How often should my dog have his teeth professionally cleaned?

My concern is more about the anesthetic used versus the actual cleaning. Can having him knocked out for this cleaning once a year be harmful to him? He is 6 1/2 years old - Beagle. The Vet says I should do it once a year. What do you think?

How often should my dog have his teeth professionally cleaned?
Some dogs rarely need their teeth cleaned. Smaller dogs have more of a problem with their teeth in general than bigger dogs. Also, soft foods accelerates build up on thier teeth.





If your dog has bad breath, that is a sign that his teeth need cleaning. Lift up his upper lip and take a look. You will be able to see a goldish-brown build up near the gums. If his gums are red and inflamed, along with bad breath, that is the time to get them cleaned.





Anytime a dog in anesthetized, there are risks.





I have two poms and I take them in approximately every other year.





As far as your vet is concerned, I certainly would check his teeth every 3-4 months, but he may not need yearly cleaning.
Reply:it is rediculus and not needed! give him dental toys to chew on or get a finger brush and do it yourself. I have had healthy dogs all my life and never once took them to have there teeth professionally cleaned!
Reply:I have two beagles, one 10 and one 3. I don't have their teeth cleaned every year. I have the vet check them and if they recommend it I have it done. My 3 year old has never had his teeth cleaned (maybe this year though) and my 10 year old has had his done twice. The anesthetic is not harmful to them unless they have some other issues (just like humans). It also helps to give them teeth cleaning treats and to not give them hooves and hard bones.
Reply:evey 4 months
Reply:Some small dogs get bad teeth and gum problems, mainly because it is hereditary in those breeds. So if this might be a problem with your beagle, then I suggest you have it done! I've seen some dogs come in with terrible teeth... and it isn't always the owner's fault, dog's teeth can just get that way. Once a year for problem teeth.
Reply:I used to have my dog's teeth cleaned once a year. I didn't like the idea of having to anesthetize her, so I started brushing her teeth so it wouldn't have to be done that often.





They told me it's perfectly safe to put them under, but it's not recommended for dogs over 13. My dog lived til she was 17, which is very long for a dog.
Reply:Not needed, ugh, NOT needed. The vet just wants money off of you. You can clean at home just as well.
Reply:I would just feed him a good dry food and brush his teeth like once a month and he should be fine.
Reply:Try changing your dog's food. Canidae may be a wise choice. canidae.com . Also make sure YOU know how to properly brush your dog's teeth.
Reply:Ideally, every year. However, you can put it off if you brush your pet's teeth regularly. A good sign that you need to take your pet in for a cleaning is light redness along the gumline. This is called stage one gingivitis, and is reversible with a cleaning. In most places, they use inhalant anesthetics, which are very safe for most animals. You can ask your vet which agent they use, and if you are concerned, you can ask fro preanesthetic blood work to check liver and kindey function. Again, this is ideal and not always practical, but you can put off cleanings by taking good care of his teeth at home with chews and daily brushing.
Reply:A vet will suggest that you do it yearly. Of course one never knows if this is needed or if they just want your money. I've worked with vets and know how some operate. I would suggest giving your dog plenty of things to chew on and brushing their teeth as often as you can. This will improve their dental health.
Reply:Really it depends on the dog and the dogs diet. If they are fed canned food they tend to have more build up on their teeth. If you brush them at home that will reduce the need for yearly visits. They have doggy toothbrushes and beef and other flavored doggy toothpaste that cleans their teeth. Dental chews and even just rawhides help clean their teeth. If you do all of the teeth brushing and dog chews and their teeth are still bad then yes you probably need to have your dogs teeth cleaned yearly or every two years. It really depends on how bad the teeth are. My dogs are three and havent had dentals yet but will probably need them this year. Some dogs can go 2 or 3 years or longer between cleanings and I swear some dogs need them every 6 months.





Anesthesia is risky in all cases (just as in humans) but they should have him on gas anesthesia in order to work on his teeth and keep him down long enought to do the cleaning. Usually the Vet does the procedure and the tech monitors but in some clinics the techs do it all. I have actually performed a dental cleaning on one of our employees dogs (she was there the whole time watching me like a hawk. lol) I was constantly checking the anesthesia levels and his breathing while I was cleaning his teeth. Everything went fine. The anesthesia they use to initally knock the animal out I would guess at that age is Propofol. We used it in dogs over 7. It is the same anesthesia used on newborn humans in the hospitals so it is extremely safe, BUT with all anesthesia there are risks. They should knock them out with the propofol and then intibate them (put in a trach tube) and put them on gas anesthesia for the rest of the dental (though some clinics prefer to only use gas anesthesia for the entire dental from start to finish). Both are very safe but like I said you will always have risks when under anesthesia. In some clinics you can ask for monitoring during the surgery. We had an option that had the animal hooked up to monitors that watched the heart rate, pulse, blood pressure, oxygen levels and other vital signs during the surgery. This will tell the vet immediately if something happens to go wrong. It is also something that makes the owners feel safer about having their pet under anesthesia.





In the end if you get them cleaned now and next year on his yearly check up your vet recommends it again and you think that they are fine enough to wait until next year then say so. They cant make you give your dog a dental, they can only recommend it. Good luck and I hope this helps
Reply:You should let your dog no more chewing. Such as chewing bone or biscuit. So when chewing it can remove tartar. And it will work prefect if after professional clean.
Reply:I suggest you visit http://www.dogsvets.net and consult a Vet or breed expert for free
Reply:maybe once a year



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