7700 East Kings Hwy. | Shreveport, LA 71115 318-797-5522 | Fax: 318-797-1857 | Email: [email protected] www.excellentanimalcare.com | UniversityVeterinaryHospital
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“We all know bad breath when we smell it, but halitosis is not normal, even for your pet. Don’t discount your pet’s breath. There may be disease lurking in those gums.” says Dr. Catherine Foret. “University Veterinary Hospital wants you to know the frightening part of oral disease is that it doesn’t just affect the mouth.”
Dr. Foret knew she wanted to be a veterinarian from an early age, and now her primary interest in veterinary medicine is dentistry. She loves the difference she can make in a pet’s overall health and well-being. Her goal is to educate pet owners and increase awareness of the importance of good oral care. Dr. Foret has advanced training in oral surgery and can offer a variety of treatment options for oral disease, from oral surgery and tooth extractions to jaw fracture repairs, crown restorations and endodontics (root canal therapy). She has enthusiasm for the prevention of dental disease.
“At UVH, we do not perform ‘cleanings’! We perform in depth Oral ATP’s with a clear vision of improving a pet’s overall health and, in conjunction with the owner, outline a plan to prevent oral disease. Owners must understand that dogs and cats have different dental disease than humans and, thus, the treatment is often different. Oral Assessment, Treatment and Prevention (ORAL ATP™) involves much more than just cleaning the plaque and calculus from a patient’s teeth. All dental patients have panoramic digital radiography performed.” Dr. Catherine reports “2/3 of the tooth is below the gum line. Dental radiographs are one of the most important diagnostic tools available to a veterinarian performing dentistry. They allow examination of the internal anatomy of the teeth, the roots and the bone that surrounds the roots.”
“I love working with Dr. Foret and being in a practice that values dental health and educates its clients about how important it is,” says Dr. Heather Williams. Drs. Williams and Foret met their first year of veterinary school at LSU. After graduation, Dr. Williams did an internship outside of Washington, D.C., and spent several years practicing emergency and referral medicine. “I worked in the radiology department performing anesthesia for CT and MRI scans. Many of my patients were very sick and needed scans to determine the extent of their disease and plan for surgery or treatment. Performing anesthesia on these types of patients can be very stressful, but planning is key.” It was there she met her husband, Dr. Jarod Williams, who also works at UVH.
Looking to move closer to her home, Drs. Heather & Jarod Williams joined UVH in November 2013. She says she loves the mix of preventative care, internal medicine and critical care the practice affords her. “It’s such a great place to work. The doctors and staff are all so amazing, and everyone is committed to the best care possible for our patients as well as going out of our way to serve our clients.” Dr. Williams says that Dr. Catherine Foret’s skill and thoroughness help her practice better medicine. “Most people do not realize how dramatically dental disease can affect their pet’s overall health. In people there are a multitude of studies that document connections between oral disease and heart disease, kidney disease, and chronic inflammation. Large build-ups of plaque can act as a constant source of bacteria into the bloodstream, ultimately setting up infections in other parts of the body.”
Dr. Williams says clients are often hesitant to have an Oral ATP on older pets who have other health problems, but it is this very cause and effect relationship that make it especially crucial in this population. “When you have an older pet with a complicating medical problem, such as a heart murmur from degenerative valve disease or kidney disease, good oral health is critical in the fight to manage that disease. As in people, dogs can develop infected heart valves from poor oral hygiene, and we know that chronic inflammation in the body can be a driver promoting the progression of other diseases.”
Dr. Williams notes that while there are inherent risks to any anesthesia, the doctors at UVH work with clients to determine if the benefit outweighs the risk. “We will make sure a pet’s medical condition is stable. We make sure all appropriate screening tests have been performed, and that each pet has an anesthetic plan tailored specifically to his or her needs. From planning to execution, we want to make sure anesthesia is as safe as possible.” UVH recommends general anesthesia for all Oral ATP’s performed and agrees with the American Veterinary Dental College who says, “Anesthesia is essential for veterinary dental procedures, to ensure that the procedure can be completed successfully.”
Dr. Foret believes that it is this team approach to care that sets UVH apart. “UVH doctors work together! We consult with each other on cases to make sure every aspect of a pet’s care is being covered. We educate our staff so that we are all continually learning, teaching and doing better each day. The atmosphere at UVH is one of service while maintaining academic excellence. We all strive to constantly learn about the evolving practice of veterinary medicine so that we may continue to offer the highest level of care for our patients.”
If you are interested in further information about UVH’s oral procedures or to discuss oral disease prevention, please call University Veterinary Hospital for a consultation.
