Should I get my Dog's teeth cleaned?

[solobiker]

Here is a little background. My dog is almost 12 years old. She has had her teeth cleaned at the Vets only 1 other time, about 5 years ago. As you know they have to put dogs under for this procedure. The Vet has recommended that she gets her teeth cleaned again. Shoni ( my dog) is relatively healthy, I am just concerned that she may have a hard time with this procedure includding the anesthesia because she is older. Has anyone here with an older pet had issues with this? Any adivice would be great. She is the love of my DH's and my life.

[makbike]

As with any procedure there is some risk involved but the positives outweigh the negatives when it comes to most dental procedures, IMO. Given your buddy's age I would recommend bloodwork prior to the procedure this will allow the vet to see how the internal organs are functioning. Ask them what type of anesthetic they use (Iso is wonderful). A good dental will do wonders for the heart, liver and kidneys for it will help prevent the spread of nasty bacteria to these organs. The most obvious reason though is healthy teeth and gums - imagine what your mouth would be like if you went long periods between cleanings and check ups.

Years ago I had an old diabetic cat, Scooter, who suffered from kidney and heart disease (diagnosed at age 8). I had his teeth cleaned annually and he did well each time. This may have been overkill in some eyes but I was of the mindset that his annual cleanings were saving his internal organs. He lived to be 17. I'll never know if this really helped but I believe it did.

[solobiker]

Well, today Shoni had here teeth cleaned and while she was under they also removed some "tumor" like bumps off of her neck and back. They ended up having to pull 3 of her teeth. She is pretty sleepy right now and I can tell she does not feel her best, my poor little baby girl. Every so often she growns a bit. I know/hope it is only temporary. She has to wear one of those cones so she won't lick her sutures. I plan to give her all the love in the world.

[jesvetmed]

Poor Shoni. I hope that she is feeling much better by morning. Keep her warm and comfy tonight, and stay with her. She'll appreciate it. It's always hard to see them that way after anesthesia. They are so sad. Glad things seem to have gone well.

[Aggie_Ama]

Ugh, I took my Heidi to the vet last week for her shots and he said her teeth are bad. He said from a visual exam it appears she needs some pulled. She is a tiny miniature schnauzer and already had two pulled two years ago. My poor baby is going to need doggie dentures soon and she is only 7! She hates chewing, so getting her to assist in cleaning has never worked for her the little Diva.

[solobiker]

She already had her blood test for heart worm and they took extra to check her levels. My DH got the call from the Vet and they said her Kidneys had slight abnormal levels but that she could still undergo the teeth cleaning procedure and that the would just have to use a different kind of anesthesia. I am just concerned. I know people are different then dogs/pets, but I work in health care with the geriatric population and have seen many struggle after having anesthesia.
I am torn..Clean teeth/gums to decrease risk of bacteria spreadig to her organs vs the anesthesia risks.

Thank for your replies

[Tri Girl]

I posted then deleted my post. I think I was too wordy.
I have a 14 year old cocker. She has a heart arrhythmia and is mostly deaf and blind. Her teeth need cleaning, but I won't do it. For me, it's not worth the risk. She's probably got a couple years left in her, but I'm afraid the trauma (emotionally and physically) of the anesthesia just isn't worth it- for either of us.

[Possegal]

I had a kitty that had really bad teeth. What can I say, I got her when I was a poor struggling grad student then a post-doc didn't pay much either. Her teeth were a mess and she had just been diagnosed with chronic renal failure, she was about 13. They did the tests to be sure she could handle it after I spent a couple months giving her fluids to help her with the kidney failure. In the end, they did the cleaning and she felt so much better. They joked that she was the only renal failure cat they had who gained weight. That was all due to the fact that she felt so much better with her teeth cleaned (and a couple pulled). She lived 6+ more years with the renal failure, and I'm sure the cleaning helped her do so well. Though I will admit that as we went along, I declined to do another cleaning because I worried about the risk/benefit ratio with her.

[Tokie]

I too had a rather feeble old dog with no apparent dental ailments have his teeth cleaned by the vet. He had an improved appetite, and really clearly felt better afterwards. Sometimes the gum/dental disease is very hard to detect /treat unless the pet is anesthetised. And we brush our dogs' teeth 2X a day with Petrodex dog toothpaste, and they still need the vet dental cleanings. Tokie

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

The best thing is to have the pet's kidney function tested first before any dental anesthesia. Then, the vet can use inhaled gas anesthesia, which leaves the animal's system much more quickly than intravenous anesthesia, and is not processed through the kidneys. The gas poses less strain on the kidneys than the drip.

[BabyBlueNTulsa]

I posted then deleted my post. I think I was too wordy.
I have a 14 year old cocker. She has a heart arrhythmia and is mostly deaf and blind. Her teeth need cleaning, but I won't do it. For me, it's not worth the risk. She's probably got a couple years left in her, but I'm afraid the trauma (emotionally and physically) of the anesthesia just isn't worth it- for either of us.

I'm with TriGirl here b/c i've been in the same position. I had a older cocker too that I knew needed it, but I didn't want to put her through it at her advanced age. She got to pass peacefully of old age...and I didn't once regret not chancing the prophy. Risks weren't worth it to me either.

That said though.. I have a 7yr old cocker that JUST had a full prophy done 2 weeks ago. My 8yr old needs it too and I'll prob have that done soon.

When age and certain health factors aren't present, I'd have it done. Hate putting them under, but it really is better for them than dental disease (which can affect the heart, etc)

(ps - not intending to hijack...but TriGirl...another Okie/cyclist/cocker owner! yea!)

[solobiker]

She just had blood work done last week to check for heart worm and they had enough to check her kidney function. That came back slightly abnormal. The Vet said she would use a different type of anesthesia due to Shoni's kidney issues. I do know her teeth are getting bad. Other then that she is pretty darn healthy. Most people don't even know she is 12, they always think she is a puppy by how she acts.

[smurfalicious]

Hey Solo we have an anesthesia free tooth cleaning clinic at our store in Boulder every few months. I think it's around $125-$150 and the feedback has been awesome. I believe the gal also works out of one of the local vets offices. I can try and get you her info.

Also, I believe smaller dog right? Raw chicken necks are awe-haw-some for cleaning teeth. And that size is great for smaller dogs. My dogs are about 7 and 9 and they have amazing teeth because they get raw bones all the time, and eat a diet of about 50% raw.