I had yearly dentals on my three Yorkies. My very little one sometimes needed it done twice a year. Unless preventative home care is able to take care of plaque and tarter, I think yearly dentals help to keep them healthy. Our last little girl, Ashley, passed away in June just a month before she would have been seventeen. I think the dentals were one of the reasons why we were able to keep her healthy for so long. We had to stop her yearly dentals when she was ten, since she had an enlarged heart and her doctor didn't want her to have anesthesia unless it was absolutely necessary. She had an infection twice, so we had them done due to necessity. Ashley had no problems with the anesthesia, even at the age of sixteen. Her doctor was very hesitant to do her last dental because of her heart, and we had to wait until he was reasonably sure she would come through the surgery. We understood the risks, but we couldn't bear to think of her suffering from tooth pain. We were also certain that it was also causing her anxiety. She acted so much better after the dental and without the infected tooth, and we are so glad that we made that decision. I have heard that Leba III is a good preventative treatment, but I haven't tried it. |