Should I get my Dog's teeth cleaned?

[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.

[Thorn]

Been there...two cats, one with kidney problems and the other with numerous intestinal issues. I had their dental work done. After having a cat with feline leukemia I came to the decision that with our pets it is quality of life, not quantity.

Perhaps it is cruel to say, but since both had dental issues--if an elderly, not quite so healthy animal can get no pleasure from eating, is that still quality of life? It was still a hard decision, but I felt it better that we take the risk than they live whatever time they could, but with painful teeth. It turned out well.

That said, I did refuse a tumor removal surgery on my feline leukemia cat. The tumor was near his knee. They had tried to remove it 6 months earlier, but it returned. The incision was hard to heal and he was very uncomfortable. Perhaps that shortened his life, but the time he had left he could still attack his felt mice. If we had done the surgery I doubt he'd have had the mobility. Trade offs.

[badger]

I knew my aged dog really needed his teeth cleaned and/or have some removed as I know they were in really bad shape. But he was so old that the vet didn't think it would be safe for him to be anesthetized. I felt badly for him because I know his teeth were bothering him. It was a damned if you do, damned if you don't situation.

People still get their senior animals' teeth cleaned, just make sure you do all the proper blood panels beforehand to make sure she'll be okay to go under. When my 14 year old cat needed surgery for an injury, they wouldn't put her under unless they had the blood panel. She came out with flying colours.

[Heifzilla]

If her teeth are in bad shape, that can actually contribute to health issues, so cleaning them is a good idea.

How long ago did your vet pull blood? If it has been more than 3 months, I would have it done again. 12 is a geriatric dog and even though for a human 3 months isn't long, it is for a dog, especially an older one. I know it costs money but a blood panel can tell the vet so many things, especially since her kidneys have already shown some issues.

In general, anesthesia is safe and your vet wouldn't not suggest it if he or she didn't feel it was going to be safe for your dog. Of course, there are always risks, but there is risk in everything.

Good luck and good for you for being a good dog mom by asking questions.