tooth decisions - Page 2 - YorkieTalk.com Forums

Mitzis Mom · 01-25-2009, 08:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by baby bellas mom

yes she does and thats the part that i dont like the most! its not the teeth its the process you have to go through thats why he was just going to do the spay and teeth all in one swoop, but that kinda seems like a lot to go through at one time to me

Then I guess the teeth are more important than the spaying. It's true that her risk for mamal cancer increases the longer you wait with the spaying but it doesn't mean she has to get cancer when she goes a bit longer without being spayed.

I'm from Germany and the dogs there are usually not spayed or neutured and still get old... (my parents Beagle girl made it to 17!)

baby bellas mom · 01-25-2009, 10:26 AM

basically it has come down to me getting her teeth taken out because they are causing damage to the others. so i figure that the % of damage that will be caused by me not spaying her is important but not that high. so i guess i will just take it as it comes and if she needs spayed then we will but i havent heard of many dogs having that many problems who are not. I know the vet tells us whats good for them but i am her moma and i make the decisions, he can give his opinion. thanks for listening!

yorkie_mama22 · 01-25-2009, 12:02 PM

I am like you and on the fence, some may not like me saying this but this is my opinion. Like humans, dogs can get cancer and yes it may increase your chances but in this world the same goes for humans also. Who is to say that IF you were to have her spayed she wouldn't get cancer still, anything is possible and this is your baby do what feels right. I personally don't think I will be getting my baby spayed. I don't think it makes me a bad mommy for it, I just don't feel comfortable with the spay at the moment. She barely goes through a heat so why stress her out with surgery.

baby bellas mom · 01-25-2009, 05:15 PM

your right just because i make the decision not to get her spayed does not make me a bad moma! they make you feel so bad when you say your not going to get them spayed they are like its whats best for the dog and if you dont then you are horrible for not doing it because she could get this and this and blah blah blah! when i went in with bella she was wearing her panties because she just happedned to be on her heat cycle and i was like shes in heat and my vet made a comment like i thouight she was putting me out! Bella being in heat does not bother me one bit. the thing is now i will have to put her under because of the teeth problem and i am scared for her and i both, the idea of that really freaks me out. my dentist said i should prob have my wisdom teeth taken out and i am scared to do that to myslef let alone bella

bjh · 01-25-2009, 05:35 PM

I really feel that since she is two years old it would be best to have her spayed. I know it is a scary thing to do but it is also scary and life threatening if she gets pyometra. I have had females spayed and teeth cleaned at the same time and they had no problems. I guess you could have her teeth done first and get her spayed later.

Once I took a little male to the vets to have his teeth cleaned and I checked that I wanted blood work done too. When I went to pick him up and pay for everything the price was cheaper than it should have been. As it turned out they did not notice that I wanted blood work. Luckily everything went fine but it did worry me that they did not do the blood work. Anyway, my advise to anyone taking a dog in for surgery is to make sure they understand you want blood work done first.

wishies · 01-25-2009, 06:36 PM

when i got riley neutered his adult teeth weren't growing yet so they didn't pull his baby teeth

so i have to wait until he gets about a year or so to have his baby teeth pulled. i'm still hoping they'll fall out on their own so i give him bully sticks and the toys he can play tug of war with madison.

hopefully madisons adult teeth start coming in by the time i get her spayed and hopefully that all will be done before she goes into her first heat lol.

sunamand · 01-25-2009, 06:53 PM

Darwin was neutered at around 4.5 months old, his adult teeth obviously had not come in at that time. I took him back a few months later to have 3 baby teeth pulled...make sure you call around to check prices. I had vets quote between $150 to $800 to pull 3 baby teeth! We finally went with one of the less expensive/more thorough vets, who explained the entire procedure to us in person during an office visit for $45. She explained that the pre-work/IV and a lot of the extra things other vets quoted were unnecessary for such a routine procedure. They put Darwin under with sevoflurane gas, no needles, no shaving of his little paw, he was out for less than an hour, and woke up bright eyed and ready to play.

Ellie May · 01-25-2009, 07:06 PM

I totally agree that some vets put way too much pressure on owners to spay/neuter. It is a very personal decision and nobody should make it for you. If you have a problem surgically removing organs because your dog "might" get cancer someday or an infection, then skip the surgery.

On the other hand, I had no idea that there were health benefits to spaying when Ellie was a pup. Nobody told me. While I think it is very unnatural to be removing organs and I hate the thought of it, I also think that a 26% chance of getting mammary cancer is just too high and the chances of pyometra (requiring an emergency spay) is very high also. After talking to Ellie's vet, I went ahead and agreed to spaying. Ellie's heat cycles were irregular, so we already had a clue that a hormonal issue was occurring or could easily occur. She had too many heats for spaying to protect her from mammary cancer but what the vet didn't want to see happen was for Ellie to get pyometra. Then, while her body is trying to fight a serious infection, she would have to have major surgery. It is hard to get a pus-filled uterus out of a small dog without spilling it and it was much safer for Ellie to undergo the surgery while she was as healthy as possible. She did just fine.

I have heard of no good reason why tooth work and abdominal surgery can't be done at the same time. I mean, when dogs come home after surgery, what do they do? They lay on the floor, incision and all, that is full of germs from shoes. Their abdomen could be draped off before tooth work is done. I don't see an issue but maybe I'm missing something. Many dogs get baby teeth pulled everyday while they are being spayed/neutered.

I know it is scary and I refuse to call it a perfectly safe surgery because there are obvious risks. It should be a personal decision backed on research and what you're comfortable with.

baby bellas mom · 01-26-2009, 04:47 PM

thanx you all for the advice and thoughts on my little dilemma, my decision is leaning towards taking care of her teeth and if a problem arises then i will get her spayed. I will handle one thing at a time
thanx again

QuickSilver · 02-09-2009, 04:44 PM

Thor had full teeth cleaning and four baby teeth extracted today (he's 2 1/2 years old). I just got a call that everything went fine. WHEW! I was a lot more nervous than I expected. He is four pounds and I knew he'd been fine under anaesthesia before for his neuter. Still, it's a relief.

Thor will be unhappy to know that his mommy does not like feeling sick all day, so she's going to brush his teeth constantly to keep him away from the vet as long as possible!

His plaque was bad. One of his back teeth was literally covered with tan plaque - then ENTIRE tooth. I'm looking forward to some nice fresh breath!

01-25-2009, 05:35 PM	#20
bjh Donating YT 5000 Club Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Southeast Texas Posts: 7,959	I really feel that since she is two years old it would be best to have her spayed. I know it is a scary thing to do but it is also scary and life threatening if she gets pyometra. I have had females spayed and teeth cleaned at the same time and they had no problems. I guess you could have her teeth done first and get her spayed later. Once I took a little male to the vets to have his teeth cleaned and I checked that I wanted blood work done too. When I went to pick him up and pay for everything the price was cheaper than it should have been. As it turned out they did not notice that I wanted blood work. Luckily everything went fine but it did worry me that they did not do the blood work. Anyway, my advise to anyone taking a dog in for surgery is to make sure they understand you want blood work done first. Last edited by bjh; 01-25-2009 at 05:36 PM.

01-25-2009, 06:36 PM	#21
wishies Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: so cali Posts: 223	when i got riley neutered his adult teeth weren't growing yet so they didn't pull his baby teeth so i have to wait until he gets about a year or so to have his baby teeth pulled. i'm still hoping they'll fall out on their own so i give him bully sticks and the toys he can play tug of war with madison. hopefully madisons adult teeth start coming in by the time i get her spayed and hopefully that all will be done before she goes into her first heat lol. __________________ Mooselove <3

01-25-2009, 07:06 PM	#23
Ellie May And Rylee Finnegan Donating Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Metro Detroit, MI Posts: 17,928	I totally agree that some vets put way too much pressure on owners to spay/neuter. It is a very personal decision and nobody should make it for you. If you have a problem surgically removing organs because your dog "might" get cancer someday or an infection, then skip the surgery. On the other hand, I had no idea that there were health benefits to spaying when Ellie was a pup. Nobody told me. While I think it is very unnatural to be removing organs and I hate the thought of it, I also think that a 26% chance of getting mammary cancer is just too high and the chances of pyometra (requiring an emergency spay) is very high also. After talking to Ellie's vet, I went ahead and agreed to spaying. Ellie's heat cycles were irregular, so we already had a clue that a hormonal issue was occurring or could easily occur. She had too many heats for spaying to protect her from mammary cancer but what the vet didn't want to see happen was for Ellie to get pyometra. Then, while her body is trying to fight a serious infection, she would have to have major surgery. It is hard to get a pus-filled uterus out of a small dog without spilling it and it was much safer for Ellie to undergo the surgery while she was as healthy as possible. She did just fine. I have heard of no good reason why tooth work and abdominal surgery can't be done at the same time. I mean, when dogs come home after surgery, what do they do? They lay on the floor, incision and all, that is full of germs from shoes. Their abdomen could be draped off before tooth work is done. I don't see an issue but maybe I'm missing something. Many dogs get baby teeth pulled everyday while they are being spayed/neutered. I know it is scary and I refuse to call it a perfectly safe surgery because there are obvious risks. It should be a personal decision backed on research and what you're comfortable with. __________________ Crystal, Ellie May (RIP), Rylee Finnegan, and Gracie Boo🐶

01-25-2009, 10:26 AM	#17
baby bellas mom Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: florida Posts: 179 Blog Entries: 1	basically it has come down to me getting her teeth taken out because they are causing damage to the others. so i figure that the % of damage that will be caused by me not spaying her is important but not that high. so i guess i will just take it as it comes and if she needs spayed then we will but i havent heard of many dogs having that many problems who are not. I know the vet tells us whats good for them but i am her moma and i make the decisions, he can give his opinion. thanks for listening!

01-25-2009, 12:02 PM	#18
yorkie_mama22 Currently Suspended! Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Canada Posts: 2,275	I am like you and on the fence, some may not like me saying this but this is my opinion. Like humans, dogs can get cancer and yes it may increase your chances but in this world the same goes for humans also. Who is to say that IF you were to have her spayed she wouldn't get cancer still, anything is possible and this is your baby do what feels right. I personally don't think I will be getting my baby spayed. I don't think it makes me a bad mommy for it, I just don't feel comfortable with the spay at the moment. She barely goes through a heat so why stress her out with surgery.

01-25-2009, 05:15 PM	#19
baby bellas mom Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: florida Posts: 179 Blog Entries: 1	your right just because i make the decision not to get her spayed does not make me a bad moma! they make you feel so bad when you say your not going to get them spayed they are like its whats best for the dog and if you dont then you are horrible for not doing it because she could get this and this and blah blah blah! when i went in with bella she was wearing her panties because she just happedned to be on her heat cycle and i was like shes in heat and my vet made a comment like i thouight she was putting me out! Bella being in heat does not bother me one bit. the thing is now i will have to put her under because of the teeth problem and i am scared for her and i both, the idea of that really freaks me out. my dentist said i should prob have my wisdom teeth taken out and i am scared to do that to myslef let alone bella

01-25-2009, 06:53 PM	#22
sunamand Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Emeryville, CA, USA Posts: 99	Darwin was neutered at around 4.5 months old, his adult teeth obviously had not come in at that time. I took him back a few months later to have 3 baby teeth pulled...make sure you call around to check prices. I had vets quote between $150 to $800 to pull 3 baby teeth! We finally went with one of the less expensive/more thorough vets, who explained the entire procedure to us in person during an office visit for $45. She explained that the pre-work/IV and a lot of the extra things other vets quoted were unnecessary for such a routine procedure. They put Darwin under with sevoflurane gas, no needles, no shaving of his little paw, he was out for less than an hour, and woke up bright eyed and ready to play.

01-26-2009, 04:47 PM	#24
baby bellas mom Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: florida Posts: 179 Blog Entries: 1	thanx you all for the advice and thoughts on my little dilemma, my decision is leaning towards taking care of her teeth and if a problem arises then i will get her spayed. I will handle one thing at a time thanx again

02-09-2009, 04:44 PM	#25
QuickSilver Thor's Human Donating Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: San Francisco, CA Posts: 5,929 Blog Entries: 31	Thor had full teeth cleaning and four baby teeth extracted today (he's 2 1/2 years old). I just got a call that everything went fine. WHEW! I was a lot more nervous than I expected. He is four pounds and I knew he'd been fine under anaesthesia before for his neuter. Still, it's a relief. Thor will be unhappy to know that his mommy does not like feeling sick all day, so she's going to brush his teeth constantly to keep him away from the vet as long as possible! His plaque was bad. One of his back teeth was literally covered with tan plaque - then ENTIRE tooth. I'm looking forward to some nice fresh breath!