Our First Dental

[MaddiesMommie]

We are having our first dental cleaning in Feb. and I just wanted to know what to expect with her. I will not hesitate to call the vet if I feel something is wrong, but just wondering about your experiences.

I know absolutely no one who has ever had their dogs teeth cleaned so you all are it Everyone I "know" thinks I nutos anyway.

[Vinniedoggy]

Teeth cleaning is a pretty straightforward procedure. I'm assuming you're having it done at the vet's office. Prior to the cleaning, they should do some basic blood work to make sure anesthesia is safe for your girl. For the cleaning, they put the dog under general anesthesia (probably the most dangerous part of the procedure) and clean and scale the teeth. My vet also always does x-rays to make sure there are no issues that can't be seen with the naked eye. They scale the teeth and extract any teeth that need to be extracted.

Depending on how much they have to do, your dog may need a few days to recoup. Then, your vet's office should show you how to do basic oral hygiene care at home to maintain and hopefully limit the number of professional cleanings your dog will need. I've found nightly tooth brushing to be a great way to prevent plaque from building up. Yorkies are pretty susceptible to tooth decay and daily brushing is the only way to prevent it. We also feed completely raw, and that too helps. Giving things to chew on can help as well, but it is no where near as efficient as daily tooth brushing.

[MaddiesMommie]

Originally Posted by Vinniedoggy

Teeth cleaning is a pretty straightforward procedure. I'm assuming you're having it done at the vet's office. Prior to the cleaning, they should do some basic blood work to make sure anesthesia is safe for your girl. For the cleaning, they put the dog under general anesthesia (probably the most dangerous part of the procedure) and clean and scale the teeth. My vet also always does x-rays to make sure there are no issues that can't be seen with the naked eye. They scale the teeth and extract any teeth that need to be extracted.

Depending on how much they have to do, your dog may need a few days to recoup. Then, your vet's office should show you how to do basic oral hygiene care at home to maintain and hopefully limit the number of professional cleanings your dog will need. I've found nightly tooth brushing to be a great way to prevent plaque from building up. Yorkies are pretty susceptible to tooth decay and daily brushing is the only way to prevent it. We also feed completely raw, and that too helps. Giving things to chew on can help as well, but it is no where near as efficient as daily tooth brushing.

Thank you Andrea. We try to brush, try being the key word. Maddie HATES it and it is such a battle. She usually ends up with a sticky face. lol I am looking into CET products to start her on. She is a chewer, but Cooper is a eater/swallower so I am very limited on what I can have around.
We are having this done, forgot to mention that I guess.

The day of and day after I am wondering about. I took the day off from work and they said it will be early afternoon when I will be called to pick her up.
Are their teeth/gums sore after this? (My teeth feel sorta sensitive after I leave the dentist)

[Patti]

Pixie has had 2 cleanings and Cali one. Pixie has terrible teeth and gums. With Pixie they put her on an antibiotics 3 days prior and 5 days after. After her first cleaning, I picked her up about 3 pm and brought her home. She came right in and grabbed one of their cow hooves before I could stop her. She had 7 teeth pulled that time and it didn't bother her at all. Cali did fine as well. Just make sure you get the pre-op blood work.

[MaddiesMommie]

Originally Posted by Patti

Pixie has had 2 cleanings and Cali one. Pixie has terrible teeth and gums. With Pixie they put her on an antibiotics 3 days prior and 5 days after. After her first cleaning, I picked her up about 3 pm and brought her home. She came right in and grabbed one of their cow hooves before I could stop her. She had 7 teeth pulled that time and it didn't bother her at all. Cali did fine as well. Just make sure you get the pre-op blood work.

We are definitely having this done. I hope Maddie does as well as your girls did. Thanks!

[Ellie May]

If no teeth are pulled, she won't be too sensitive. She may be sleepy from the anesthesia and possibly nauseated. Really, dentals with no extractions are about as boring and uneventful as you can get as long as the anesthetic episode goes well. She will probably be able to have half a meal that night and resume normal feedings in the morning. If none are pulled, she should not have any restrictions.

[MaddiesMommie]

Originally Posted by Ellie May

If no teeth are pulled, she won't be too sensitive. She may be sleepy from the anesthesia and possibly nauseated. Really, dentals with no extractions are about as boring and uneventful as you can get as long as the anesthetic episode goes well. She will probably be able to have half a meal that night and resume normal feedings in the morning. If none are pulled, she should not have any restrictions.

That sounds perfect!!!

I was told she could eat before 10:00 the night before and none the morning of her appointment, only water that a.m. Her appointment is first thing in the morningso she should be okay if she has a late dinner the night before.

[107barney]

Daisy had to have a dental after she fractured a 4th molar on a marrow bone a couple of months ago. She had the one extraction and a cleaning. A couple of dissolvable sutures were placed on the extraction. Because she had no periodontal disease or gum recession and her mouth was in great shape, she did not need any antibiotics or any special treatment when she came home. She did have to eat soft food for a couple of weeks while the oral cavity healed. That was easy since her food is soft anyway so for her there was no change. She did great. I hope your baby does well.

[shodanusmc]

Blood work prior for sure. Maxine has it done about 9 months ago. She had to have a few pulled, and had her Canines stitched up to tighten them up, and it worked. She wa on Antibiotics and a some pain med that she really did not need. She was back to normal is a few days. Bet gave her something for real little dogs to knock her out that cost a bunch, but worth it. Here in the Chicago area her bill came to about $750 but her breath improved 100% and is still nice. Your dog will do fine. Good vet, good results!

[MaddiesMommie]

Originally Posted by 107barney

Daisy had to have a dental after she fractured a 4th molar on a marrow bone a couple of months ago. She had the one extraction and a cleaning. A couple of dissolvable sutures were placed on the extraction. Because she had no periodontal disease or gum recession and her mouth was in great shape, she did not need any antibiotics or any special treatment when she came home. She did have to eat soft food for a couple of weeks while the oral cavity healed. That was easy since her food is soft anyway so for her there was no change. She did great. I hope your baby does well.

Thanks Cathy.
Sure sounds like little Daisy went through a lot and did great with it, says a lot about your momma skills

[MaddiesMommie]

Originally Posted by shodanusmc

Blood work prior for sure. Maxine has it done about 9 months ago. She had to have a few pulled, and had her Canines stitched up to tighten them up, and it worked. She wa on Antibiotics and a some pain med that she really did not need. She was back to normal is a few days. Bet gave her something for real little dogs to knock her out that cost a bunch, but worth it. Here in the Chicago area her bill came to about $750 but her breath improved 100% and is still nice. Your dog will do fine. Good vet, good results!

There is a result we are hopoing for. She has the breath only a mommy (and papa) can love.

I think the procedure is about $250 here. You are so right with good vet, good results. We certainly have that. Thanks!

[lisaly]

My girls had their teeth cleaned once a year. When Ashley was ten, when she had preop testing, we discovered that she had an enlarged heart. As a result, we only put her under anesthesia when it was absolutely necessary. She lived almost seven years after that, so we did have to have her teeth cleaned after that a couple of times due to infections. Ashley's last dental was when she was 16.5 years, and even with needing an extraction, she really acted fine that night. My vet used isofluorine, which once the anesthesia was withdrawn, they woke up very quickly. My vet recommended antibiotics after a cleaning. Just in case they were nauseous, he told me to withhold food or water until around 8p.m.. They were usually a little more tired than usual, but I think that was more because they weren't used to being left there for a few hours, and it was stressful for them. My vet allowed me to bring them in a little before he was going to do the dentals (which started around noon). The hardest part was coping with no food or water prior to going because they knew something was up. I never got used to them having the dentals done because of leaving them and the anesthesia, but they always did fine and never got sick afterwards. I honestly believe keeping her teeth healthy helped Ashley to live such a long and mostly healthy life. Good luck with your little one; she will do just fine.

[MaddiesMommie]

Originally Posted by lisaly

My girls had their teeth cleaned once a year. When Ashley was ten, when she had preop testing, we discovered that she had an enlarged heart. As a result, we only put her under anesthesia when it was absolutely necessary. She lived almost seven years after that, so we did have to have her teeth cleaned after that a couple of times due to infections. Ashley's last dental was when she was 16.5 years, and even with needing an extraction, she really acted fine that night. My vet used isofluorine, which once the anesthesia was withdrawn, they woke up very quickly. My vet recommended antibiotics after a cleaning. Just in case they were nauseous, he told me to withhold food or water until around 8p.m.. They were usually a little more tired than usual, but I think that was more because they weren't used to being left there for a few hours, and it was stressful for them. My vet allowed me to bring them in a little before he was going to do the dentals (which started around noon). The hardest part was coping with no food or water prior to going because they knew something was up. I never got used to them having the dentals done because of leaving them and the anesthesia, but they always did fine and never got sick afterwards. I honestly believe keeping her teeth healthy helped Ashley to live such a long and mostly healthy life. Good luck with your little one; she will do just fine.

Oh, I know. Especially for my piggies that love their breakfast once my feet hit the floor. Leaving them is the hardest for me. I feel like the 45 minute drive to the vet flys and the drive home and back takes f-o-r-e-v-e-r. I hope I am able to keep my girls with me for long healthy lives also. Thank you for your well wishes.