Dentistry... losing teeth!
 

So, I've posted several times before about my 7 year old yorkie and his terrible breath. Today he was scheduled for his dentistry and he seemed so sad and down this morning, like he knew something bad was happening. My little fella is really anxious in the car, is always so stressed, trembling, sometimes vomits. He hates the vet - gets very anxious, panting and whatnot. Having him go without water since midnight was torture. So I dropped him off as planning and I get home and get a call from the vet with a quote for $1,000+ and that he would most likely lose all or most of his teeth. I immediately began to cry as I thought, "oh my goodness, my baby is going to be so sad." As I've mentioned before, he has no trouble eating, is super happy-go-lucky and never complains of pain. He loves having his teeth brushed! I figured he might lose a few, but all? Thats 42 teeth! So my vet was running an hour behind with her schedule and said if I had many questions that she wasn't comfortable doing the denistry today and that I should think about it. She did mention that he would have to eat soft foods (sad because he loves his crunchy dry food!) and that he would be in pain and his tongue would always hang out, but that down the line without it, he could get infections, organ damage, etc.

I picked up my doggie because they couldn't get the dentistry done in the half hour that she had left (not sure why she was running so far behind) and he was FREAKING out. He was hyperventilating or having some sort of panic attack. It was as if he couldn't breath. The decided at 9:17 that they wouldn't be able to do the procedure and I couldn't make it to the vet until 11:00, but yet gave him no water while he waited. I gave him water in the car - I've never seen him like that before. He immediately threw up of course, but seems to be better although stressed out.

Are there any yorkie owners out there who's dog lost all or most of their teeth? I don't get how his teeth got so bad. I know the right side is pretty gross looking, but the left seems okay... just some tartar build up. How will be recoup? Will his personality change? Will he resent me? I am worried he won't be his happy self and will be depressed because no more treats or dry food.

Please help.

My Lily just had 31 of her teeth removed, if you can believe that. She is 10. She had a liver shunt about 6 years ago and ever since then her teeth went downhill. Brushed her teeth 4 to 5 times a week to no avail. The Vet said that this is genetic and not much we could have done. The poor thing, her tongue is now hanging out and I have to grind her food up, but she is eating just fine this way.

Try not to worry too much, and just trust all will be okay - even without teeth :)! Many dogs will lose the majority of their teeth, or all of them - and they do just fine, believe me. Much of dental issues is genetic so even if you brush every day, there can still be major problems. The good thing, now, is that he is not having dental pain etc. :).

I just feel horrible taking his teeth away. I read an older thread of a dog named Bentley who seems to have had a similar experience like Toby. Our house smells really bad sometimes and I think it's his teeth. In rescheduling his dental until after the holidays, but hope this helps him. He doesn't show any pain or discomfort, but maybes he's hiding it and now this will help him. I hope he enjoys food as he does today. Lilily - does the tongue hanging out seem to bother her? How long did it take for her to recoup?

My Vindi Loo is a 5 year old rescue. When I got her,her teeth were HORRIBLE!
We immediately started her on antibiotics for three weeks to stave off any infection and then did a dental. She was left with fresh smelling breath and six teeth in her mouth! Her tongue does hang out at times… But not all of the time and she is adorable and healthy regardless. I home cook for them but she is perfectly capable of eating hard kibble. I don't think that that is very good for her gums, so when I do give her kibble I soak it in water to soften. Do the dental. It's the right thing to do. I'm sure you wouldn't leave your child with a mouth full of rotting teeth :unlove:
Vindi was acting 100% better and eating normally the very next day.

I am so sorry you baby is having teeth problems. My advise for you is to get a second opinion. Unless all his teeth are loose, he should not need all of them pulled. Is he able to eat okay right now? If he is not in any immediate pain I would recommend buying some Oratene Veterinarian Drinking Water Additive from RevivalAnimalHealth.com. This additive will help remove some of the plaque and also inhibit the odor causing bacteria. I think using this for a little while before having his teeth pulled might make the cleaning easier and help lessen the chance of infection.

I have been raising yorkies for 20 years so over the years I have had some that have lost their teeth. I do agree with others that it seems to be genetic in some cases. The smaller yorkies tend to have more problems. My first yorkie lived to be 16 and she did not have any teeth at the time she passed away and I have a couple of older ones right now that have lost their teeth but all are able to eat just fine and they still love their dry food. They also eat soaked Blue Buffalo mixed with a little canned Pedigree chicken and rice. At first after having their teeth pulled mine did not eat a lot but after a few days they were completely back to eating normally.

It is crazy how much some of these vets charge. My vet charges only $5 per tooth when he does any extractions. I guess it all depends on the area you live in. I hope everything works out for you. Please keep us updated.

If there is infection an extraction is a must for his health. Our Roxie was 15 when all but four of her teeth were removed surgically. A week later even at that age she was like a new dog, more energy and definitely much happier and the smell was gone. She kept the four pointy canine teeth and her tongue DID NOT hang out.

I am sure she would not have lived to 17yr 10 mnths without the surgery.

Senior Dog losing teeth
 

My senior dog, Gizmo has horrible teeth. He cannot tolerate the anesthesia from the vet - so we have the groomer help with the 'dental package' every 2 months. I keep finding teeth on the carpet, but Gizmo is still eating hard food. He is 15 years old. He has a terrible habit of licking - so I'm sure that is why my couch smells. Any suggestions on safe product for the furniture? Thanks for all of these posts! It really helps to know that my little stinker is not the only one out here.

What do you mean by Gizmo can't tolerate anesthesia? Did you have a bad experience with anesthesia in the past? Is this the veterinarian's assessment? The reason I'm asking is because a professional dental from a vet would be the best thing to do. Maybe there are alternative types of anesthesia that Gizmo might be able to tolerate? You might want to check with your vet again, just to be sure, or consult a veterinary dental specialist and bring up Gizmo's issues with anesthesia.