Rose
"Rose was my first dog. She's a four-year-old medium sized Shepherd Airedale mix. I was having a BBQ in my backyard last summer and we didn't notice that Rose wandered out of the yard to the front of the house. Witnesses say she was standing on the curb when a car came along fast and clipped her on her snout. They said she tumbled and ran back into the house. She was crying and bleeding when I found her inside.
I rushed Rose to the Tualatin Emergency Room. She fractured her jaw, had lacerations in her mouth, and fractured her lower left canine tooth. The canine tooth and the incisor were dislodged, as they were part of the fractured jaw. The emergency room doctors recommended that I take her to the Animal Dental Clinic.
Rose and I have never been through anything like this before, so it was pretty unsettling. Everyone at the Animal Dental Clinic took really good care of Rose, and Dr. Brannan is really nice. She was immediately very assuring that Rose would be OK.
Dr. Brannan explained to me in lots of detail abut how the dog jaw works, what she could do to repair the jaw, as well as try to save the canine tooth. She suggested root canal therapy after the fracture healed. The alternative was to extract the tooth and stabilize the jaw fracture. She wanted to know what I thought. She was willing to do whatever I wanted.
Dr. Brannan stabilized Rose's fractured jaw with wires and an acrylic splint, and then sent her back home to heal. She needed to come back for the root canal, but first she needed a couple months to recover. Eating the first day back home was a little tough. Dr. Brannan explained that dogs eat with their back teeth and pick food up with their front teeth and canines. So I mashed up hot dogs and sprinkled the pain meds on it. The acrylic splint was a little hard for Rose to get used to initially, but Dr. Brannan designed it so it wasn't intrusive.
I was worried about the root canal and that Rose might get an infection, or the roots would get damaged, but it worked out great. Dr. Brannan went to some lengths to save Rose's tooth. I couldn't have been happier about the results. Rose is healthy now - and her teeth are in great shape. She loves to play ball, so having that canine tooth restored comes in handy!"
Brian B.
Portland, OR
Kadenz and Bridey
"I breed champion standard smooth dachshunds. One of my prize-winning males, Kadenz, had a discolored lower canine. I took him to my primary veterinarian, a reproductive vet for the breeders in Portland, and he referred me to a dental specialist: Dr. Randi Brannan. When I talked to other breeders, I discovered they seconded his opinion. They all said, 'Oh yes, Dr. Brannan! She's fabulous!'.
Kadenz was two-years old at the time, and I was taking him to American Kennel Club Earthdog events - simulated tunnel-hunting.
I thought he might have broken his tooth on a dowel. When we went in for our office visit, Dr. Brannan whipped out her canine teeth model to show me how the jaw works and the affected teeth. It was amazing! She gave me treatment options, but I agreed that the four teeth had to be retained, so we went ahead with a root canal.
Then I took my prize-winning female, Bridey, in to see Dr. Brannan. Bridey was my first standard smooth dachshund - she is the delight of my life! Bridey had a big busted molar, which Dr. Brannan extracted.
I began taking my babies in to see her too, to make sure their teeth were aligned properly. Sometimes the babies have extra teeth that come in as they're putting out their adult teeth. Dr. Brannan takes x-rays, so she can see if the mouth is crowded: if there are extra teeth hiding in there before the adult teeth come down. Once she gets in there, she can manipulate the teeth so that the mouth aligns the way it should.
As a breeder, I'm into prevenive dentistry - I want my dogs to be seen before there are problems, so now I take all my dogs to Dr. Brannan for teeth cleaning and everything related to their dental care! Lucky for me, I have the best doggie dentist in the West, Dr. Randi Brannan. I recommend her unreservedly."
Claire M.
Milwaukie, Oregon
Keda
"Keda is an older dog, an Austrailian Shepherd/Golden Retriever mix. About two years ago, I noticed a growth on her lip. I took her to my vet and he looked at it, but told me not to worry about it. It grew a little more, not significantly, but enough that I took Keda to another vet for a second opinion. He wasn't concerned either. I just didn't feel right about it, so I ended up getting three opinions from three different veterinarians. They all said the same thing. I'm in the medical profession, so maybe I'm more sensitive, or maybe it was 'Mother's Intuition', but it bothered me.
I wanted to have Keda's teeth cleaned and Dr. Brannan was recommended to me. She's an oral surgeon, so I thought I would have her look at it - and if she wasn't worried about it, I wouldn't worry anymore either. But Dr. Brannan took one look and agreed with me that we should have a biopsy right away. The biopsy came back as a very rare form of cancer not commonly seen, cutaneous lymphoma. Maybe that's why three other vets missed it.
The point is that Dr. Brannan made the diagnosis that saved my dog's life! If I had not pursued this, Keda would probably not be alive now. Dr. Brannan was completely honest with me, and referred me to a veterinary surgeon for Keda's surgery. She stayed involved with the surgeon and the oncologist throughout the case.
Dr. Brannan is the ultimate professional. She is incredibly compassionate - with animals and people. She treated Keda like her own dog! Keda is a really sensitive dog - she's a rescue and a therapy dog. She picks up on people immediately and it makes her anxious sometimes. She'll shake and quiver when she goes to the vet. But she bonded immediately with Dr. Brannan - she just relaxed with her!
Keda is my best friend in the world. She's been given extra quality years with me. She's 14 years old now. She has a little arthritis and can't run as much as she used to, but she's doing well otherwise. She has an excellent quality of life and she enjoys every day.
I would recommend Dr. Brannan in a heartbeat! It's amazing: A dental vet saved my dog's life!"
Kristin G.
Portland, OR
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