I do not want to put my dog under medications to have his teeth cleaned, but I know he needs to have something done to prevent infection. What can I do?
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I do not want to put my dog under medications to have his teeth cleaned, but I know he needs to have something done to prevent infection. What can I do?
Anesthesia is safe as in human medicine. Proper cleaning requires going beneath the gum line and your pet will not allow it without anesthesia. Your veterinarian will also be able to check fully for anyother dental problems. A infection in the mouth will contribute to the possible early failure of the heart, kidneys or liver. You are right in that it needs to be done. Don’t put it off any longer.
Kevin L. Chapman, DVM
Hoschton Animal Hospital
Hoschton, GA
Proper dental cleaning can only be done under anesthesia. Places that do cleaning “on the cheap” with an awake animal are likely to do more harm than good, as they can’t do a thorough job, are concerned only with the cosmetic side of things and not dealing with the real medical concerns below the gumline, may leave teeth microscopically scratched without polishing to remove those scratches thus promoting recurrence, and may stir up bacteria and inflammation without antibiotics.
Anesthetics nowadays are far better than they were years ago, and anesthetic deaths are increasingly uncommon. Risks can be further minimized by preanesthetic blood testing, use of an IV line with IV fluids during the procedure, and appropriate pain medications to decrease stress and discomfort. Properly done, a good dental cleaning under anesthesia is FAR better AND less stressful to a dog than trying to crack/scrape off the worst tartar so things look better and leaving it at that without true evaluation and treatment for the dental DISEASE that is present.
Melinda R. Burgwardt, DVM
Lancaster, NY
Hi,
There are holistic options. There is an herbal product called Leba III dental spray which helps to remove the tartar. There are also vets and practitioners that do anesthesia-free dental cleaning. California is quite holistic so you should be able to find this product and someone trained in this method of dental cleaning.
Kim Shotola
Pet Health Advisor
Brush them twice a day.
Phillip McHugh, DVM
Park Veterinary Hospital
Durham, NC
Like you, your dog needs dental care to remain healthy. Once the teeth are cleaned, there are a number of things you can do at home for regular maintenance. HOWEVER, to get the teeth properly, professionally cleaned, it must be done not only externally, where you can see the tartar, but above the gumline as well, a process called root planing. If this is not done, then you have only helped the appearance of the teeth—not their health. Most dental loss in dogs is caused by periodontal disease, and this occurs ABOVE the gum line.
Proper dental prophylaxis (cleaning) requires sedation and/or anesthesia in dogs. There’s just no other way to do a good, thorough job. Anything less is just a snowjob foisted upon you and your dog will suffer in the end. Please follow your veterinarian’s advice. He/she is absolutely correct!
Kristan K. Hodges, DVM
the best way to avoid dental problems for your pet is to always see a veterinary dentist regularly.