Rohnert Park vet opens dental hygiene, oral surgery practice for pets

A dentist for a dog? Could there be such a thing? Well, meet Dr. Chris Carter, a local veterinarian who recently opened a dental office in Petaluma that is strictly for pets.

Dental issues are the most common — and most underdiagnosed — health problem for dogs and cats. Pets rarely show outward symptoms that pet owners recognize, so most pets just live with an ailment.

By the age of 4, about 90% of dogs have periodontal disease, which is inflammation of the gum tissue, Carter said. And, he added, 27% of all dogs have at least one broken tooth.

“Dogs need the same type of treatment as human teeth,” Carter said. “We’re really trying to overcome misconceptions that are out there.”

Carter started his new practice, Whiskers Animal Dentistry & Oral Surgery on Lakeville Street, after six years as a veterinary dental specialist at VCA Animal Care Center of Sonoma County in Rohnert Park.

His mission, along with that of his staff, is to better encourage preventive care and provide advanced oral care for felines and canines.

While there isn’t a lack of dental practices for pets in Sonoma County, Carter said there aren’t enough.

Carter’s former work space in Rohnert Park was a small room with one procedure table. Whiskers will have four procedure tables, along with a sterile surgery suite for advanced procedures.

Carter said he and his team aim to provide a personal touch to each client as they help make pets happier and healthier.

Carter has worked as a vet since 1999. He spent five years as a mixed-use rural practitioner in Oklahoma and Alabama.

Many pets were brought to him with pain in their mouths. He recalled a dog that had a tumor in its mouth when he was practicing in northern Alabama. The nearest oral surgeon was around an hour and a half away, so the dog’s owners asked if Carter could remove the tumor instead.

With the little dental knowledge he had at the time, Carter successfully removed the tumor and the dog was acting like a puppy in no time.

“There was this eureka moment,” Carter said. “(After that) I started training and now here we are all these years later.”

Paw-rents looking for care for their pet can schedule an hourlong consultation, which starts at $225.

Carter and his team will photograph the pet’s mouth and offer same-day procedures if necessary.

A vet tech at Whiskers will then provide treatment options and a cleaning schedule to keep the pet’s mouth healthy and clean. They’ll work with companies to accept pet insurance.

“We’re trying to get rid of all the inefficiency, which is why we put together a great team and it’s been an honor to work with them,” Carter said.

Whiskers will be open Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Appointments for consultations can be scheduled on the office’s website or over the phone.

You can reach Staff Writer Sara Edwards at 707-521-5487 or sara.edwards@pressdemocrat. com. On Twitter @sedwards380.