Should I get my senior dogs teeth cleaned?

I have a 14 year old Chihuahua/Beagle mix named Trixie, and her teeth have become really bad. They were cleaned when I first got her 3 years ago from the shelter, and she ended up losing a front tooth. I know she needs them cleaned again, but I worry about having her put under anesthesia. She is a very healthy dog and doesn't act her age, but she does have epilepsy which is treated by phenobarbitol. I know having bad teeth can lead to a bad heart, but I would hate to put her in harms way by having her put under! What should I do?

Should I get my senior dogs teeth cleaned?
Definitely get them cleaned. As dogs are living longer and longer, vets are becoming very experienced at dealing with animals in their teens. There are safer anaesthetics now, not just for older dogs but for sensitive ones (like sighthounds) and ones with short faces (like boxers or pugs).





Bad teeth produce toxins that circulate throughout the body. This not only is bad for the heart, but it makes the dog's liver and kidneys do extra work trying to filter out the crud. A senior dog's liver and kidneys become less efficient with age, so they're taking on a bigger job just when they are becoming less able to handle it. Most older dogs die of some combination of liver and kidney failure. This is serious.





Talk to your vet about the anaesthetic and any other concerns you may have, including any possible interaction with her seizure meds. S/he'll be able to say for sure whether a tooth cleaning would be advisable for your dog. But if it's at all possible, do try to have it done. My senior Greyhound had his done, and I swear he acted five years younger once the tenderness went away! %26gt;({|:-)
Reply:get a doggie toothbrush and toothpaste - from your vet or a pet store. it helps alot and its better so your dog wont have any risks of something bad happening when her teeth are being cleaned at the vet





NEVER USE HUMAN TOOTHPASTE IT KILLS DOGS!!!!!
Reply:well i have one question for u before i can answer. what type of anesthesia does ur vet use. because i have an 9 year old dog who has a heart murmur and he doesnt wake up to easily with injections of anesthetics but we recently took him to a different vet for his teeth cleaning and they use a form of gas anesthesia. it is a gas mask they put on him. he falls asleep, and when they r done or feel like he has been under too long they just take the mask up and he wakes up a few minutes under. so if ur vet uses and injection to anesthetize her then i wouldnt do it. my dog almost died because of it and we switched vets because one he didnt care and two he never told us he had a heart murmur. injection ansthesia is more risky because u give them a set dose and wait for it to run out of their system where as the gas form goes through their body as needed and can be taken away and it is easier to wake up so find a good vet that uses this. it is much safer for the animal. i mean they breathe it in and out it is as simple as that. it takes a few minutes for them to breathe it all out once the mask is taken off. so good luck.
Reply:as well as her eyes checked as well, and I hope Trixie does well!
Reply:Discuss this with your vet. And if you dont like the answer he gives you find another.


I had a older dog years ago who wasnt much larger than a chihuahua. I had his teeth cleaned, they had to put him under for this. He didnt do too well. He didnt die or anything, but i thought he was going to. But in my case (In my opinion) it was because the Vet i took him to was absolutely horrible and shouldnt have been treating a roach much less anything else.


Find a good vet who knows what they are doing and im certain your dog will come through it just fine.
Reply:YES, more than ever. Modern anesthesia is much gentler and if you have any concerns you need to voice them to your vet. I would take her to a vet that is board-certified in dentistry. You will actually save money since during the cleaning if there is any work to be done, as is probable since she hasn't had a cleaning in YEARS, then it can be done right there and then instead of first going to a regular vet and then referring her to a dental vet and making her go through it again - and having you pay for it again. My cat was found to have a broken tooth way in the back, which the regular vet had not been able to see, and the dental vet fixed it then and there.





Toothpaste and toothbrush are fine for maintenance but your dog needs more than that since she hasn't had her teeth cleaned. Do make an appointment. My 18-year old cat had failing kidneys and came through her dental cleaning with flying colors.



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