dental cleanings - Paw Talk

halfwaynowhere · #1 01-03-2008, 01:45 PM

how often should a dog go in for dental cleanings?
Daphne is two, and I've never had it done, and her teeth look terrible. She has a problem where she thinks she's a hamster, and will store little bits of food in her cheeks. I make her spit it out when I catch her, because I'm worried that the food will make her teeth bad. I plan on taking her in for a dental cleaning in the next week or two (waiting for a paycheck). I'm a bit wary about the process, though. Do they have to knock her out to do it? I've seen it done before (I did some shadowing at a vets office for a few days), and the dog was knocked out. she also had several teeth problems, so the cleaning was a pretty bloody process, which really scares me. normal dental cleanings are more gentle, right? I'm concerned about anything involving putting Daphne under, because she only weighs 4 pounds on a good day, and I just worry a lot. But her teeth look disgusting, and I want them to stay healthy, so i know it needs to be done. any information would be greatly appreciated, and comforting words for a nervous mommy would be nice, too!

tarita2004 · #2 01-03-2008, 02:30 PM

They have us take our poms every 6 months unless they need it more often or if the teeth look good then we wait a few more months

Padfoot · #3 01-03-2008, 02:36 PM

It is usually recomended that they are taken once a year, however, some breeds, like pomeranians and yorkies require cleanings more often.

HappyDancer · #4 01-03-2008, 04:40 PM

we have to take Lady (cocker/poodle mix) every 3 months...vet says small dogs go more often than large dogs...we take our others in at 6 months...Puppers goes every 4 moths though because of his age...

Angelnstuff · #5 01-03-2008, 11:10 PM

Allie really needs one done, shes 2 years old and never had one either, David went and watched the vet do it, and hes a little more at ease with the idea after watching it, but still hes not ready to have her put under like that.. he does agree that she needs it tho, she still has one of her baby teeth on one side, which seems to help collect food junk, and she wont let us clean it.

***Jade*** · #6 01-04-2008, 02:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by halfwaynowhere


	I'm concerned about anything involving putting Daphne under, because she only weighs 4 pounds on a good day, and I just worry a lot. But her teeth look disgusting, and I want them to stay healthy, so i know it needs to be done. any information would be greatly appreciated, and comforting words for a nervous mommy would be nice, too!

If it helps, I worked at an ER vet for nearly 5 years. We sedated at least 2-3 animals per night for things like wounds, etc. In that entire time, I know of two middle aged or young dogs who died as a result of the actual anesthesia and both had underlying heart problems.

There is always a degree of risk with sedation, but if done properly it's minimal and the benefit of the procedure usually outweighs the risk.

Here's some info about the benefits of good dental care for your pets.

http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Con...S=0&C=0&A=1894