Anyone tried no anesthesia teeth cleaning for dogs???

[happyday7]

Hi everyone!:) My name is Grace. Im new here and need your help.

I was wondering if anyone tried no anesthesia teeth cleaning for dogs??
I have 2 shih tzus (tigger 6yrs old and lily 4yrs old)and I was told by my vet that they needed the teeth cleaning. More for tigger than lily but I was told some dogs during anesthesia can't wake up :( and Im so afraid to take my babies to get their teeth cleaned. I was researching online and I came across no anesthesia teeth cleaning and seriously considering this option.
Only problem with this option might be if my babies doesn't let stranger clean their teeth wide awake. If i do go with anesthesia option what do i need to do to prepare??? I was told to get a blood testing done??

Please share your experiences with professional dog teeth cleaning.

Thank you all in advance for your help.

[lindsayanng]

there is ALWAYS a chance that a dog (or any living thing for that fact) will not wake up from anesthesia. Its just a risk we take for surgeries and such. The blood work is the ensure that your animal is healthy enough and there are no underlying problems that can cause your pet not to wake up. Also, i would test for things like heart murmur if your pet has not had any surgeries - heart murmurs are very dangerous under anesthesia.You should also ask what KIND of anesthesia he wants to use.

i know that when the clean the teeth, they not only scale the tatar, but they check for rotten or loose teeth and they will pull them. I can not imagine any dog sitting still through that.. I wold think a cleaning without anesthesia would be a minimal cleaning

[Julia423]

If you have a good and trusted vet...go ahead and have the bloodwork and get the anesthesia. I think the stress on your animals during a no anesthesia cleaning would do more damage than the anesthetic. It's always nice to have some baseline data collected from bloodwork anyway.

(ps to Lindsay...heart murmurs can be heard with a stethoscope pretty easily ;))

[tiffers]

Hi everyone!:) My name is Grace. Im new here and need your help.

First off, welcome to PetLovers. :D

I was wondering if anyone tried no anesthesia teeth cleaning for dogs??
Certainly. I clean probably four to five sets of dog/cat mouths a week. My dog has had her teeth cleaned three times.

I was told by my vet that they needed the teeth cleaning.
Small breed dogs generally have horrible dental problems. Their mouths are much smaller and their teeth are more crowded making more space for harmful bacteria to grow in. Cleaning your dog's teeth will certainly prolong their life by 2 to 3 years.

I was told some dogs during anesthesia can't wake up :( and Im so afraid to take my babies to get their teeth cleaned.
This is the risk with any surgery. Dental cleanings, spay/neuters, tumor removals...anything. Have your vet run a full blood profile to check all the organ functions and their outputs. Your vet will then decide if it's safe for your pet to be put under anesthesia. If something is off the charts or alarming, your vet won't do the surgery.


If i do go with anesthesia option what do i need to do to prepare???
Nothing really. Your vet will tell you what they require. My patients can't eat past midnight pre-surgery day, and go home that afternoon.


I was told to get a blood testing done??
Definitely. You should never for any reason put your pets under anesthesia without doing bloodwork. That goes for anyone for any pet at any age.

Please share your experiences with professional dog teeth cleaning.
Like I said, I clean probably 4 to 5 mouths a week. I love Denistry. It's definitely one of my focus points.

[theresa92841]

I just had my dog's teeth cleaned today for the first time without anesthesia. I think they did a great job. I've heard folks argue on both sides of the conversation. For me, I prefer not to put my dog under as long as she wasn't fighting them when they did the cleaning.

I have a toy breed and I know that with her type of face (pushed in . . . it has a fancy name) that it is not ideal to have her have a tube down her throat. I've known somebody who ended up having a collapsed trachea due to that. I've also had a friend whose dog reacted poorly to the anesthesia and was really worried about how her dog acted for the next few days.

So in the big scheme of things, even IF they can't do as thorough of a job as they can if she was put under, it has to have some benefit. She doesn't have any problems with her teeth . . . just mild tartar. So I figure if I do this on a regular basis I will avoid or delay ever needing to put her under to clean her teeth.

I've had people argue that the dog couldn't possible remain still enough for them to clean under the gums because it hurts them. I do know that my dental hygienist that cleans my teeth manages to do it without hurting me at all. And I am not a flosser so it isn't because my own teeth are maintained so well on my own. If that is possible with me then why can't it be possible for the dogs.

Also, this is done through the vet's office. So obviously some vets can be on the side that it is worthwhile for the pet. They did say that they wouldn't recommend it for somebody whose dog wouldn't be docile for it or whose teeth were in bad condition. that they wouldn't be able to clean well enough in either of those situations.

I am the one who has to decide what is right for me and my dog.

Good luck.

[Julia423]

Interesting...I like knowing that a very cooperative animal could get its teeth cleaned w/o anesthesia. I knew this, but I think because my guys would definately freak out, my brain goes directly to the other option.

Thanks Tiffany for the info. ... I'm sure it was really helpful to lots of us.

[tiffers]

They did say that they wouldn't recommend it for somebody whose dog wouldn't be docile for it or whose teeth were in bad condition.
We also do some cleanings without anesthesia, but in our area...people won't clean their animal's teeth until something is serious. So, the majority of them have teeth so bad that teeth need to be pulled or the plaque is the only thing holding the tooth in place...I've often thought about cleaning Chica's while she's awake as she refuses to breathe under anesthesia so someone has to stand their the entire time and breathe for her.

[happyday7]

Thank you all for your replies.:)
I actually didn't know that I had to brush their teeth regularly.:confused:
(by the way I'm a first time pet owner.) I learned alot from past few years. It's like a war zone when I tried to brush their teeth and I am not even sure if im doing it right. I can't even use the dog tooth brush. only the strong tissue, napkins or paper towels. Lily and Tigger is so afraid of the tooth brush and they dont care too much for the beefy toothpaste either. Im not sure if Greenies help their teeth but they really like it so I give it to them everytime they finish their food.
Partially I blame my self for not doing the research but also blame the Vet that I took my babies for check up for the first time bc he didn't tell me anything about brushing their teeth. Thnking back now he was not very informative.
Anyhow It looks like I probably need to go with anesthesia teeth cleaning for them. :(

Any vet recommendations around OC California area?

Thanks

[tiffers]

...if your kids are not fan's of brushing, Virbac makes a line of dental products called C.E.T. products. Many, many, many alternatives to brushing there.

[theresa92841]

Any vet recommendations around OC California area?

Thanks

Well i live in the inland empire area but have friends in the OC area. I have friends in HB and Los Alamitos. If either of them are convenient, I can find out what vets they use. Let me know and I will ask them and get back to you.

[theresa92841]

We also do some cleanings without anesthesia, but in our area...people won't clean their animal's teeth until something is serious. So, the majority of them have teeth so bad that teeth need to be pulled or the plaque is the only thing holding the tooth in place...I've often thought about cleaning Chica's while she's awake as she refuses to breathe under anesthesia so someone has to stand their the entire time and breathe for her.

That is really scary that she won't breathe on her own.

[tiffers]

That is really scary that she won't breathe on her own.
She never has. Any kind of surgery, she refuses to breathe in the gas. So, whilst I'm cleaning her teeth...the doctor breathes for her. And while she's in any other surgery, I breathe for her while the doctor operates. It's scary...certainly scary, but at least we know she does it everytime and we can prevent suffocation by breathing for her.

[happyday7]

She never has. Any kind of surgery, she refuses to breathe in the gas. So, whilst I'm cleaning her teeth...the doctor breathes for her. And while she's in any other surgery, I breathe for her while the doctor operates. It's scary...certainly scary, but at least we know she does it everytime and we can prevent suffocation by breathing for her.


Just wondering. How can you breathe for her??

[happyday7]

Well i live in the inland empire area but have friends in the OC area. I have friends in HB and Los Alamitos. If either of them are convenient, I can find out what vets they use. Let me know and I will ask them and get back to you.

Thanks Theresa. If it isn't too much trouble for you HB one would be closer for me. :)

[happyday7]

Couple weeks ago I went to see a Vet at my local Banfield Pet Hospital and I was told total cost for anesthesia teeth cleaning will cost $200 per dog. She never mentioned about blood testing. I dont think I should take my babies there.
what is the avg price for anestesia teeth cleaning and blood testing??

[theresa92841]

Thanks Theresa. If it isn't too much trouble for you HB one would be closer for me. :)

It may take a couple of days for me to find out. I'll PM you when I know.

[tiffers]

Just wondering. How can you breathe for her??
All anesthetized patients are intubated (a tube is put down their throat) so that the anesthesia machine will aide them in their breathing while they're in surgery. Chica holds her breathe when sedated, so the machine cannot pump oxygen into her lungs. A person must manually work the anesthesia machine, forcing the air into her lungs and back out again.

[TwoBeagles]

Couple weeks ago I went to see a Vet at my local Banfield Pet Hospital and I was told total cost for anesthesia teeth cleaning will cost $200 per dog. She never mentioned about blood testing. I dont think I should take my babies there.
what is the avg price for anestesia teeth cleaning and blood testing??

Hello I'm new to this forum but I would like to share my story about Banfield.. I wouldnt take my dogs back to Banfield if their lives depended on it. I took both of them for over a year & they almost killed both of them. I took them in for shots but I asked for only Rabies. THey wound up giving them 5 shots each total becuase "it was included in my payment plan". Both of my dogs wound up having an allergic reaction & i had to rush them both back. After I told the doctor that I didnt authorize the other 4 shots he told me that I still had to pay $100 each to reverse the reaction!! I couldnt believe it. Afterwards I found another vet in the area & when I told him what the Banfield Vet gave them, he said that my dog didnt need them all. Especially 2 of them (I cant remember the names). He said those 2 injections are for dogs who only live in certain states. Then something else had happened with Banfield that I had to call the Corporate office - I never heard back from them. I went online & started to google Banfield & read many complaints about the company on the Better Business Bureau. I would do lots of research before going there... Sorry about the rambling but I jsut wanted to give my experience.
Michelle

[tiffers]

I wouldnt take my dogs back to Banfield if their lives depended on it.
I certainly agree. I've got sooooo many horror stories. Some of them my own personal experiences, and some of them from other clients who now come to our clinic...and some from neighboring clinics.