Teeth Cleaning

[Devlin]

How often does anyone take their dog(s) to the vet for teeth cleaning? And at what age? My Sadie's teeth have always been clean & white down to below the gum line, but now the vet is telling me that she "should have it done" (to the tune of a pretty hefty charge, of course) because there is some tartar buildup around the back teeth on one side and that could potentially cause some gum disease problems, etc. etc., etc.

Any thoughts or advice?

[hotel4dogs]

Really depends on the dog. My old boy had his done once in his 14 year life. My old girl has hers done every 18 months or so. My young boy, twice in 6 years.
It's hard to see if there are any inflammations, abcesses, broken teeth etc. except during a thorough cleaning.

[2tall]

Devlin, I was one of those that thought dental cleanings were another high profit procedure that did not really have any positive effect on the dog. After all, dogs don't live long enough for bad teeth to have the same bad effects as humans, right? Anyway, in August Indy got into a tussle with Scout. No real fighting, but Indy got his face knocked around a bit. Within 24 hours his whole head swelled up like a balloon and he was clearly sick. We were in the middle of nowhere national forest in Utah and had to drive 50 miles to the nearest vet on a Saturday morning. An abscess that had been brewing under one molar had burst and spread poison all through his system. They gave him a big injection of antibiotics and he was on pills for 14 days as well. We were sent off with instructions to get him to a vet when we got home and have the cleaning done. When we did, he also had to have 4 teeth extracted including two large molars. The bill was about $600. But the amazing part of this whole deal was how much better Indy felt after the cleaning/extractions! All summer I had been thinking he was just slowing down a little because he's getting older. Nothing drastic, just a little slower on the draw. Within a week of his surgery, he was 100% pure old full speed ahead Indy. He is back to running rings around the 2 year old and the 5 year old! So the next time a vet indicates one of my dogs' teeth need attention, they will get it! Good luck to you and Sadie!

[kjrice]

Save yourself $300 and get a beef knuckle from the butcher.

[awclark]

Cow hooves once a month or so really help keep the tartar away.

[Brokengunz]

i have a tooth scraper do it myself, they dont like it but have no choice. a good marrow bone also helps get them clean,

[2tall]

Devlin, Indy had all those things. His teeth were just especially bad. If the vet says they need it, I would do it! Its possible if I had done the cleaning when first suggested we could have saved a few teeth and a few $$$.

[firehouselabs]

How old is the dog? If the dog is younger than two, wait until OFA's are needed and do them at the same time. If older, either try to scrap it off yourself (stay above the gum line!) and in the mean time you can give frozen turkey necks, or I really like beef ribs since they last a while, the dogs love them, and they are non-weight bearing bones so they are "less" likely to cause tooth fractures (keep in mind all bones can cause fractures in teeth). Keeping a dogs teeth clean is important for their general health, as well as oral. Plus, dogs with gingival issues lose some of their sense of smell, since periodontal disease and the bacteria that causes it put off a rather noxious odor.

[Terri]

I have a dog that loves to chew and was getting soft stole from too many bones so my vet told me to give her carrots. What I noticed is her teeth are so much cleaner than when she was chewing all those bones. I had one of my dogs fracture a tooth on a bone, so the ones that are not picky get more carrots now and less bones. Some dogs do not like carrots, but my girl who likes to chew does not mind.

I also have Italian Greyhounds they are known to need frequent teeth cleanings. The cost can vary from one time to the next. I always get blood work done before a cleaning to make sure the dog is in good health and get a range of the cost from the Vet before the cleaning. One of my IGs is the one who cracked the tooth on the bone. Tooth removal also makes the cleaning bill go up.

My little dogs at least once a year cleaning. The Labs had their teeth cleaned after coming from the Pro trainer, but that was a year and a half ago and their teeth still look great.
Terri