What Is a COHAT?
COHAT stands for Comprehensive Oral Health Assessment and Treatment, and it’s essentially a professional pet teeth cleaning performed by a team experienced in pet dental care.
Now that we know what your veterinary care team is talking about when they mention a COHAT, let’s dive into what they will typically entail for your dog or cat. A COHAT includes several steps that depend primarily on what is found during the full examination of a pet under anesthesia. The goal of a COHAT is not just to clean, polish, and probe each tooth but also to prevent future dental issues. By taking radiographs of each dental arcade, the veterinarian can look under the gumline and assess the root of every tooth, helping in early detection and prevention of potential problems. This information helps determine if any teeth need treatment or removal to prevent ongoing disease or infection. While the actual examination portion of a COHAT is occurring, a dental chart is used to document each tooth, and this vital information is retained for your pet’s future care.
Who Is Involved in a COHAT Procedure?
The surgical team, led by a licensed veterinarian (DVM) and supported by a registered veterinary technician (RVT), is highly experienced in pet teeth cleaning and dental care. The RVT begins the COHAT by cleaning and polishing your pet’s teeth, while the veterinarian monitors your pet’s vitals and ensures they are comfortable under anesthesia.
Next, the veterinarians probes each tooth, analyzes the dental radiographs, and performs any necessary oral surgeries or treatments, including extractions or mass removals. The RVT monitors your pet’s vitals throughout the procedure, ensuring they remain safe under anesthesia. Your pet will also receive medications for pain and nausea, as well as IV fluids for hydration. After the COHAT is complete, your pet will be monitored during recovery and cared for until they are ready to go home. The veterinarian will review the pet teeth cleaning results with you and provide at-home care instructions to keep your pet’s mouth healthy.
Specifics Regarding Dog Dental Disease
Every pet has different predispositions to various health problems, including oral health. A study conducted by the Royal Veterinary College of London in 2021 examined dental disease in dogs and found several trends:
An increase in age is associated with a higher risk of dental disease, with dogs over 12 having almost four times the risk compared to younger dogs between the ages of two and four-years old.
Dogs weighing less than 22 pounds have over three times the risk of dental disease compared to larger dogs weighing 66-88 pounds.
The thought behind this: All dogs have the same number of teeth (42) and the teeth in a large dog’s mouth are much more spaced out compared to a small dog less than 22 pounds
Breeds with the highest risk include Greyhound, Toy Poodle, and Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, while breeds like German Shepherd, French Bulldog, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, and Labrador Retriever showed reduced risk.
Cats and Dental Disease
Our feline friends also suffer from dental disease more than we realize. According to the Cornell Feline Health Center, 50-60% of cats over the age of four have dental disease. This often presents as pain, drooling, and decreased appetite. Regular pet teeth cleaning can help prevent and manage these issues. Cats suffering from autoimmune diseases like Feline Leukemia and Feline Immunodeficiency virus, kidney disease, and diabetes are particularly prone to gingivitis.
Gingivitis is the inflammation, pain, and, in severe cases, bleeding of the gums. The most effective way to help prevent gingivitis in your cat’s mouth is regular teeth brushing at home and professional teeth cleanings by your licensed veterinarian. The cleaning removes plaque and tartar build-up to reduce inflammation and periodontal disease.
A common issue in cats is tooth resorption, which occurs in 30-70% of feline patients. Tooth resorption is a process where the dentin of the tooth starts to break down. As seen in the drawing above of a feline tooth, dentin is next to the pulp cavity. The pulp cavity contains the nerve and blood supply to the tooth. A lesion in this area results in severe pain for your cat and full evaluation for this disease process can only be completed under anesthesia. Dental radiographs along with probing are key to diagnosis, making a COHAT a crucial part of diagnosing and combating the disease. Teeth with resorptive lesions require extractions to stop the excruciating pain they cause.