non-Core (required) vaccinations. ****Lifestyle vaccinations are not required.

Effective August 5, 2023, we focus exclusively on non-anesthesia teeth cleaning for dogs only.

Most dogs are highly adaptable to having their teeth cleaned. If you have been brushing your dog’s teeth at home, Great Job! If not, we encourage you to begin working with your dog to get them more accustomed and comfortable to having their mouth, teeth and gums touched. We offer home kits that include a toothbrush, toothpaste, and dental gel all formulated for your dog. Our kit also includes doggy treats to reward them for their good behavior and daily brushing!

Our technicians are highly skilled hygienists. They understand how important it is to remove all of the tartar from the outside and inside surfaces of the teeth.

While non-anesthetic teeth cleaning does not replace a full comprehensive oral health assessment and treatment done under anesthesia, which includes dental X-rays and extractions if necessary, it can be a good alternative for those patients with a higher risk of complications under anesthesia.

We do not. Extractions require oral surgery done under anesthesia at a full service veterinary clinic or hospital. If we discover your dog requires any extractions during either our veterinary exam or during the teeth cleaning, we will record it in your pet’s medical record and provide you with a copy during the check-out process with recommendations to follow-up with your primary veterinarian. We will also share this information with your primary veterinarian to ensure continuity of care for your pet.

New environments can inherently cause some anxiety for your dog. To minimize this, taking your dog on a walk or run before the appointment provides an opportunity to release some energy and go potty. Endorphins from exercise are naturally calming. Your dog should settle in faster and be more at ease, which helps make their visit with us more pleasant.

We ask that you do not feed your dog prior to the appointment.  If your pet requires medication or becomes sick if not fed, please provide a small amount of food prior to the appointment, and then the remainder of food after you return home.

Not necessarily. You can still bring your dog in for their teeth cleaning appointment, and our veterinarian will evaluate their suitability for the procedure.  In many cases we can proceed, but in some instances, we may request that you reschedule the appointment. However, if your dog is ill or contagious, please reschedule the appointment for the safety of our other patients.

For new clients, or dogs scheduled for their first appointment, we need the pet parent to stay in the lobby area for approximately 15 minutes while our veterinarian performs the examination to determine if your dog is a suitable candidate for our non-anesthesia teeth cleaning service.