Sort of OT? Dog teeth cleaning

[writerriann]

I've read several pet-related posts in the last couple weeks so I thought I'd add a quickie post of my own. We have 2 family member fur babies (we foster too). Milton, a cairn terrier, and Bailey, a hound mix, are both 6 years old this year. At our vet checkup in February, our vet (whom I have used for years) suggested a teeth cleaning for both dogs.

I've heard of people having this done, but I'm not sure it's something that needs to be done. He wasn't pushy about it, but he said Bailey had quite a bit of buildup on her teeth. He quoted me $100 per dog but said it would like be the only time in their life they would ever have it.

I'd gladly pay it if it would keep them healthy, prevent problems in the future. But, I'm curious too since this is the first time we've ever had a vet suggest this to us. They would have to be put to sleep to do this which makes me nervous (anytime anything of mine gets put to sleep, i get nervous), but not for long.

Has anyone had this done? Any helpful vet or vet tech Dissers know anything about this?

 

[StitchandPooh'sMom]

Do you brush your dogs' teeth? If not, it is very possible that there is sufficient buildup to cause gum disease after six years. I understand the fear of having your dog go under anesthesia - I'm nervous about that too. Did your vet suggest any other ways to remove the buildup? Maybe tartar control bones, etc? It might have reached the point that a cleaning is the best thing, but I'll let the vets on the board weigh in on that.

We brush our dog's teeth using a Sonicaire toothbrush. He doesn't love it, but he tolerates it reasonably well.

 

[semo233]

I have a 3.5 yr old Lab mix (look to the left to see my soulmate!) and her teeth are worse than my 13 yr old cats! The vet said that just like people, some dogs are more prone to teeth problems.
My sister is a hygienist and will be cleaning her teeth this weekend. When I asked the vet about a tranquilizer or something for her, she recommended I just give her two Benedryl to make her woozy. I can post how it went on Monday if you want!
By the way, $100 is cheap! I was told it would run about $400 to have the vet's office do it!

 

[le9397]

Teeth cleaning is a normal vet procedure. My little boy needs to get it done too. $100 is really cheap. I was quoted $300 at one vet. Over $500 from my now ex-vet.

 

[writerriann]

I used to brush their teeth but DS came along and well..... I can only be responsible for so many teeth brushings in the house. I do give them tartar control bones quite often.

 

[jedijill]

I just had my 5 year old dachshund's teeth cleaned in June. I sent her home to my hometown vet to have it done as it was just over $100 as opposed to the $400 and up here in Denver.

My mom's dachshund lived to be 16 and had several teeth fall out due to buildup, etc and I want to try to keep on top of any potential dental problems so my Bailey doesn't have the dental isssues when she gets that old.

Jill in CO

 

[LoriKutchey]

Yes, dogs teeth need to be cleaned just like humans to prevent periodontal disease also they do get cavities and an exam is done at the same time. Little dogs tend to build up faster than large dogs it seems. Our maltese gets her teeth cleaned once a year at over $300.00 a time. Since I am a hygienist I did try to clean her teeth. But that was impossible, now I know why they put them out. Good Luck.

 

[G's mommy]

I just got an estimate of $187 to have my poodle's teeth cleaned.

 

[4Seasons]

One of the main reasons (aside from better breath and whiter teeth ) to have them cleaned is the bacteria that can get into the dog's bloodstream from the gingavitus (sp?).
This bacteria can cause kidney and heart problems later in life for them.

$100 is cheap, did they tell you what type of anesthesia that rate included? They can do IV (cheaper but less safe) or inhaled (kind of a "twilight sleep" and not heavy sedation therefore more safe).
My vet has offered both but recommend the inhaled anesthesia.

 

[semo233]

UPDATE: Went to have my sister clean my dog's teeth and she couldn't get the office door open....we'll have to try another weekend. I did give her 2 Benedryl. She's a really low key dog anyway and she just seems a little more low key.....I thought she'd be really out of it. The vet showed me how to hold her head while my sister used some kind of special and gentle machine or tool. I'll post an update when we finally get it done.

 

[AwaitingMagic]

My sheltie/shepherd mix has always had bad teeth and we have had to have her teeth cleaned every year since she was about 3. It's usually around $300. She is 15 now and has a harder time with anesthesia so we skipped a year and she had to have several teeth pulled (but we had to - she was miserable). I've started brushing her teeth a couple of times a week and she's doing really well. She would NEVER let me do this when she was younger, so I think she knows it has to be done.

I fill a dixie cup about 1/2 full with peroxide and she has a child's toothbrush (SNOW WHITE!!). She isn't thrilled me with when I do it, but I give her lots of love while I'm doing it and if she is particularly difficult one day, I try again the next night. It doesn't take that long - maybe 5-10 minutes. The vet said it's most important to get right up by her gums. I'm very hopeful this will help her get through and we won't have to do the anesthesia anymore. She's just too old and it's really her only 'problem'.

 

[damo]

There are some products out there that are very good for tartar. Petzlife works very well.

 

[golfgal]

We have never had our dog's teeth cleaned and they are very white. She has some cow bones we buy from the meat dept at the grocery store and she chews on those frequently. Our vet even comments on how nice her teeth are. We don't brush them either.

My BIL had his puggle in the vet about a month ago and something weird happened. The dog took a log time to wake up and they actually ended up having to try to resuscitate him. They thought he had brain damage and would die and they were trying to decide what to do-put him down?? They had emailed everyone letting everyone know that Buster was having problems, waited for the kids to get home from their activities and were going to go to the vet to say good-bye. THey were there for about 10 minutes and he just woke up-about 3 hours after they decided he wasn't going to make it. It took a couple weeks but he is fine now.

 

[BeachGirlFLA]

With these two, I can definitely imagine why they would have to at least be made groggy. One of them would cry the whole time and the other one is hyper enough that it would never get done. As someone else said, the buildup can cause heart disease and other organ problems so I would get it done. Oh, and there's nothing considered OT on the Community Board

 

[The Princess]

I have health insurance for my dog and it covers up to $100.00 for teeth cleaning. You might want to check into that.

 

[jwhtewolfd]

Vet tech here. If your vet is not one to push annual cleanings and is suggesting it's time for a cleaning, I would think the tartar must be pretty heavy. Yes, dogs (and cats) do need their teeth cleaned. Plaque, tartar, bacteria, abscess, infection ... not things you want for your furbabies, right?

$100 sounds REALLY cheap to me. I, personally, would not do a dental on my pet without:
-preanesthetic blood work (at least kidney function, liver function, blood sugar and pcv)
-IV catheter and fluids
-preanesthetic drugs (this allows them to use less gas for the procedure)
-gas anesthesia - preferably isoflurane or sevoflurane (full anesthesia allows them to thoroughly clean beneath the gums, not just pop off the surface tartar and also allows for a complete exam of each tooth)
-a guarantee of 2 staff members devoted to your pet - 1 to perform the work, and one to monitor anesthesia the whole time he/she is under
-preferably a full set of dental x-rays to look for any hidden problems
-if any teeth need to be extracted, pain meds need to be sent home (I don't believe in pain meds being "optional")

If your vet is suggesting a cleaning under mild sedation, be aware that it will NOT be a thorough cleaning.

Once their teeth are cleaned, you can follow up at home with dental care. This can be as simple as feeding a diet like t/d, oral care or DH, all the way up to brushing daily with an enzymatic toothpaste. Of course, the more you do at home, the better the results.

The above is how I did my Jezzie's (the grey tabby in my avatar and siggie) dental at our practice. We don't recommend yearly cleanings b/c, yes, there is risk each time an animal is placed under anesthesia. We strongly recommend home dental care, and weigh the risks for each individual patient when we recommend dental cleanings. At our practice a typical cleaning with no extractions runs just under $400, and we are on the low end of prices in our area. Good luck with your pup and let us know how it turns out.