We took in a little rescue toy poodle four or five years ago that is about 11-12 now. He had never had a dental and probably never even had his teeth brushed. His mouth was in terrible shape. Soon after we got him, he had his first dental and lost literally half of his teeth. About a year and a half ago, we had the rest of his teeth removed - all but three of his little canines. He was probably 9-10 years old then. He did fine with the procedure, although he had a lot of pain afterwards and we had to hand feed him for at least a month until he learned to pick up his food off of a plate. No regrets. It was the best decision we could have made for him. He was a picky eater and underweight. We didn't realize he didn't eat because his mouth hurt. He has gained about two pounds and eats like a horse now that he no longer has mouth pain. Never neglect or put off dental work. The risk of the rotten teeth is much greater than the risk of anesthesia.
Good luck.
Diana |