Dogs: To Dental or not to dental?

Question

I have a dog who needs a dental according to the vet. (his teeth are pretty bad and brushing alone doesn't seem to help).

But I'm hesitant. When he was a puppy and was neutered, his blood pressure dropped in the middle of surgery. So when he had another procedure that required being put out, they had to take preventative measures just in case. 

After moving recently, I have a new vet. She's a good vet... my dog was vomiting blood one day out of nowhere and she diagnosed him with Hemorrhagic Gastroenteritis (HGE), a rare and potentially life threatening disease that vets don't know much about except a treatment that seems to help if caught quick enough. No one knows what exactly brings it on, (Genetics, diet, ect) however some believe it can be caused by stress (which seems to be the contributing factor in each of his episodes) 

So now he's due for a dental. but the worry is being put under, and his HGE. However, I hear that there are health risks for not getting dentals, like heart disease.

So now the question I have to decide... to dental or not to dental... which is riskier?

Florescu · Accepted Answer

YES!!

Dogs, as men, suffers by dental problems. 80% from dogs has problems with dental diseases, starting with the age of 3 years. They are rarely making decays, but they have more often diseases of the gum. So, as humans, dogs need a good care of the buccal cavity. Unfortunately only 18% from the dogs are receiving (once a week) a good hygiene of their oral cavity.

How do you know that your dog has dental problems:
- It's eating less and less
- The dent it's bleeding
- It salivates too much and it it scratching its mouth
http://www.squidoo.com/dogs-dental-health-and-the-right-food-for-a-pup

Here more about dental health ... And if you dog is a Chihuahua ... or a dog with a small snout the dental problems are more often ...

Iris Loves Her Scent Hounds · Answer

Well, it depends. There is a huge difference between teeth being pretty bad and stage 4 periodontal disease. Here is a great link that talks about periodontal disease for your own info. http://www.petmd.com/dog/conditions/mouth/c_multi_periodontal_disease

I had a vet who insisted that my dog needs a dental. I have a background in veterinary assisting and I knew that she did not need a dental. Aside from a bit of tarter, my current vet does not see any reason for why my dog needs a dental.

Now, when it comes to deciding about whether to dental or not, you have to weight the benefits and the risks.

Benefits of a dental:
Clean teeth
Better breath
Risk of periodontal disease is greatly reduced (provided that prophylactic dental work is done by the owner)

Risks of a dental:
Crashing during the procedure
Anesthesia
Death

We waited too long to get a dental for my last dog and she wound up with an abscessed tooth. She was a basset hound and went under anesthesia at the age of 10 to have it removed and she recovered and came out of it just fine.

In your case, I would sit down with the doctor and tell them your concerns. Tell them how your last vet treated your dog when it had to go under anesthesia. This is a decision that you have to make with your vet and with your dogs health in mind.

Make sure your vet knows that you do not want a dental if it is not needed. Inflamed gums and a bit of tarter is preferable to periodontal disease. And if you work on keeping your dogs teeth clean at home, such as having bones to chew on and feeding a raw diet, you may not even have to have a dental.

? · Answer

my vet is very affordable and does it for 80. other vets i have asked (it isn't my dog so we looked at different vets to get a good idea of cost) were anywhere between 150-500. my advice? shop around a little bit, and make sure the vet is credible. there is totally a difference between a routine cleaning and a deep cleaning. routine cleaning should be very cheap, a detailed cleaning involved antibiotics and putting the dog under for a little while.

Tonka · Answer

I would talk it over with your vet and see what they feel is best. 
I had an older dog that needed one and he didn't do well under Anestassia, so we waited a little while and he ended up having to have some pulled because they had gotten too bad.

Anonymous · Answer

Switch him to a raw diet. Dogs on raw diets don't need dental cleanings. Your vet won't be keen on raw, so you may want to google homeopathic vets in your area. Most vets are very against raw diets. Google Dr. Pitcairn, Dr. Jeanne Thomason, and there are many others that promote raw. Http://healthydogforlife.com/

ladystang · Answer

talk with vet that knows dog
bad teeth lead to other diseases

Dogs: To Dental or not to dental?

6 Answers