Nicole Westfall, Senior VP of Marketing at Zomedica, explains how integrated non-pharmacologic technology and fast-acting hemostatic gel can help veterinary dental professionals manage patient pain and bleeding before, during, and after oral surgery.
Sponsored by Zomedica
In this episode of The Vet Blast Podcast presented by dvm360, host Adam Christman, DVM, MBA, speaks with Nicole Westfall, Senior VP of Marketing at Zomedica, about innovative tools transforming veterinary dental care. They explore a synergistic approach that combines non-pharmacologic, targeted pulsed electromagnetic field therapy with fast-acting hemostatic solutions like VETIGEL® Hemostatic Gel and Static Gel to better manage dental complications. Westfall explains how the Assisi DentaLOOP™ device can be used before, during, and after surgery to reduce pain and inflammation, improve healing, and support more proactive care—even at home. The conversation also covers how VETIGEL® works to quickly stop bleeding, its versatility across clinical settings, and what dental practices need to know to enhance surgical care and patient outcomes.
Below is a partial transcript
Adam Christman, DVM, MBA: We're chatting about the synergistic approach of two great products that we have. We have the Assisi DentaLOOP™ and the VETIGEL® Hemostatic Gel and how those can work together when we're talking about our dental complications because how they can improve efficiency, reduce complications, and enhance patient comfort. So, let's talk about the Assisi DentaLOOP™. So, what is it?
Nicole Westfall: The DentaLOOP™ was actually made to use before dental procedures and then after, and the pet owners take it home. Now, you're very familiar with our regular loop. It's the same technology, it's the Targeted Pulse Electromagnetic Field technology, but in a smaller package. There's only 60 treatments in here. And you can see it's kind of formed like an L, so, it can go right over the nose. You've got a three-inch treatment radius on either side, or for those long-snouted dogs, you can fold it completely flat and go under it as long as it's within three inches of the treatment field.
And what most clinics are doing right now is that they're rolling it into the overall cost of the dental procedure, sending it home with pet owners a week before, having them use it two to four times a day to reduce the pain and inflammation before the dental procedure. And then they use it after four times a day to speed recovery and to use less medicine.
Adam Christman, DVM, MBA: Which I think is so smart. So, to the listeners, we're talking about the DentaLOOP™ and how it can be positioned around the nose. And pet owners really want a proactive approach.
They want to do something with their dogs and cats, which I think is great. And the fact that this is non-pharmacologic and it helps reduce pain and inflammation before we do dental extractions, I can imagine, think of the full mouth extractions. So those listeners out there, you know that they're out there with those cats and you really want to get ahead of it with that. That's great. So, why is this such a game changer?
Nicole Westfall: Well, it's pretty simple. So first, you don't need to give any drugs with this. I mean, you can use this to help knock down the pain and inflammation first and then decide what your next course of treatment is.
It gives the pet owner something they can do at home to make their pets feel better both after and before. And it gives them peace of mind that they're doing something to make the surgery actually go easier. And then it just reduces complications and things like that. That would come with a lot of medicine being given out.
Adam Christman, DVM, MBA: Yeah, absolutely. And it's cost effective. I like that a lot of veterinarians are incorporating this into the cost of the overall dental price or whatnot. So that's great. Okay. And then we also have the VETIGEL®. So, this is for immediate bleeding and faster recovery. And what is it?.
Nicole Westfall: VETIGEL® is a fast-acting hemostatic gel that stops bleeding in seconds without needing direct pressure. So, it's pretty easy to use, Adam. I know you'll probably tell us about some of the dental procedures you've done.
But it comes in this little syringe that we're showing right here. And there are different tips that you can buy to put on it. And basically, anywhere that is bleeding, you just squeeze it in there and then pack it with wet gauze. And it immediately stops bleeding.
Adam Christman, DVM, MBA: Which is great. I know when we're burying and we're removing those upper fourth premolars, for instance, or a canine tooth, man, those suckers can bleed. They really can. So, the fact that we want to clear the surgical field, especially when I'm doing the flap afterwards, and you can put this in, apply the gauze, good pressure to it. It works great. And it works quick, which is really, really nice as well.
And I'm thinking also, and I don't do this, but I know dentists that use these for mandibulectomy and even more advanced oral surgery. It helps reduce surgical time and improves the safety for that. And I also think of emergency care situations that these happen.