Coffee with: Tsawwassen dental hygienist for dogs offers relaxed care

Dental hygienist to the canine community, Tsawwassen's Roz Rickards, with her dog Bianca, says her calm gentle approach to treatments eliminates the need for anesthetics which can be harmful to pets.

Philip Raphael photo

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'Shhhhh. There, there. You're okay. Just relax. Shhhh, shhhhh. good girl."

Tsawwassen's Roz Rickards gently brushes back the tight curls of taupe-coloured fur on her dog Bianca's head.

The one-year-old Lagotto Romagnolo—a truffle hunting breed from Northern Italy—is still a wee bit jittery. It's her first time on Rickard's lap for a teeth cleaning.

But she quickly settles in with a few more reassuring strokes, kind words and direct eye contact from Rickards. The words delivered softly—not quite whispered—have the desired effect of those often labeled with the ability to develop a deep and trusting connection between human and animal.

Is Rickards a true dog whisperer? She doesn't jump at the opportunity to adopt the moniker, but her business (Sparkle Bark) as a canine dental hygienist who has abandoned the use of anesthetic in favour of a gentle approach seems to work for most of her clients.

"Perhaps I am (a dog whisperer). I don't know. I try really hard," she says. "There's something I convey to dogs. They are very sensitive and can pick up on feelings and moods. The trick for me is stay very calm. And I talk them through it. I can feel them melt away and relax."

Growing up in New Zealand Rickards says she was always surrounded by animals.

"My dad was also potty about them. We had hens when I was young and I became their friend," she says laughing.

Originally trained as an oral surgeon's assistant—for humans—Rickards entered the field for animals five years ago.

When she started out it took some convincing to get veterinarians to see the value in such specialized treatment. But when Rickards, using her background in oral health care, was able to also call attention to other oral health conditions her service caught on.

Currently, she takes her service to vets across the Lower Mainland, and has clients visit her small Beach Grove surgery.

"It's a good working relationship I've developed with a lot of vets, because the whole bottom line is what's best for the dog," she says.

Part of that is not relying on drugs to sedate Rickards' patients when a teeth cleaning is needed.

"There's no groggy doggies. They walk out of here bright-eyed and bushy-tailed," she says. "A lot of them actually like having their teeth cleaned."

And when the treatment is completed the chance to keep the dog's mouth clean and healthy is improved, which Rickards claims can help extend the lifespan by two to four years.

"We know that by reducing the amount of bacteria in the mouth less gets into the blood stream where it can damage heart valves, the kidneys and other organs."