I don't have my dogs' teeth cleaned anymore because of their ages, 12 and 14. Makes me nervous that they wouldn't come out of it, although my fears are probably unfounded.

Regarding the dental kibble, it depends on the dog. My collie/shepherd mix, Maggie, doesn't clean her teeth after eating crunchy treats. I can see bits sticking to her teeth, which will actually promote decay I imagine. (By cleaning her teeth, I mean licking them clean like we would do if we had stuff stuck on them.)

I think you should have her teeth cleaned if the heart murmur isn't going to be an issue. Decaying teeth can get infected, or allow the gums to get infected. If bad enough, toxins can get into the bloodstream and possibly kill the dog. (I sure hope someone else posts who knows more detail. This info is just what I've heard or read.)

Once you get them cleaned, if you are diligent about brushing them, at least every other day but daily is best, it will absolutely help, and you might not need another cleaning for quite some time.

Thanks for your help! Hmmm, I have never brushed my dogs teeth, I admit. Is this something I need to do?
I am a little afraid of anesthesia and all it's concerns. I can understand why you wouldn't want to anymore. Did you have their teeth cleaned years ago?

I brush mines about once a week and gums too. I don't know if they need it or not their teeth look pretty clean. Figure it couldn't hurt to do it and if nothing else it's conditioning your dog to be restrained and let you stick a tooth brush in their mouth. They don't always stand still.

Brushing your dog's teeth is something that is great to do. The trick is getting them to cooperate :) You can get a kit at the pet store or from your vet. The doggy toothpaste tastes like meat, (so they say), so your dog will enjoy it. The hard part is that they (mine, anyway) tend to want to chew on the brush like a bone, so it's kinda hard to get to all the places. Anything helps, I suppose.

Bad teeth and especially bad gums (gingivitis) allow bacteria to directly enter the bloodstream, causing septicemia. The bacteria may colonate any organ, especially kidney, liver, and heart, leading to organ failure and death. Dental disease can be very painful too- if you've ever had any dental problems you know what it feels like. Abscesses are especially painful, enough that animals can't eat at least on the affected side. I have known several animals that have died needlessly directly because of dental disease.

A heart murmur needs to be thoroughly evaluated before an animal is placed under general anesthesia. Probably would require an echocardiogram at least. I'd never place an animal under general anesthesia without doing pre-operative bloodwork within the month prior to the prophy, especially in a pet older than 7 years. In practice, I've never placed any of my pets, at any age, under general anesthesia without pre-operative bloodwork.

With the information from the physical exam, heart evaluation and pre-operative bloodwork, your vet can determine if your pet is a candidate for general anesthesia and what protocols to use. Most pets, even older pets, do fine with general anesthesia as long as the protocols and monitoring are appropriate.

For me, I would not have my pet under general anesthesia without an IV catheter and fluid support, pulse oximeter, and blood pressure monitoring. I would also never have a procedure done without pain control pre-operatively, during operation, and post-op. In the clinic where I work, only certified veterinary technicians, very experienced technicians, and veterinarians do dental procedures (the tech does most of it- the vet checks and advises).

It doesn't matter how long ago a cleaning was done if the teeth need to be cleaned now. Kinda like I was fit in high school so that counts as being fit now- I wish LOL! I know dogs whose teeth are cleaned every 6 months because they need it that often. OTOH, my mom's lab was 14 years old when she died and had never needed a dentistry- it is extremely variable between individuals.

Teeth brushing will not remove the current tartar. It will prevent new tartar from sticking if done every day. Dental chews and treats help, but IMHO do not replace teeth brushing. That said, I don't do either, but I do have my dogs' teeth cleaned whenever needed, which isn't that often.

Some say diet has a big effect on dental health. To a point, I agree, but some animals just need a lot of dental work despite the best diet. You can't say that just because you feed a certain diet- BARF, dental diet, dry food only, etc.- that your pet doesn't have or will never have dental problems. It happens in some animals no matter what, just like some people who brush their teeth 3 times a day and floss every day still get dental problems and morons like myself who brush only twice a day and never floss and haven't seen a dentist in 8+ years have perfect teeth. Just one of those things.

I would talk to your vet about the specific risks your dog has with general anesthesia and what s/he can do to alleviate those risks. Just remember, age is not a disease- it's just a sign of not being dead yet!

At our clinic the vets grade the dentals 1-4. 4 being the worst. Since your vet said "someday" I would assume there is not much build-up yet. In that case using the dental food or some dental chews may help a lot. My Doberman loved Alpo Cheweez and never had to have her teeth cleaned. They also make additives for the drinking water. The Chow just had to have hers done about a month ago. I was very concerned about the anesthesia with her because she is almost 14 years old. Like Meghane I always do fluids and bloodwork. With Smokey they used Isoflorane gas instead of an injectable so you may want to ask your vet about that.

Lisa

I believe that the older the dog, the more vigilant you need to be about having dentals done with the proper pre-op labs,physical, and fluids of course. We always follow up with a round of antibiotics after the cleaning. When a cleaning is done, they are not just cleaning the teeth, but also examining them to find any other problems that may not be easily noticed by the owner.

Our 14 y/o has her teeth cleaned every six months. She has always had a terrible tartar problem despite daily brushing. On the other hand, our 9 y/o only has hers done about every 2 years. She has very little if any tartar, but they did find a cracked tooth last time and were able to do a repair before a major problem developed.

So,imo, the answer to your question is yes, you should have your dogs teeth cleaned.
Linda

My three year old Wheaten Terrier had bad breath. Took her to the vet,who said her teeth needed cleaning. It was quite expensive, included per-op bloodwork, and general anesthesia. I now give her prescription TD Dental food,it's supposed to clean the teeth. I'm not so sure.

I appreciate your replies. This is giving me a lot to think about...and I thought she was perfectly healthy! Now, I need to have the echocardiogram before doing any cleaning at the vet.
And finding a good vet...I thought my vet was good ....but does he do the right things?
Anyway, getting a doggie toothbrush first. Boy, that's going to be fun brushing! (not)

I had a 13 year old Shep/Lab, female (Tara) who had all sorts of health issues. Her teeth needed to be cleaned, but thankfully, were not decaying.

I thoroughly quizzed my vet about the procedure (what happens when they are under, what happens if equipment fails, what they do if it fails, back up plans, how log the procedure takes, what they do if something unexpected happens, and how long it takes them to come around).

Because my dog also had a heart murmur in addition to about 5 other issues, I was scared to death. In the end, I decided not to have her teeth cleaned, only because they were not rotting or causing other issues.

Chewing helps keep teeth clean. I have two dogs that love to chew on various things, one that doesnt. The one that doesnÂt needs to have her teeth cleaned.

Good luck!!

Sg

If you can get a square of cotton guaze, a rubber nib or toothbrush just for brushing your dogs teeth. Your dog may hate it, but if you take your time, put your dog into a relaxed position by petting it, maybe giving your dog a massage for a bit before you try to clean its teeth this might help. Some dogs dont mind this, some dogs hate it. Some dogs can get use to it if it is not forced upon them and you go gently. Done once a week, you can prevent having to have your dog put under for dental cleaning. If your dog has alot of tartar build up, then going to the vet is a must since they need to use some sharp tools and some pressure to get that stuff off since it is like cement.

My Vet has a service that comes in to our clinic a couple times per month, it is a non anesthetic teeth cleaning service for dogs and cats This is a great service for teeth cleaning IF the gums are in good shape. It helps minimize the need for deep cleanings that should only be done under anesthesia. I have a German Shepherd that fights me all the time with teeth brushing, yet for whatever reason is great with this service. The service my vet brought in is called Hounds Tooth. They are based out of California but have franchises in different areas. I'm in NY. Check out your area or talk with your own Vets about having this service brought in. If you can get enough people interested your vet may consider it. What my vet does is examine the teeth first to see if the dog is a good canidate for this particular service. If the gums are inflammed at all or it looks like the dog needs deep scaling than it is not suggested.

I don't need to worry about cleaning teeth. Even though my dogs eat kibble most of the time (Ultra Lamb and Rice), they get, at a minimum, one raw turkey drumstick each on the weekends. Some weeks they are lucky and I buy them turkey thighs, also. They have beautiful teeth. Works for cats, too (with chicken parts).

Back when I got my older dog he was 2 or 3 years old and his teeth were COVERED with tartar. There was hardly any white showing. If he chewed on something, his teeth would even bleed. That night I got him (Saturday) I started feeding him raw chicken parts. By the time his Monday vet appointment came around, his teeth were looking so much better that the vet didn't hardly comment on them. He just said that if they get any worse that they WOULD need cleaning in the future. Well, after two weeks you'd never know they were so terrible in the beginning. I really think that this was a worst case scenario when I got him and he really turned around.

My 14YO guy has never had his teeth cleaned, and at his last check-up, the vet said his teeth looked 'pretty good' for his age. I have always given him the occasional(about every other month) raw soup bone to gnaw on to his hearts content. When it gets small enough that it could be swallowed, I throw it away. I'm just guessing that this is what has helped keep his teeth clean.
I used to clean dogs' teeth when I worked for a vet(about a million years ago) and it seemed that the toy breeds aways had the worst teeth(second only to cats).

I just want to add that whiter teeth do not nessasrily mean healthier teeth. It just means less tarter. White teeth can also be a breakdown of enamel and it doesn't mean the gums are healthy.
Having the teeth cleaned is also part of oral examination, the condtion of the teeth and gums can be a really good indicator on other disease processes going on.