Do You Have Your Dogs' Teeth Cleaned?

5 years ago, my dog got her teeth cleaned when she was spayed as well. Tomorrow she’s she’ll be operated on something she has on her elbow and they’re going to clean her teeth again while they’re at it. Check with her vet if the procedure is risky ;-)

@bvdshec17 thank you so much for your reply. GG

No, but she flosses daily and uses my listerine.

Not now while she has the braces on. The ventist said that if her teeth are discolored after we have the braces off that we can get laminates.

I did for the first time a year back. He made the doc nervous because his heart went out of control. I know what you mean. You want their teeth clean but you don’t want a dead dog with clean teeth. Just be sure you clean their mouths well. There are also good mints for dogs and clean their ears. If the teeth doesn’t seem very dirty than check your dogs ears and tonge. Sometimes just daily brushing will keep the smell at bay. Also feed your dog dry foods instead of wet meaty food. They are less likely to get problems that way. It took my dog 7 years before he needed his teeth clean. Usually your doc will recommend when it is time again. Unfortanely the older the get the riskier it is to put them under. Oh, one time the doc gave me a pad that cleans their teeth pretty well. It helps agains gingivitus. Its perscription only. Ask your doc. It did work on his teeth pretty well for a while but its hard to use between the teeth.

I used to have my dog’s teeth cleaned every time she was under sedation for something else. I wouldn’t ever have her sedated to have it done. Of course this meant she rarely got her teeth cleaned.

After talking to my very honest vet he told me that using the periodontal chews “Virbac C.E.T. Enzymatic Oral Hygiene chews” was as effective as the cleaning if used consistently. They aren’t cheap but neither is a vet teeth cleaning…and there is no risk of anesthesia complications.

I gave them to my dogs and had good results. I had even better results with giving the dogs good old fashioned beef neck bones.

All the restrictions against giving dogs bones (mainly due to people feeding cooked bones and or chicken bones which are prone to splintering) has lead to an increase in tartar and gum disease in dogs.

My solution to this was to visit the Asian Market for some spectacular beef neck bones. These bones have a bit of meat on them, and are large enough that the dog must gnaw at them rather than crunching them whole. When the bones begin to get small, I throw them away.

I’ve been doing this for over a year and my dogs teeth have never looked better.

And my dogs have never loved me quite like they love me when I hand them that hunk of fresh meat.

Dental cleanings do have some degree of risk, as does any procedure that involves general anesthesia. However, if your vet has recommended a cleaning, the benefits far outweigh the risks. Dental disease can lead to tooth loss, gum disease, and and heart and kidney disease from being showered with bacteria.

Associating dental cleanings with other surgical procedures is not necessarily a smart move – bacteria are often dislodged and swept into the bloodstream (especially if there is gum disease) which can then lodge in other areas; for example, surgical sites. It actually increases the risk of infection.

They don’t always have to be anesthetized for the teeth cleaning. There’s a girl that comes in about once a month to the doggy daycare I work at and she never uses anesthesia. Of course, it also depends on the dog’s disposition when getting the teeth cleaning but maybe you should do some research to see if anybody around your area does it without having to put her under.

I found a site you can look at but I don’t know where you are located so this may not work for you. But at least you’ll know what to look for in your area. Good luck!

@Merriment I cannot thank you enough for telling me about these products!! I can’t wait to try them. Thanks again.

I give my dogs a raw bone to chew on (raw, not cooked) once a week and their teeth are in excellent condition.